Jenn J

Day 11: Two purposes of food

Food is wonderful! And you can absolutely enjoy food and eating, yet still manage your weight. But in order to be successful with this, you need to put food in its proper place.

From now on, plan that you will eat for only two reasons:

1. to fuel your body

2. to appreciate flavors

Measure all of your food intake against these guidelines. If you put something in your mouth and it doesn't match either of these, there's a good chance you're doing emotional eating.

Make fuel a priority

In the days ahead, you'll learn new ways to enjoy food and appreciate flavors without adding lots of calories. But for now, focus on making your fuel needs a high priority. Just as a car needs gas, your body requires fuel to keep it moving efficiently. And to get the best mileage, you need to fill your tank at intervals, stop when it's full, and use high-quality fuel.

Plan for a minimum of three fuel stops a day, then add a couple of mini-stops in between. You don't need to eat a lot at each fueling. In fact, you may want to space out your fuel intake by eating five or six small meals each day.

Just be sure that you always give your body fuel when it needs it. Even when your days are filled with demands such as work deadlines or taking kids to ball practices, don't ignore your fuel needs. Take food along if necessary so you don't get stuck with running on empty.

Eat more often

My friend Jorge Cruise, author of The 3-Hour Diet and the Eight Minutes in the Morning book series, believes that eating more frequently gives much better weight-loss results. His work shows that getting consistent fuel intake helps protect metabolism as well as maintain blood-sugar levels. It also prevents you from overeating as a result of getting too hungry or tired.

Regardless of which type of diet and exercise plan you're on, always make sure to give your body fuel at regular intervals. Over the long run, you will see far better success than if you skimp on the fuel you need.

TODAY'S TASKS

Each time you eat something, write down the time that you ate it. Include all of your meals as well as snacks and nibbles. At the end of the day, count the number of times you took in fuel.

Plan ways to space your fuel stops between three to four hours apart.

Notice whether having regular fuel stops during the day improves your energy and your focus.