HAVE you ever wondered how some people can effortlessly keep themselves slim and glamourous? How do they do it? What’s their secret? How do they never seem to fluctuate? They’ve developed these healthy food and fitness behaviors — and you can too. They eat three meals a day. Yes, science goes back and forth on this one. Some studies say that having smaller meals throughout the day works because it keeps your metabolism steady. But naturally slim women don’t mess with snacking. “In countries with low obesity rates, people still eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner and live life in between,” says Victoria Moran, author of “Main Street Vegan.” In fact, that’s also how Americans ate before the obesity tide struck in the 1970s. ______________________________ They eat one Instagram-worthy meal per day. Realistically speaking, you can’t spend every meal sitting down at a table with neatly arranged china plates and beautiful silverware. But a single slower meal a day, eaten at a real table from actual dishes, is totally doable. Pick a time that works with your schedule, and stick to it. ______________________________ They leave a little on their plates. Call them picky eaters, food snobs, or whatever else, but naturally thin women don’t eat everything just because it’s there. If a piece of lettuce is wilted, they leave it. Overcooked steak? Not happening. And then — this is key — they stop when they’re full. If you’re not as in touch with your fullness signals, try leaving one quarter of whatever you put on your plate then checking in 10 minutes later to see if you still feel hungry. ______________________________ They let food be food. It’s common to use food as a coping mechanism, but naturally thin women have usually found other ways to deal with overwhelming emotions. They’ve discovered that while a piece of chocolate cake tastes great, it won’t solve their problems. So they enjoy the dessert for what it is: food. “They don’t expect to get something extra from it — comfort, a friend, an excuse to procrastinate,” says Moran. To hop on their train, test out other ways to soothe yourself like calling a friend, working out, or doing what you don’t want to do first — it’ll help you procrastinate less. ______________________________ They avoid an all-or-nothing mentality. You know this thinking process: As long as you’re having one Oreo, you may as well have 10, because at that point, you’ve already blown it. But that’s just not true. One Oreo, or whatever other treat you love, is no big deal — unless you allow your mind to turn it into one. That’s a hard reflex to break, but well worth it. ______________________________ They make conscious decisions to eat nutritiously most of the time. You know the expression, “Everything in moderation, including moderation?” Consider that the naturally thin woman’s motto. She may have healthy intentions 24/7, but she also knows that part of being healthy is giving into the occasional indulgence, enjoying it like crazy, and not beating herself up over it. ______________________________ They get back on track the very next day after overindulging. Again, you’ve been there. This is the one where you think, Ugh, I’ve already blown it, I may as well finish off the week in gluttony. But naturally thin women realize that everyone has too-much-food days — and the next day, they go back to eating healthy and exercising. You already work hard to find balance in your family life, career, and marriage, and your health absolutely belongs on that list. ______________________________ They don’t have off-limits foods. If you have young children, you know firsthand that the minute you tell them they can’t have something, they want it more. Well, some things never change. So rather than banning carbs, or chocolate, or whatever, naturally thin women make everything fair game. As a result, they aren’t nearly as tempted to binge. ______________________________ They drink tons of water. Sounds obvious, right? But think about it. Not only does water save you calories you would otherwise spend on high-sugar juice and soda, but it also fills you up, meaning you eat less overall. Also, it makes your skin crystal-clear beautiful. (SD-Agencies) |