Why When You Eat Is So Important to Releasing Weight

Ever done some CRAZY things in the name of weight-loss or when struggling with your body image?

I was just talking about this subject the other day with a friend of mine who happens to be a personal trainer.

We were discussing my current free video training series, Find Your Body Freedom, and the importance of the message, not to mention the kick-ass content. (You’re signed up, right? If not, gurrl, get on it!)

And we wound up trading stories of how women, regardless of age or body size, pick themselves apart and have such misguided relationships with food and their bodies.

Things like no sugar for weeks, only to gorge on Skinny Cow frozen treats one night,until they finish the whole box.

Two hour workouts and only nibbles of salad because they are afraid of what real meals would do their figure.

Not wanting to look at themselves in the mirror while working out because they hate seeing their bodies.

And on and on…

(By the way, I too did all of the above during my past struggles with food and body image, so my heart just feels so much compassion when I hear these stories…)

Then she told me how just the night before, around dinner time, she was at Whole Foods and saw a woman who only had kale chips and Kombucha in her basket. My friend’s first thought was,”this woman is trying to underfeed herself at dinner time.”

But I had to interject.

Was that really the case or was there something else going on there?

Maybe she was correct in her assumption…maybe this woman was trying to seriously limit her food intake to lose a few pounds.

OR maybe this woman is following a truth that really helped me shift my metabolism over a year ago, one that health experts Dr. John Douillard and Marc David speak about frequently.

See, most of us know that what we eat impacts our health, weight, and energy.

But what many of us don’t focus on is the HOW and WHEN factors of the food equation.

In the area of the “when”, many of us overlook the importance of lunchtime and really taking advantage of this key time (12-1:30 pm) where naturally our metabolic fire is highest and we are meant to eat the most.

If you want to:
-naturally release weight without struggle
– beat the 4pm “vending machine” blues for good AND
– if you want to naturally stabilize your blood sugar so you aren’t overeating at dinner and well into the evening…

you gotta make lunch (a nutritious, balanced, relaxed lunch with plenty of healthy fats) a priority.

This is NOT the time to eat a tiny salad with non-fat dressing, girl.

Granted, I love me some salad at lunch but my clients know that if that’s my lunch, I eat what I lovingly termed a BAS (Big Ass Salad) with a healthy dressing that DOES have good-fats and plenty of goodies on top (like salmon, avocados, sunflower seeds, or quinoa to name a few…)

When it comes to lunch, you must walk away full and satisfied (not stuffed, but satisfied).

Here’s the deal: What happens naturally when you do this is that you don’t need to snack all afternoon and without struggle, you will notice that you don’t want to eat as much at dinner or later in the day.

This is a very good thing because studies have shown that your metabolism slows down later in the day and that people who eat most of their calories at the end of the day gain weight and weigh more.

In fancy terms, all these insights come from the study of Bio Circadian Nutrition.

(See why that stupid Sim Fast mentality of a sugar-laden shake for breakfast and lunch and a “sensible dinner” was SO flawed, not to mention that their nutrition barren shakes just plain suck?)

Translation? Don’t count your calories but do watch the clock…you want to get most of your food in during the daylight hours and the bulk of them in at lunch.You slim down without struggle or starving yourself! Oh yeahhh! BONUS: This will greatly help with digestion as well.

I tell this secret to clients all the time and the ones who get real, lasting results put this into action…

I’ll tell you right now I love good food and I EAT…but I don’t eat much for dinner. Rather, I have a nutrient rich breakfast, always make time for a very full lunch (my biggest meal of the day), and have something very light at dinner time…occasionally I will have a healthy snack between breakfast and lunch if I really need it, but typically I eat just 3 times a days.

Sometimes I might even be like that girl at Whole Foods and simply have some kale chips and kombucha at “dinner” time.

PLEASE note I’m not fighting my appetite, I’m definitely not starving myself, and I’m not saying to only have kale chips every night for dinner…it’s just that after front-loading most of my nutrition during the daytime and ESPECIALLY having a full, balanced and relaxed lunch, I typically don’t need a lot during dinner.

(And I typically don’t eat after 6:30 pm ).

However…When I DON’T have breakfast and a full, balanced, and relaxed lunch, I am STARVING by dinner time and reaching for the first 4 pm snack I can find. Now I know why that happens and what to do about it.

If you are wondering if I ever have a bigger dinner or if dinner is ever my largest meal of the day, yes, I do…but not too often and that’s typically saved for social situations or if my body is truly needing more fuel.

Golden Rule: Never, EVER starve yourself or try to “tame” your hunger. Rather, learn from your hunger…maybe you need more food on that day or maybe you didn’t eat enough high quality foods during the daytime hours. Maybe you just need some TLC. Lovingly take care of your body and give her what she needs.

When you start to work with Mama Nature, not against her, you find a whole new freedom that diets will never give you. And if you want more truths that work and some more insights on how to make the most out of your meals, make sure you sign on up for my Find Your Body Freedom Video Training Series. It’s FREE, it’s awesome, and it’s almost over so get on it!

Lots of love always,

P.S. As you know, I adore giving you great, free content that makes a difference in your life. All I ask is that if you find value here, share this with people you love. Wisdom like this can make a huge difference in a woman’s life! Please forward it on…