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The
7 SECRETS of
SLIM PEOPLE
"If you are
bored, you need stimulation, not a cheesecake.
If you’re sad, you need to grieve, not to eat a pizza"
(210).
Theory: To be slim for
life, you must adopt the attitudes of naturally slim people
Weight Loss Program:
Secret #1 Listen to your
body, not your mind
- Our
body already knows how to eat perfectly, but we’ve learned to ignore
or override our body’s guidance regarding eating.
- Naturally
slim people eat only according to body signals of hunger; they rarely
eat for emotional reasons.
- Start
recording
when you eat, what you eat, how your body feels, and what your mind
says about your choices.
Secret #2 Eat with
awareness and without judgment
- To
become more conscious of your eating, sit down and eat without
distractions, put your fork down after each bite, and do not pick it up
again until your mouth is empty.
- Eat
in front of whoever is around you.
Secret #3 Eat only when
you are physically hungry
- Signs
of Hunger – empty, lightheaded, slightly nauseated, loss of energy,
loss of concentration, irritable, cranky, hunger pang in the stomach.
- Not
signs of hunger – salivation because you saw or smelled food,
thirst, stomach tension from nerves, low energy from lack of sleep,
sadness, anger, frustration.
- True
hunger is unmistakable.
- The
best reason to wait for hunger is that’s when food tastes best.
- Your
body only wants a fist size of food at any one feeding.
Secret #4 Stop eating when you are satisfied, not full
- Satisfaction
is when you could eat more, but you could also wait.
When you find the flavor of your food begins to fade, you are
satisfied.
- Your
body never wants to be full. Too full is when clothing feels tighter
than when you started eating.
- Resign
from the “clean-your-plate” club. Taste everything; finish nothing.
Secret #5 Eat what you
want most
- At
first you may eat a lot of junk food, but if you allow yourself to do
that, what you want will gradually change from eating forbidden foods to
eating healthier and healthier foods.
- It’s
not what you eat that makes you fat, it is when and how much.
- Eat
whatever you want, but only between hunger and satisfaction.
Secret #6
Notice how your body feels after eating
- There
are only two reasons your body will feel bad after eating when you are
hungry:
- You
made a bad match or a bad combination of foods.
- You
ate too much, even if it was a good match.
- By
paying attention and experimenting, you will discover exactly which
foods, which combinations of foods agree with you and which don’t
Secret #7
Honor your feelings; don’t bury them under food
- Make
sure that eating doesn't become a substitute for living your life.
- Practice
trusting your body, your feelings, and yourself in all parts of your
life.
Key Weight Loss Tips:
- Eat
consciously
- Don’t
judge
- Trust
yourself
- Trust
your feelings
Vikki Hansen, M.S.W., Shawn Goodman, 1997.
New York: HarperPaperbacks
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