How to Get Slim
Seeing that it is probably now clear that dieting not only does not work, but that it often causes extra weight gain in the long run, it is time to see what we can do instead.
But what alternative is there to dieting? Surely, to lose weight, someone would have to eat less and presumably exercise more - and eating less is dieting, isn’t it? Well not always.
Counter Intuitive
Squirrels hide nuts, so that they can create food security for themselves throughout the year. It is inefficient for them to be carrying any extra fat while they have food security and as a result, they are among the leanest animals on the planet.
Your body will not want to carry any excess fat if it feels that it has food security, which means it can always get what it wants. What we need to do is to totally convince our bodies that we have food security. To do this we need to Eat, Eat and EAT! That's Right! We need to do what seems to be the total opposite of dieting, it is counter intuitive. We need to:
Eat whenever we are physically hungry,
Eat as much as we really want and
Eat whatever we really want.
If ever you are trying to not eat when you are physically hungry, or to eat less than you want, or you try to cut out or limit any foods that you really want, then you are telling your body that there is food scarcity and it will want to store and carry fat. Only by giving your body exactly what it wants when it wants, and as much as it wants, will it be willing to let go of its fat reserves.
Now in fairness, once you let your body have what it wants, when it wants it and just as much as it wants, then it is likely to be a lot less demanding. You are likely to end up eating a lot less than usual
However, this alone is not quite enough to ensure that you can reliably get slimmer and there is one magic ingredient that can make all the difference. You need to take your time to really taste and chew your food. Only this way can your body and the deeper parts of your brain properly keep track of what and how much you are eating and give you thefull satisfaction you want from eating just enough for what you truly need.
If you allow your body to have whatever it wants and you really take your time to taste your food, quite soon you may well find that you just don’t want as much food as you used to eat. You become completely satisfied with just exactly enough for your body’s real needs. So yes, you end up eating less, and yet without denying yourself even one tiny little bit.
Six Easy Principles
Altogether, just as outlined by Paul McKenna, there are Six easy to follow principles that are the most reliable and effective ways for you to become slim and stay as slim as is naturally healthy for you.
By the way, notice that we call them ‘Principles’ and definitely not ‘rules’. We know that if we give people rules, then they want to break them; we don’t like being told what to do and what not to do! On the other hand, these principles are simply useful guidelines. You can use them flexibly. You can introduce them gradually if you want. And if you end up going against them from time to time, it is not the end of the world! This is all about giving you choice, finding out for yourself what works and giving you the freedom and flexibility to adapt to your situation. – So let’s take a look at them.
1. Take your time to properly taste and chew your food.
This is the single most effective and important of all the principles. Most people when they are eating are going Chomp-Chomp, Swallow! And they are missing out on getting the full satisfaction from their food. This one principle helps all the others to work more easily.
Avoid distractions such as TV and radio, and put your cutlery (or your food if you are holding it) Down while you eat. Wait till you have swallowed before picking them up again. You may be surprised at the difference this makes.
Drink soup and beverages slowly. Remember they are food too... If they are flavoured, they are meant to be savoured!If you are thirsty and want to gulp something down, try water...
2. Eat when you are physically hungry
This may seem just Too obvious. However it means Not eating when you are just bored or for comfort eating. And also not just because you are supposed to eat three square meals a day! – This was an invention of the industrial revolution. On the other hand, do not delay eating once you are physically hungry, or there is a risk you will eventually end up bolting your food and overeating.
3. Eat Anything You Like!!!!!
If you eat slowly enough and really savour your food, then the deeper part of your brain will adjust your tastes and desires for you. You must avoid denying yourself Anything once you are physically hungry, or your body will still think there is a famine. Only when your body knows it can have Whatever it wants (Yes - even if it wants Chocolate Cake!)will it be willing to offload excess supplies of stored energy in the form of fat.
(Obviously avoid any foods that may be bad for you as a result of a medical condition.)
4. Stop eating once you have had Enough
If you eat slowly enough and really taste your food, you will feel satisfied with far less food than before. If someone feels ‘Full’ it means their stomach has been over filled and is calling for mercy! So 'Full' is Too Much!
There is a scale of what counts as “enough”, starting from:
No longer hungry - I could stop now if I wanted, through to
I ‘think’ that is enough and
I ‘feel’ that is enough, to
MMMmmmm That was nice!
If you take your time, you will easily get the more subtle feeling of having had enough without having stuffed yourself.
Remember: Take your time – Really taste your food!
5. Take moderate exercise
Many people think that the most important thing about exercising is the amount of calories we burn off while doing it. However, with moderate exercise, we actually burn off more calories in the two or three hours after we have exercised than during it!
Just a walk around the block is often all it takes to raise your metabolism enough for this. In fact it is important to avoid overdoing things in the early stages. Better to under exercise in the beginning and avoid putting yourself off from overdoing things. Build up gradually if you want later; you might even get to enjoy it, it produces 'happy chemicals' - endorphins!
6. Weigh Less
Yes, it’s a pun! However, weighing yourself too frequently just picks up the small natural variations that could discourage people. It is best to only weigh yourself about once a fortnight; Preferably at the same point in the day on the same day of the week. Midweek is probably best.
Take it Easy!
Weight loss using these principles is a gentler more gradual process than dieting. Your body needs to get used to the idea that it can have anything and everything it wants before it is going to be willing to let go of those pounds and ounces (kilos and grams if you prefer.) Don’t rush it; your body might even want to check that it can put a little extraON! - before it is willing to let it go off again. Let it have its way; feed it, nurture it, just don’t stuff it. When it feels Safe,Then is when it will let the pounds drop away!
Once you start using these principles, you may well be surprised at how easy and effective they can be and at how little food your body actually wants.
