Back to: ELO 24 OCTOBER 2024
MAKE A NOTE OF YOUR ANSWERS
We will begin with a look at the changes you want to make, so it will be good for you to give some thought to this before we start.
I suggest you make a list of examples of where and when you might aim to eat less. You could ask yourself: what is the “eating less” I could be doing?
Make a list (see examples below) by considering the quality, quantity and/or frequency of the food you eat, aiming to be as specific as possible.
There’s no need to make these lists complete or final – you can add to them from time to time and you might even change your mind about some of them. It will be helpful, though, to begin to identify what you want to eat less of and why you want to do that.
And, please don’t expect to be making these changes right away. We’ll be going through quite a bit more material before we’ve covered how to do this.
Pick one, two or three examples and post them in the Comments box right at the bottom of this page. It might be helpful for you to watch the videos in this Section first, and return to this page afterwards with three things you want to change.
PLEASE BE PATIENT with the Comments as they won’t be visible right away.
This is an example of what might go in the Comments box below: “WHAT” is something about your eating you want to change. And “WHY” is how this could be a benefit to you.
WHAT: to eat less at lunchtime WHY: I’ll lose weight, have more energy later on in the day
WHAT: not to eat after my evening meal WHY: I’ll feel more in control, maybe sleep better
WHAT: not to eat so many sugary snacks at work WHY: I’ll have more energy later on, feel better about myself.
What: to eat less sugary snacks. Why: because I will have more energy and sleep better and feel better.
What: to eat less sweet foods after my evening meal. Why: because I then want more and more sweet foods and I will not feel good and will not sleep as well and not have good energy.
What: I want to eat less snack food and less quantity of food after work and in the evening. Why: because I’ll feel better in my body, calmer in my mind and I’ll sleep better.
What: I want to gain control of my weekend eating by eating less and snacking less. Why: I will become healthier and build more self esteem, self respect and have more freedom from negative thoughts about myself.
What: I want to eat less generally and stop sneaky eating Why: So I can think less about food and enjoy my life more.
What: I want to eat less and start to trust myself with food. Why: In the coming years I want to be able to retire. I couldn’t consider retirement right now because I cant manage my eating and am afraid of what might happen.
WHAT: I want to be free from obsession with food. WHY? It consumes far too much of my time and energy and keeps me from being productive in other areas of my life.
WHAT: I want to keep myself from turning to food and bingeing to manage my life stressors and emotions; WHY? Turning to food just makes things worse…it lowers my self confidence and keeps me in a binge/restrict cycle.
WHAT: eat less bread (I start and can not stop)
WHY: to feel more balanced. Eating bread makes me go from euphoria (when I eat it) to anxiety (which I calm by eating more bread), and I am in a circle of constant ups and downs that I can’t get out of.
WHAT: Get to the point where food doesn’t control my life, be in peace with food
WHY: Because I am 15 kilos overweight, my clothes fit badly, my health is being affected, because I feel that until the food problem is solved, my life is at a standstill (I don’t do anything different because I feel that food prevents me from developing in other areas, it blocks me). In addition, I will like my body, and others will do so, therefore my self-esteem will increase. Furthermore, I will stop feeling guilty and abandon the binge-restriction cycle.
WHAT: to have more nutritious food to hand during the day.
WHY: to balance energy better during the day and help me eat less in the evenings
WHAT: to eat earlier in the evenings and aim to finish eating by 7.30
WHY: to give food more time to digest, to eat less in the evenings, and sleep better
WHAT: to eat less ultra processed foods
WHY: to have more energy & vitality from real food and practise more self care through prepping & cooking food.
What: To eat healthier foods. Why: To have more energy.
What: To snack less between meals. Why:
What: To stop eating without thinking. Why: To improve my health, self-esteem.
What: To eat fewer sweets. Why: Because I don’t need them, and they can make me feel sick.
What: To allow time for myself to prepare food. Why: To stop/ cut down on hungry, last minute cramming of (especially) sugary, processed food. To learn to enjoy what I eat.
WHAT: I want to be less preoccupied by food, getting rid of my food focus. WHY: I want to free up my brain space and dedicate that time & energy to other areas in my life that matter to me, e.g. building my career, being more productive.
WHAT: I want to eat/binge less ultra processed foods. WHY: I want to feel strong and energized, both inside and outside the gym. I want to build and maintain muscle as well as a healthy heart for longevity and managing my day to day life. I feel slugglish, lethargic and low on energy whenever I binge on too many ultra processed foods, and I retain lots of water in my body which is painful.
What: to have a smaller middle and less fat around my liver
Why: I have very high cholesterol but don’t want to take statins, so the above things seem like the best thing I can do for my health
Thought: I don’t know of any way to keep a check on my cholesterol levels
What: Don’t eat too much for dinner and don’t snack afterwards.
Why: Maybe then I’ll sleep better, not have heartburn, feel like I’m in control and not feel bad or guilty.
What: Stop eating after a sufficient amount at each meal and not a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
Why: I want to be in control and not have the feeling that “something” wants me to eat. I want to enjoy the food from the beginning and not just the last few bites.
What: I want to eat less sugar
Why: Improve my digestion and banish sugar headaches
What: I want to eat less from the top shelf of the cupboard and live peacefully alongside its contents as it will always be there
Why: I want to prioritize my health and there is nothing on that top shelf that will help me do that.