Women's Corner March 2007
Lean and Energized at the TOP of Your Game—Harness Your Hunger and SLOW DOWN!
by Ilene Gershberg
www.ileneonhealth.com
In the quest for efficiency, high performance women typically function at a much faster pace than the average employee.
While speed may often translate into improved productivity at work, polishing off a meal in record time increases calorie consumption and consequent weight gain. Slowing down when you eat, can be the one simple habit that will produce huge dividends in life.
A well documented reason that busy high achievers race through their meals is simply hunger. Are you just too busy at work and forget to eat? Are you distracted by lunch break errands? Or do you have that common misguided perception that skipping meals is a valid weight loss strategy? In any case, not eating often enough results in hunger and poor food choices, and consistently promotes speed eating. All three function as an iron clad prescription for weight gain.
As a lean professional woman enjoying sustained energy levels, you will realize increased work capacity on the job. Keeping this goal in mind, you need not skip or speed through your meals to maximize your efficiency and productivity at work and at home.
To target this major cause of speed eating and ultimately overeating, let s first abolish the famished feeling which leads you down this counterproductive road for weight management.
Here are four simple steps to keep you from becoming ravenous:
Action Step 1: Eat between meals. Avoid the cookie monster syndrome by planning healthy conveniently located snacks. Wage war on your hunger by stashing healthy snack foods in the office to hold you over between meals. Having a small cooler in your car can save you late in the day hunger pains and the desperation that results in drive-thru junk food, while if you have to run the kids to after school activities.
Action Step 2: Think small. When eating 5-6 healthy small meals a day, the operative word is small. Eating small meals more often will keep your metabolism pumped up to burn fat and help you maximize your energy level. Fill a small salad plate with your food versus a larger dinner plate. You feel like you are eating more, although actually eating less.
Action Step 3: Eat a meal of protein and complex carbohydrates. This food combination helps you feel greater satisfaction. Eat large salads providing more food to fill you up, while consuming fewer calories. Include high fiber foods that will keep your belly full. Avoid the high fat salad toppers such as seeds, croutons, and fattening dressings. Apples, tuna, an array of veggies, low fat cheese and low fat meats offer several wise choices.
Action Step 4: Plan ahead. With few exceptions people who are fit and healthy plan their meals in advance. This level of connection and making fully conscious decisions will help you succeed. Make the choice to battle hunger by eating with a purpose.
Even after you eradicate the curse of hunger, old habits are still extremely difficult (but not impossible) to break. Accordingly, there is more work to be done once you sit down at the table. The good news is that if you diligently apply these strategies to slow down eating you will succeed and reap great rewards.
Practice these eight sure proof action tips to SLOW DOWN:
Action Step 1: Drink water. Drink a glass of water before your meal to curb any unaddressed hunger. I like to add lemon which helps hydration. Sipping water between bites of food, will also serve to slow down your eating and help you feel full faster.
Action Step 2: Ditch multi-tasking at meal time. Don't eat and engage in other activities at the same time. Not only will this lead to overeating, but additionally, you may unconsciously tend to play cookie monster while pursuing task completion.
Action Step 4: Chew your food. It may sound silly, but research has shown that when we rush through our meals we don't chew our food completely. Chewing takes more time, plain and simple, so chew your food completely before you swallow.
Action Step 6: Spend more time talking. Take more time to chat, stop eating and put down your fork each time you talk. Plan to talk more often while others eat.
Action Step 8: Finish last. Be the last one to finish your meal. Check out everyone else at the table. Deliberately make sure you pace behind them and just slow down and finish last!
Benefit from slower eating habits with a smaller waistline and look better while you are eating. Most of all, you will really be able to enjoy your healthy meal and those sharing it with you.
Ilene Gershberg, a former NBC executive that transformed from FAT to FIT, is author of the 2007 book release of: “FIT and POWERFUL Professionals”. Visit www.IleneonHealth.com to view Ilene's before and after pictures or register for free Health Smart e-Tips. Ilene provides results-oriented solutions for fiscally fit businesses through powerful keynote addresses, corporate seminars and management retreats for C-Teams, VP's and high level executives.
E-mail the author: Ilene Gershberg