We hate Diets at The Body Retreat!

Now both in our 40’s and like a lot of the ladies who join us now on our Weight Loss Retreats we have both been through the gambit of almost every Diet going, The F-Plan, The Cabbage Soup Diet, Weight Watchers, Atkins, The South Beach Diet, The Dukan Diet, The 5:2 plan…… the list goes on and on and on.  We are yet to meet a happy Dieter.  The idea that excluding whole food groups or by meticulously weighting and measuring every mouthful is going to make you healthy let alone happy is really quite ridiculous to us.

What diets do is set individuals up for disappointment and dysfunctional relationship with food and yet it is almost a national pastime.  Every new Diet fad to hit the shelves brings with it a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe this will be the one.

The problem is that chronic dieting can actually lead to weight gain in the long term, as metabolism and hormones are thrown out of balance.   So, women have been left feeling unhappy about their weight and their bodies.  They are confused about what they can and cannot eat and when they should eat it.  Should  they fast, or graze, or stick to three square meals a day?  Is fat the enemy or is it now sugar?  Many see the plethora of Diet foods available in he supermarkets as the answer, after all its all weighed and measured for you, surely those who produce the meals will know what is good.  Yet the unwanted and unnecessary weight stays put.  Diets don’t work in the long term, they are not deigned to be a way of life.

At The Body Retreat no real whole food is off limits.  Following the 80/20 principle we advocate that you cut the CRAP from your diet.  80% of the time you eat clean and  as close to nature as possible. Choosing meals based on meat, fish, grains, pulses, fruit and veggies with small amounts of diary and good fats.  Then 20% of the time you enjoy eating whatever you like…literally.  No points, no syns and most importantly no guilt!!

You can read more about the 80/20% Principle for Weight Loss here.

On our Weight Loss Retreats we look to empower women to regain control of their health first.  Making conscious choices that respect and protect their body, learning to listen to what the body really wants and needs. When you put health first, weight loss will follow.

Our 7 Healthy Ways to Eat Less is a great place to start to build a better relationship with food while at the same time supporting your body to shed the weight that is unnecessary for it.

1. Only Eat When You are Truly Hungry.

How often have you confused hunger with thirst or emotion.  Very often we eat when we are not really hungry and so it is difficult to hear the “I’m satisfied” signal from your tummy.  This can easily lead to overeating and weight gain.  Learn to listen to your body and only eat when you are truly hungry.

2. Eat Real Food.

If you can pick it, plant it or catch it then eat it.  If the ingredients sound like a school chemistry experiment then stay well clear.  I know that many of you will say “but I don’t have time to prepare and cook real food”  but healthy food doesn’t  have to be long winded.  Scramble some eggs, grill a piece of fish or throw a potato in the oven.  Yes it will take some time to get used to a new way of preparing food, but it is change that is well worth making the effort in the first instance.

3.  Eat Protein with Every Main Meal.

Protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates. Getting enough protein helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning while keeping you feeling full. So be sure to include healthy protein sources, like good organic meat, fish or dairy, nuts, or beans at meals.

4. Use a Smaller Plate.

Did you know that the average dinner plate has grown from 9 inches to 14-16 inches?  Not to mention those lovely bistro bowls that are so popular now, you know there really deep ones so you can get all your delicious sauce to stay put.  In their infinite wisdom some marketing chap decided that they can make more money selling us bigger plates and so the average dinner plate has evolved into something quite huge.  The trouble is, is that your tummy hasn’t evolved to keep up, our stomach is the size of our own clenched fist.  So in any one sitting you should not eat more than what would fill your clenched fist.  Choosing to eat from a smaller plate helps your brian to become accustomed to less food without feeling deprived as a full plate sends a signal to the brain that you are having a full meal.

5. Sit Down & Pay Attention.

When you do eat you want to eat mindful of the healthy nutritious foods you have chosen.  You want your body to have the time it needs to properly digest the foods so that you get the maximum energy and nutrition from every bite.  So don’t eat on the go, sit down, even if its only for 5-10 minutes.  Pay attention to the food on your plate and most importantly when its in your mouth.  Chew slowly, really savour every mouthful.

6. Put Your Cutlery Down Between Each Mouthful.

This is one of the healthy habits we adopt on all our Body Retreats.  Putting your cutlery down between each mouthful slows down your eating by about 25% therefore giving you time to properly digest the food and very importantly allowing time for the “I’m Satisfied” signal to reach your brain telling you to stop eating.

7. No Water While You Eat

Back in the day I can remember specifically being told that drinking lots of water with every meal made you feel full up faster and so you didn’t eat as much.  True..BUT..and its a big BUT here.. the water you drink is absorbed in about 15 minutes and so you are left feeling unsatisfied and more likely to snack on fattening foods later in the day.  Also drinking water at meal times dilutes your digestive enzymes and so your body is not able to get the maximum nutrition form the foods you have chosen, so it is kind of a lose, lose situation.  Drink right up until you start eating and stop until about 15/20 mins after you have finished your meal.

Follow these simple 7 Healthy Steps to Eat Less and you will soon notice a huge difference in not only your waist line, but in your energy levels and digestive health too.

It really is time to ditch the diets and instead focus on making healthy choices about what we put into our body, because we care about our body, because we care about ourselves.

Ditch the Diet

What do you think?  I’d love to hear your experience of dieting or even better how you quit dieting and started losing weight.  Please leave me a comment in the box at the bottom and if you know a serial dieter who would benefit form reading this blog then please do share it with them…a ll you need to do is click the social media button and woos its done.