Eating Less
We’ve talked about our three rules of eating:
1️⃣. Eat more protein
2️⃣. Eat more vegetables & fruit
3️⃣. Eat less processed food
I stand by these rules as the foundation for sustainable eating. They’re instructive enough to help you plan a meal, and flexible enough to not feel stifled or resentful of your diet.
That doesn’t mean that we can’t have other tools in our back pocket that fine tune our diet after these rules become habit.
Intermittent fasting, counting macronutrients, eating organic, supplements etc. - these are all great tools AFTER we establish our three main rules.
However, there’s one tool that anyone who is focusing on weight management could benefit from. It’s not a fad. It’s not a hack. It’s an ancient practice called Hara hachi bu.
“there’s one tool that anyone who is focusing on weight management could benefit from. It’s not a fad. It’s not a hack.”
Originating from Zen Buddhism, as advised in Zazen Youjinki, Hara Hachi Bu suggests eating until you're only 80% full. This concept isn't about strict measurements or calorie counting; it's about mindfulness and moderation.
That’s it.
It’s simple. It’s practical.
When you’re eating, slow dow and gauge how full you are. When you feel satisfied, but you could still finish the last couple bites on your plate, stop eating and save the rest for tomorrow or throw the food away.
Yes, throw the food away. Put it away.
Food waste sucks. The better solution would be to take or make the appropriate amount instead. Unfortunately, the reality is that we often make more than we need, and the old adage of “clean your plate” has done a HUGE disservice to our bodies with excess calories.
To be clear, the food you’re wasting would not be used to feed hungry people. If you want to help hungry people, donate to Feed the Children or volunteer at a food kitchen. STOP using this as an excuse to eat more calories than you need. You’re not helping hungry people by overeating. So get that out of your brain!
“This practice helps us consume fewer calories without feeling restricted. It’s a sustainable, manageable approach that fosters a healthy relationship with food, free from guilt or shame.”
Back to our main topic: eating 80% as much as you want probably doesn’t equate to eating 20% less because of our fallible estimation skills, but that’s okay. This practice helps us consume fewer calories without feeling restricted. It's a sustainable, manageable approach that fosters a healthy relationship with food, free from guilt or shame.
Get used to leaving some food on the plate. Maybe in the future we’ll be able to reset our barometer for how much food to prepare, but for now, we’re letting go of the mindset of clearing your plate. Goodbye. Gone.
