My philosophy to meals is simple.
It’s a 3-step system:
Step 1: Want
Slow down & ask yourself what you actually WANT to eat. This is the missing piece of all “diets” & the actual secret to success! Most diet plans don’t start with this basic question. They just launch right into telling you what to eat.
When you start by asking yourself what you WANT, you will never feel deprived.
PS: Using this system, what you “want” changes naturally over time to healthier & healthier options.
Step 2: Balance
I absolutely hate when people say weight loss & healthy eating is about “portion control.” OMG that sounds boring, hard & restrictive. I prefer to focus on creating the right RATIOS.
Take what you WANT & balance it with the right RATIOS…A perfect plate has these ratios: a little grain + a little protein + lots of produce w/ a topper of healthy fat (check out the PERFECT PLATE GUIDE HERE).
Step 3: Own
To truly enjoy your food & be an empowered eater, practice TABLE-PLATE-CHAIR.
And…do all of your thinking & decision making BEFORE eating. Once you start eating & after…no second-guessing, shame or regret about what/how much you ate allowed. Just eat it, enjoy it, OWN it & move on.
Want-Balance-Own: In Action
My recent meal from Whole Foods salad bar…
Want: Mac & Cheese.
Balance: A little mac & cheese + a little baked chicken + lots of kale salad w/ almonds & olive oil.
Own: Ate from a plate while seated at a table. Highly enjoyed this & then went on with my day.