“Transform Your Diet Effortlessly: 3 Simple Steps”

Ever felt like every new diet is just a fancy way to snatch your hard-earned cash, yet you still long for a healthier lifestyle and perhaps shed a few pounds? You’re not alone! Let’s dive into three easy steps that are all about healthy living, without the stress of dieting or feeling deprived. And guess what? They might even help you lose a little weight without much effort!

1. Say Goodbye to Sugar Spikes

Think you need iron willpower to stick to a diet? That’s a myth! Our brain has this ancient part called the limbic system, and it’s like a bossy manager when it comes to survival – including eating. When it’s in charge, forget about willpower!

No More Guilt: Instead of feeling guilty about eating, let’s try a fun experiment for a month. No panic dieting, just observing and understanding your body. Ready?

Outsmarting the Limbic System: Let’s step off the sugar rollercoaster. It’s simpler than you think – just add protein to your meals. Having a piece of chocolate? Throw in a few almonds with that treat. Toast? Top it with an egg. This little trick helps manage blood sugar levels and keeps that demanding limbic system in check.

2. Improve your Eating Interval

Here’s the goal: gradually increase the time between your meals. Start with 3 hours, then aim for 3.5, and ideally, reach 4-hour intervals.

Why? Often, we eat again before we even feel hungry, especially when our sugar levels are all over the place or emotions dictate our eating habits. By including more protein, you’ll notice the food cravings easing up, and you might even experience real hunger pangs – a sign your body is genuinely ready to eat!

Routine Matters: It doesn’t really matter when you eat, but try to start with something within an hour of waking up. Here’s a sample routine:

• Breakfast at 8 am, lunch at noon, a snack at 3 pm, and dinner around 6-7 pm.
• Aim to stop eating 2 hours before bedtime to aid digestion and sleep better.

3. Be Your Own Scientist

Now, observe your eating habits. Are you reaching for a snack after a stressful phone call? That’s emotional eating. Craving chocolate? Check if your last meal had enough protein or if you’re just experiencing a sugar low.

Look out for real hunger signs like tummy rumbles – it might have been a while since you last felt them. Remember, no judgment! This is all about understanding your body.

Try experimenting on different days with a high protein breakfast and then a high sugar/carb breakfast and take a note of when you start to feel hungry.

Watch Out for Tiredness: If you’re not sleeping well, your crazy limbic system can confuse tiredness with hunger, leading to more sugar cravings. Prioritize good sleep to help regulate your eating patterns.

Still Thinking About Dieting?

Give these three steps a try for a month. You might be surprised to find you’ve already started to lose weight by regulating meal times and adding protein. And remember, no pressure, no guilt!

Next Steps: Gentle Changes

Start with small swaps, like switching some beef mince for lentils or veg in your recipes. Swap a takeaway for a homemade favourite. Add a 5 minute walk to your daily routine. You already know a lot about food and nutrition; it’s time to use that knowledge without the guilt.

So, remember:

1. Include Protein
2. Regulate Eating Times
3. Observe and Learn

Try finding out:-

• The differences when you include a protein at breakfast
• When you feel real hunger vs other reasons to eat
• How long is an easy interval between eating?
• Does stop eating earlier in the evening mean you wake up hungrier? (give it a week before checking)
• Are your urges (limbic system) calmer when you regulate you pattern and include protein?
• Very tired? How were your sugar urges?