I’ve noticed the majority of my clients & people who’ve reached out to me that are seeking to lose some weight have something in common… they, at some point, consistently consume too many calories. Sure, this may not come as a huge surprise, but it is actually a very crucial piece of the puzzle in terms of their weight-loss goals. The problem lies with the ratio of how much energy they expend (exercise, daily tasks, ect) vs how much energy they consume (food & liquids). Many know this as CICO, or calories in vs calories out. In order to lose weight, your calories in < calories out. So, now that we’ve pinned consuming too many calories as the issue, what’s the genius solution to the problem…? Drum-roll please…
Eating less… Yes, that is it. Now, if you’re not doing anything for exercise, I suggest you get started with that as well, but if you’re already working hard consistently & you’re still frustrated with your lack of progress, the dam in your weight loss journey is actually very simple, but not exactly easy. It is eating til 80% full. Not starving yourself on some Instragram 500 calorie/day cleanse, but consistently eating til 80% full. You cannot go wrong with this strategy. DO it consistently (not with perfection), make it a habit, & watch your goals start getting checked off faster & easier than a high-schooler taking a test with “senior-itis” in late May.
Here is a great infographic from PN on how different levels of consistency effected weight loss to back the idea of the goal is not perfection.
Why people overeat
Precision Nutrition says that people tend to overeat because of:
- social pressures (e.g. wanting to fit in at social events)
- stress & using food to de-stress
- feeling “out of control”
- a desire for comfort or self-soothing
- disrupted biological routines such as lack of sleep or shift work
- highly palatable tastes such as fatty and sweet foods
- food availability: the food is there and it ain’t gonna eat itself!
Humans, specifically in the US, seem to have ignored the natural tendency of nearly all mammals of eating until satisfied rather than full, and instead have re-programmed ourselves into this overeating pattern. What is interesting is that in the United States, overeating has become part of the culture & the norm. Other countries across the world have an established culture of eating until 70-80% like France, Germany, China, India & Japan, as well as many others.
How to Stop Overeating
If you’re fortunate enough to enjoy a great holiday feast, like Thanksgiving, you probably know what eating til your stuffed feels like. Let’s say that’s 150% full. Let’s say that missing lunch & being really hungry when it comes time for dinner is 0% full. Somewhere on that spectrum is 80% full, eating til you’re no longer hungry. It is when you are satisfied & you don’t NEED any more food. Or maybe its a smidge of hunger there, but its passes after a few minutes. You’re not full, & you’re definitely not stuffed.
Your aim should be to try to find that 80 percent point on the spectrum at each of your meals & do it consistently over time. You may not know what 80 percent full feels like right away but it will come with some practice. You don’t have to get this “perfect” or do any complicated math, just try to get a better idea each time you try it. Just consistently (not perfectly) eat a little bit slower, and a little bit less (80%), at each meal, until you can pinpoint that 80% mark on the spectrum.
If you want to dive deeper into working on tuning into your hunger cues & tracking & making eating 80% full a habit, checkout PN’s free Hunger Scale Worksheet. If that’s not enough for you & you would like some help in crushing your goals, try nutrition coaching through PN’s ProCoach software.
