“There will ALWAYS be another meal – and it will probably be delicious! Remind yourself of that when eating a rich dish may help you stop after a couple of bites.” Shape Magazine, February 2011

We have been talking a lot about paying attention to our body’s physical signs of hunger and determining when are the optimal times for each of us to eat. For some, waiting too long to eat is the kiss of death because it makes it very hard to control portions once true hunger sets in. On the other hand, we don’t need to be eating ALL time. Ultimately we are all looking for that right balance that allows us to enjoy our food, use it for nourishment and then be done rather than turning to food as a source of entertainment, stress relief and other emotional challenges.

One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is to tune into what’s going on inside of us and start to recognize patterns and trends that are unique to each of us. We spend a great deal of time focusing on the outside…what we look like, what size our body’s are, what they weigh, etc., etc., but I am challenging you to go within and get to know yourself from the inside out for a change. Listen to what your body is telling you and use that information to help you make choices of whether or not to pop that snack into your mouth or go for that second helping at dinner. For so long we have told ourselves “we can’t” but I am asking you to check in with yourself and see if you really even want it in the first place! Let’s not make this more difficult that it needs to be. There is no food that we cannot have and this is not a diet. It ‘s our life and we get to live it one moment at a time…so let’s pay attention and make the most of it!!!