Our nutrition habits can make or break our body composition goals. Today we show you the best nutrition habit, ever.
You don’t need to count macros to get lean. In fact, eating “by the clock” completely overrides the most accurate caloric intake gauge available:
How do you feel?
Eating “by the clock” is strict adherence to eating at set times, because that’s we’re supposed to do. Breakfast at 7am. Snack at 10am. Lunch at noon. Snack at 3pm. Dinner at 6pm. Snack at 9pm.
Got to get those 6 meals in, right?
Wrong.
Really, how do you feel?
Over the weekend I asked our members taking part in Precision Nutrition’s Pro Coach program what the most impactful nutrition habit has been so far. Interestingly almost every single person had the same exact answer:
Eat slowly and stop when 80% full.
This nutrition habit could really be summed up in one word: mindfulness.
We can use the full power of this habit through a series of three simple questions.
“Why am I eating?”
Are you eating because you’re hungry, or are you eating by the clock? If you think that you are hungry, let’s make sure we are not mistaking it for something else. Did you just walk by a break room full of baked goods? Did you smell bacon cooking somewhere? Are you upset? Are you out with friends?
Sometimes environment, smells, emotions, and social situations can trigger feelings of hunger. Check in with yourself.
“Am I satisfied?”
If we eat slowly and pay attention to the smells, tastes, and feelings that food gives us, we can learn a lot.
Eat slowly and stop when you reach 80% full. That number can sometimes be hard to grasp, so we go with “satisfied.”
Are you still eating because there is food left on the plate? Maybe you’re lost in a conversation, caught up in your favorite TV show, or addressing the work that is piling up while you eat at your desk. In order to be able to stop when satisfied, you’ve got to be able to unplug and be mindful as you eat. We’re not saying to lock yourself in a room with no social interaction, just to make sure you still pause whatever you are doing and regularly check in with how you feel.
Stop when satisfied.
“Did I eat the right amount?”
This question is answered by how you feel in the hours following a meal.
If you’re hungry again in 1 hour, ask yourself, “Have I been drinking enough water?,” because many times we can mistake thirst for hunger. If your answer is yes, you’re probably not thirsty, and there’s a good chance you under-ate at your last meal.
If you’re not hungry 3-4 hours after your last meal, you probably overate.
Ideally, you want to begin to feel hungry 2-3 hours after your meal.
If we compare this feeling to having to pee, at two hours you could pee, but you don’t have to. Around three hours, you’re looking to see where the nearest bathroom is. At four-five hours, you need to find a bathroom immediately or you won’t be allowed to wear Batman underwear anymore.
Nutrition is much the same. We don’t need to give in the moment we feel hunger, but rather learn to recognize the feeling. We can use our body’s signals to form better habits than eating by the clock.
So, how do you feel?
Ask yourself these questions and get in tune with the why of when you eat. Once eating slowly and stopping when 80% full becomes habit, we can dig deeper and look at what’s on your plate…
Interested in checking out Beyond Strength Performance NOVA, LLC?
Latest posts by Chris Merritt (see all)
- Why Your Favorite Instagram Model’s Butt Program is a Waste of Time - 2017/08/30
- The ABC’s of the Kettlebell Swing - 2017/08/23
- I’m New to the Gym, What Should I Do? - 2017/08/16