Diet Adjustments

Despite a well-designed meal plan, there may be times to adjust what, when or how much you eat. Here's how to do it without blowing your diet. The key is to listen to your body's hunger and fullness signals very carefully. Sometimes hunger may actually be thirst, so when you find yourself "hungry" in between planned meals, try a no-calorie beverage, and see if that helps. However, your body may be telling you to adjust your food intake, adding more to your meals so that they last longer. Carbohydrate is digested to quickest, protein next, and then fat. Fat in a meal slows the entire digestive process down, so adding a few grams more of healthy fat to your meal can often keep you satisfied for a longer time. Don't be afraid of fat! Healthy fats like olive oil, or foods with healthy fats like avocados, eggs, nuts and salmon can be good additions to your diet. Experiment with different combinations of foods on your meal plan, and find those which give you the most energy and staying power. Also, find your "ideal snack" -- something that has about 100-200 calories that you can have in between planned meals, so that you aren't ravenous at the next meal time. The extra calories as a snack will be worth it, to prevent a binge that could be double or triple that amount. No meal plan is perfect -- commit to making adjustments to your diet so that it works best for you.

Write an affirmation right now:
I listen to my body's hunger and fullness signals to make adjustments to my diet. Based on my body's feedback, the adjustment I intend to make today is (list).