If slimming down is your goal, shift the way you think about food

There's a saying: "If nothing changes, nothing changes". That’s true when it comes to losing weight, of course—no pounds will be dropped if you don’t adjust your lifestyle—but it’s also true when it comes to how we approach weight loss in the first place. If you aren’t happy with your past experiences, thinking about it the same way you did before won’t get you to a new place. 

Considering what we eat is at the crux of slimming down, but it’s our feelings about food that really drive how we eat. “Food means so many different things to people,” says Anne Poirier, director of behavioral health at Hilton Head Health, an integrated wellness and weight-loss resort in South Carolina. “Food can be love, it can be family, it can be rebellion.” Her goal is to help people recognise their relationship with food in order to make lasting change. “How do you create a friendship with food where it becomes something that works for you rather than against you?” she says.

That’s a powerful goal, for reasons beyond losing weight: Eating in a healthy, nourishing way is good for your heart, brain, muscles, and immunity. If you’re ready for change, these fresh ways of thinking will help you make real progress.

LOOK AT WHAT YOU EAT
Remember that being healthy is possible at many sizes and doesn’t necessarily mean being thin. When you focus on the foods you’re eating and what they do for you (and don’t), you set yourself up for mind and body wellness. Make these your new what-to-eat guidelines:

Get enough fibre  
Fibre has superpowers for our overall health: There’s evidence that it supports our metabolic health, can protect against cardiovascular disease, may reduce inflammation, and more. And when it comes to losing weight, “fibre helps in so many ways,” says Karen Ansel, M.S., R.D.N., author of Healing Superfoods for Anti-Aging. “For starters, it expands in your gut and helps you feel full longer. Plus, the latest research shows it has a beneficial impact on good bacteria that help produce gut hormones that tell your brain you’ve had enough to eat.”

Focus on protein, too 
“Like fibre, protein naturally helps you feel full by influencing the production of satiety hormones,” says Ansel. “It takes a long time to digest, so you’re less likely to go searching for a snack after a protein-rich meal.” And protein doesn’t just equal meat or dairy, says Elizabeth Huggins, R.D., a certified diabetes care and education specialist at Hilton Head Health. “Those are excellent sources of protein, but there are a lot of plant-based proteins that are just good, healthy things to eat.” So keep foods like beans, tofu, peas, nuts and seeds, and grains in mind.

Don't be scared of fat
Of course, there are healthy and not-so-healthy fats, but the healthy ones are good for your heart, brain, and more. Fat and fibre both slow down the emptying of food from your stomach, Huggins says, which helps you feel fuller and more satisfied. Salmon is a great example of a powerful protein-fat combo; nuts are too. “They were labeled evil at one point because they’re high in fat,” Huggins says, “but now we know it’s the healthy kind. Consider a pecan-crusted salmon, she suggests, for double the benefits. Avocado, seeds, olive oil, and other seafoods are also smart sources of healthy fats.

Cut down on sugar 
“It’s unclear whether sugar in and of itself makes you gain weight,” says Ansel. “But one thing is for sure—it tends to travel in foods that have way too many calories and zero or few nutrients.” Huggins suggests starting by cutting back on the heavy hitters, meaning things like sugary beverages: sodas and fancy coffee drinks. One way to think about sugar, she says, is to “imagine a little packet of sugar—that’s about 4g of added sugar. So when you look at a product that has 48 g of added sugar, it can be helpful to consider that you’d be consuming about 12 packets.” But, she adds, “don’t get crazy thinking that every little gram of sugar is going to do you in, because you have to have an overall balance.” If you love dessert, try having a small portion. “Sit down, slow down, and enjoy every bite in a mindful way,” Huggins says. “This can help you learn that you can have a smaller amount and enjoy it rather than have a giant dessert and remember only the first couple of bites.”

Rethink your drinks
We’re talking about not only soda and sugary coffee drinks, but energy drinks and commercial protein shakes too. Cutting back is not just a simple way to take in fewer calories overall: Drinking calories rather than eating them is less satisfying and doesn’t lead to the same feeling of fullness, research shows. (Note that this doesn’t mean to turn to diet sodas instead—several studies have linked them to weight gain.) Water is a terrific option, of course, but if you find that boring, Huggins says, “try cucumber-mint water. Or pineapple water—just put the fruit in there without squeezing it. It adds a nice essence and gives it a little sweetness, not the intense sweet taste you’d get from a non-nutritive sweetener.”

CONSIDER HOW YOU EAT
While food choices certainly matter, there are smart ways to improve your relationship with food. These ideas will help keep eating pleasurable:

Hone in on portions
When you’re eating at home, serve yourself food using smaller plates and bowls. “It makes a huge difference,” says Poirier. This may trick your brain into thinking you’re chowing down on more than you actually are, and you’ll likely take in fewer calories, with less chance of feeling deprived. Eating out can be a tougher challenge given the gigantic serving sizes in restaurants, so before you go, think about how you’ll handle it. You can order an appetizer and a salad instead of an appetizer and a main dish; you can split a dish with a friend; or you can ask for a to-go box right up front and stash half your meal before you dig in. 

Slow down and listen to your body
“I think we’ve been disconnected from our hunger,” says Poirier. “It’s important to get back to listening to our bodies. What does hunger feel like for me? What is it I want right now—what will satisfy me? How full do I want to feel? How full is uncomfortable for me? Also, we tend to eat so fast that our brains don’t get a chance to register that we’re full. It takes about 20 minutes for leptin, the hormone that tells us we’ve eaten enough, to signal your brain that you’re getting full. So if you’ve finished your meal in 15 minutes, you may realise 10 minutes later that you’ve eaten beyond a comfortable level of fullness.” It makes sense to pump the brakes a bit while you’re noshing and let your brain catch up with your mouth. Try these suggestions from Poirier:
- Eat with your non-dominant hand—it’ll automatically slow you down.
- After a few bites, put your fork down and take a sip of water. 
- In your mind, divide your meal in two; when you’re halfway through, take a break, drink some water, take some deep breaths, chat with whomever you’re with. And before you go into the second half of your meal, take note of how full your body feels. 

Eat more mindfully 
Another part of slowing down, Poirier points out, is to eat with fewer distractions. Studies have shown that when we’re distracted, we tend to eat more. “And it’s more satisfying when we’re paying attention,” says Poirier, “because we’re noticing what we’re eating, we’re noticing the taste, and our brains are getting satisfied, too. We’re more satisfied with the eating experience.” So stash your phone, turn off the TV, and focus on the food. 

Be prepared
“Set up your environment for success,” says Poirier. “What foods can you prep and have ready to eat in your environment? Can you prep some little bags of food with fruit, veggies, or some cheese? Also ask yourself, what foods might not be good to have in my house? I’m not saying these foods should be off-limits—it’s just if you want that particular food, you’d need to go out and get it.” Says Huggins, “Make it easier to eat healthfully. Make sure that certain kitchen gadgets, like a small blender for smoothies, are easy to get to. Don’t put the healthy foods you want to eat more of on a bottom shelf where you’ll have to rummage around and search for them.”

Look at your patterns 
“Study after study has shown that writing down what you eat is one of the most effective weight-loss tools out there,” says Ansel. “You can do that in a journal, using the notes app on your phone, or on a wellness app.” 

THINK BEYOND YOUR MEALS
Whole-body wellness contributes to healthy weight loss in very practical ways. Here’s how to make sure you’re doing the most you can for yourself:

Prioritise sleep
Sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain, and it comes down to hormones. Sleep-deprived people produce more ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone, and less leptin, the hormone that tells you you’ve eaten enough. There’s also evidence that the overly sleepy eat more calories and more comfort-food carbs. And when you’re exhausted, your impulse control can take a dive.

Breathe
When you’re stressed, your levels of the hormone cortisol spike (it’s that fight-or-flight response). “The rise in cortisol can trigger an increase in ghrelin,” says Poirier. “It also slows down insulin production, which may impact the cells’ signal for more energy.” To avoid that chain reaction—and to protect your health in so many other ways—take time each day to do something to lower your stress level, whether it’s meditation, exercise, or getting immersed in a book.

Reassess the scale 
Important: Consider how you feel about weighing yourself, says Poirier. “If the scale isn’t moving the way you want it to, there may be a tendency to just say ‘It doesn’t matter anyway’ and give up,” she adds. “If stepping on the scale alters your mood, if your behaviours change due to the weight on the scale, look at other success measures instead: How do your clothes feel? Are your joints less achy? Are you sleeping better? Are you moving more, and more easily? How are your numbers, like your cholesterol and blood sugar?” There are emotional signals of success too: “You are happier and laugh more. You’re more alert and less irritable, less moody. You feel better about exercising.” Looking at your successes beyond the scale, at other payoffs of healthy eating, can be very empowering, says Poirier. “We don’t have as much control over the weight on the scale as we do about our behaviours. It’s really about how am I eating, what am I eating, what’s my relationship with food? How am I feeling about my body? You can’t hate yourself into healthy behaviour. It’s so important to be more compassionate with ourselves while we’re on a journey to better our health.”