Practice Your Thin Mentality
Learning how and when to stop eating is part of building your thin mentality.
The path to knowing this lies in… practice! Ha! Just like a lot of things, it requires some practice. Fortunately, we need to eat everyday, so there are plenty of opportunities.
So, when you are eating, think about “practicing” your thin mentality. You WILL make mistakes. You will stop eating when still hungry. But that is ok.
You will know you stopped too early when you are not able to get over your hunger. You will put food away and move onto something else, only to feel yourself asking for food again right away.
That is OK. Obviously, it is more “correctable” to eat too little than too much. So, when I was started my healthy thin mentality, I said this to myself, “If I am still hungry, I can always have more.” I gave myself a chance to feel okay with leaving food behind.
Now, I know there are some of you out there saying, “Ah! see, I can’t eat with a thin mentality, I have to leave food behind!”
Now just hold on. You are thinking you have to leave yourself hungry.
I am asking you to eat what you are craving. Perhaps a steak, creamy potatoes and some corn? Then as you are eating, just notice how “quickly” you feel completely happy and satisfied.
We are NOT used to paying attention to that. “I can have a steak tonight! I am going to eat the whole thing because who knows when I will allow myself a steak again!!” NO! that is a diet mentality. You will “allow” yourself whatever you crave from now on. It isn’t a big treat anymore to eat what your body is asking you to provide. It is normal.
(You WILL crave all kinds of food)
But as you are eating this meal that you chose, that you like, that your body was craving, just give your body a chance to say to you, “Wow, that was good, and I have had enough.”
Just try it. You will be surprised that when you give yourself freedom, there is nothing to “rebel” against anymore. You will learn to really, really dislike that overfull feeling.
You won’t want to do that to yourself. Why would you? You know that in just a few hours you will be hungry again and eating and enjoying something you really like.
Just try this. You are NOT punishing yourself to leave food behind. You are learning, you are practicing your thin mentality.
When I used to eat a bagel, I always toasted up the whole thing. Then, I realized that I never needed the whole thing. I was always happy and satisfied after one half- that I cover with cream cheese and jelly, by the way, cause I like that!!
But since I know myself now, I never toast a whole one anymore. I have learned what satisfies me. You will too!