Eating at the Table
Better health and more successful weight management can be obtained by sitting down to eat at a table and taking at least 20 minutes to finish a meal, no diet extremes required. I can almost hear you thinking - “Are you kidding me?” I am not kidding. There is some pretty convincing evidence that this one change in our daily routine can help us reach health and weight goals, whether we hope to gain, lose or maintain well.
I believe this one change can help other areas of our life that feel out of control too. How, you ask? In order to sit down at a table and eat the majority of our meals this ways requires planning. We have to schedule our meals which means that thought is given to the timing and content of our meals; they become intentional. Sounds like a lot of work…
ANY change in our behavior takes work. Planning, practice and lots of both are the pathway to change. If you are going to sit down to eat and slow the pace, you will most likely consider more carefully what you are going to eat as well as the timing of each meal.
You may need to give something up to make room for this kind of eating plan to work. I submit to you that you will probably have to give up what I consider time thieves in order to make this happen. (I am writing about this in other blogs.)
You can make these changes by yourself. You probably already know the basics like, eating more fruits and vegetables, eating quality protein, keeping healthy fats in good proportions, eating whole grains in moderation and reducing sugar intake as much as possible. If you don’t have time for this kind of planning, there are lots of eating plans available online. Most of them have a fee attached to them and I think that is fair. Meal planning, done well, takes some work and when someone else has done the work for you, they deserve to be paid for their work.
You can also choose to work with someone who can help you develop your own plan. A well trained nutrition coach can do that for you. I received my nutrition certification through Precision Nutrition. What I liked about their program is their balanced, scientific approach to nutrition. Nutrition is the youngest scientific field so the information is constantly changing as new information becomes available. There is a LOT of misinformation out there as well.
Check out Precision Nutrition online if you like, in fact I would encourage you to do so. If you find their approach credible and would like someone to help you apply this approach, I can help you. Learning to take control of eating patterns is so much easier with help. To be very clear, I cannot suggest any treatment plans, but I can help you learn to apply a wide variety of dietary changes given by a medical professional.
When you are struggling with weight issues, and you want to lose or gain, change is non-negotiable. When you want to use food to improve your health instead of relying only on medications, change is non-negotiable. The best and most lasting results come from life style changes, instead of dieting. You will know when you have conquered your particular challenge because you will have achieved sustainable changes that help you look and feel better - for the rest of your life. No more thinking about diets! The rewards are really worth the effort.
What if we could cut improve our health, improve the weight problems, lower stress levels and find greater inner peace with one change? What if sitting at a table for at least one meal a day can help with all of these challenges? That sounds very appealing to me, and I believe it is possible. Step one toward such a lifestyle? Determine to make changes. If you would like some help, feel free to contact me. I do charge for this help, but I promise to keep it as affordable as possible.