3 Ways to Improve Your Diet, Without Changing What You Eat

‘Tis the season for resolutions, diets, weight-loss goals, and more. This probably isn’t the first year you’ve sworn to tackle these things...but perhaps you are hoping this year is your last. If you caught Tuesday’s article, you already know why I’m suggesting you start with tweaking your nutrition. You also caught that, changes should be ridiculously small so you can actually sustain them. (If you haven’t, go do that and come back.)

Here are three ways to start improving your eating habits, without actually changing what you eat.

Slow Down: 

It takes 15-20 minutes for your brain to realize your tummy is full. When you scarf food down, you tend to eat more, because you don’t give your brain time to catch up. Slowing down, then, becomes a more natural form of portion control. Eating slowly can help you eat less, without feeling like you’re restricting. 

It can also help you with the last two items on the list.

Satisfied, Not Stuffed:

Eating to satisfied, not stuffed, will also help you practice more natural portion control. It helps you recognize the difference between true hunger and cravings, and between stuffed and satisfied. Aim for about 80% full, or when you feel your hunger has satisfied but you can still go for a stroll (as in not stuffed like a turkey). 

You will also feel better after meals and improve digestion. 

Focus on the Experience:

What are you tasting? Smelling? Feeling? Seeing? Focusing on the experience of the food will help you be more satisfied with less. It also helps you slow down your eating (see how these all work together!). 

And as a bonus, when you slow down eating “junk food”, you often realize it’s not as awesome as you thought. This can help you more naturally gravitate to less processed foods, without feeling deprived.