Saving Calories Doesn’t Fool Your Body

So eat a Lean Cuisine and you will save 200 calories?

True, if you eat a low calorie meal, you will have consumed less calories.  But what does that really mean?

If you eat 300 calories for dinner your body will process that, and your body will react to that amount of calories.  It will get hungry sooner.

(Unless you are on a really low calorie diet where you lose hunger because you are eating so little.  Of course the minute you eat normally, your hunger will come ROARING back.  That coupled with your lowered metabolism will cause rapid weight gain)

But back to “saving calories.”

As soon as you start counting calories or “points,” your brain is telling your body what to eat.  But, you are way better off having your body tell your brain what you should eat.

When you are hungry, listen to what your body is asking for.  Then provide it.

Do this at stage 2 hunger- when you are hungry but still feel good.  Stage 3, in case you haven’t read earlier blogs, is when you are desperately hungry.   You will make desperate decisions there.  Eat before you get this hungry.  Stage one is when your body sends the first hunger signals- just a “warning light.”  (more on all of this in my book)

So, stay in the present when you eat.  Don’t “save” calories for later if your body is hungry for them now.

I know I used to think, wow, if I eat this now, I will only have 500 calories left for the rest of the day.  But you know what? If you eat according to hunger, you never have to worry about that.  And I can tell you, that if I eat more in the day because of hunger, I am surprised by how little I need later.  I am not being “good.”  It is just that since I took care of my hunger during the day, my body is not driving me to eat a lot at night.  No more roaming the kitchen looking for a little something!!