Sometimes, we forget that food isn’t just for entertainment. It’s time to get back to some very basic principles.
From now on, plan that you will eat for only two reasons:
1) to fuel your body
2) to appreciate flavors
Measure all of your food intake against these guidelines.
To take good care of your body’s needs, plan for a minimum of three fuel stops a day, then add a couple of mini-stops in between. You may want to space out your fuel intake by eating five or six small meals each day.
Today’s assignment (my answers are in blue)
1. Do a fuel count.
Each time you eat something, write down the time that you ate it. Include all of your meals as well as snacks and nibbles. At the end of the day, count the number of times you took in fuel.
This seems like it would be so logical, yet it’s one of the easiest things to lose sight of. I think it’s pretty critical to have good fuel stops throughout the day. So I always eat breakfast, and make sure I eat regular meals and snacks.
Yesterday, I had five fuel stops, but one of them kind of overflowed the tank! (oops)
2. Plan ways to space your fuel stops between three to four hours apart. Record your ideas here.
Spacing fuel intake about every 2 to 3 hours works best for me .
When I’m out doing errands or shopping, I need to make sure I always have a protein bar or some other healthy snack with me as well as a bottle of water.
3. Notice whether having regular fuel stops during the day improves your energy and your focus.
I find it helps prevent having an energy crisis late in the afternoon.
Excerpted from Day 11 in the book, 100 Days of Weight Loss