Tips for a balanced diet and weight-loss plan: How much is too much?

How much is too much?

One of the biggest issues I find with people trying to eat a balanced diet is that they constantly miss the mark when it comes to quantity.

In short, we think we need FAR MORE food than we really do, and we also think we eat FAR LESS than we actually do.

This is a recipe for diet disaster.

If you ask someone what they ate at a braai, you'll hear “I ate a chop and a piece of wors and some salad and potato bake.”

What you don't hear about is the four beers, two Amarula shots, bowl of chips, mixed nuts and malva pudding that were also involved.

The point is, if we can't be honest with ourselves about what we ate, we are going to be horribly bad at knowing when we've had ENOUGH.

So, how much is too much?

Because when you realise what hunger feels like you'll also realise that every time you say you're hungry you're really not.

Well, there's no EASY answer to this question. But where I like to start is by teaching my clients what hunger feels like. Because when you realise what hunger feels like you'll also realise that every time you say you're hungry you're really not.

You're probably just thirsty or bored.

Do a 24-hour fast (water only) and see how you feel. This is the BEGINNING of hunger.

Eat slower

The next step is to teach yourself how to eat slower to give your stomach a chance to tell your brain that you've had enough.

Try this: Take 15 raisins and make them last 15 minutes as a snack. Try to make your meals last twenty minutes each. You'll start to feel full while you're still eating. When that feeling hits, push your plate away. You're done.

Begin to implement these steps in your diet and see how your portion sizes change. I guarantee they'll get smaller.

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