How To Train Yourself To Eat Less

If you grew up in a first world country you were more than likely living an environment where you had enough food to survive.  Most of us had enough and have enough food to survive and usually a little bit extra. Thanksgiving comes around and we are encourage to eat until our belt buckle feels tighter. We even have food eating competitions. Eat as many hot dogs as you can and win a ribbon!

It’s not healthy to overeat. The digestive system can be overloaded with too many macro-nutrients to process in a short period of time.  When this happens often times the gut may become overloaded and then digestion is less effective because your gut has to process more food at a faster rate than usual.

If you eat healthy, organic whole foods then your body can better process and digest this food. If you’re eating junk food, fast food or treats it becomes more difficult to digest large portions of food.

Whatever the case eating healthy quantities of food and recognizing when you’re overeating is valuable to know. We often eat food to fill an emotional void or to fill our stomach because we feel like we’re hungry but we’re actually thirsty.

To be in touch with all of these emotions and bodily messages at play it is important to be mindful of what works for you.

Watch this video to learn more:

3 Techniques To Train Yourself To Eat Less:

1. Drink More Water: When you’re “hungry” you may actually just be thirsty. Drink a glass of water and see how hungry you feel 5 or 10 minutes after that glass of water. It may suffice and your body may have just been dehydrated. Water helps the digestive system work better and if you replace food with that you’re optimizing your digestive system instead of stressing it out.
2. Breath & Move: The body moves and breathes for a reason, it’s living! We have become so stagnant with the invention of cars, chairs, couches, you name it! We slumber around like a caveman that cannot find his way out of a cave. We need to move our body and breathe more fully. Breathe deeply through the nose and move your body. Practice yoga and stretch while breathing and this will give you more energy and vitality that won’t require junk food calories!
3. Get Sun Baby!: As I said in the video, crocodiles in Costa Rica lay out in the sun and soak it in as a source of energy. Plants use the sun as a source of energy for photosynthesis and growth. We also benefit from the energy of the sun to energize us. I went 4-days (24 hour periods) without food once several years ago and if it weren’t for my time sitting in the sun with my shirt off I don’t think that I would have had the physical energy to continue. Some people go for 21 days without food! (I think i’m too thin for all that) but still. The sun is a source of energy and light that ignites your cells and body to be alive. Get sunshine, fresh air and move your body.
4. Use Your Senses: This is one additional tip that I think is really useful. Did you know that certain smells or sounds can actually engage you to have more energy or to be more calm and relaxed? Smelling peppermint (as in the essential oil) increases your Vo2 max which gives your lungs and body more available oxygen. This alone gives you more energy and keeps you feeling active. It may work as a good distraction to keep you going and skip that cookie or snack that you don’t want to eat for the health and body you want. You can also listen to music that stirs you up. I don’t know about you but I have music that is relaxing and calming and I also have music I listen to that is “hype music” that I use during my workouts etc. Use music and peppermint essential oil to keep your brain and body charged more often! This will give your body other sources of energy to rely on that aren’t food/calorie based.I hope that these tips add value to your life and ultimately help you be more mindful of how much you eat and when you eat!You may also enjoy reading: This is when you should and should NOT drink water.