Health and Happiness: Don't Compete to Eat
For a year after we were married we lived separately on and off. During this time I noticed that when hubs and I were together I gained weight. He left and the weight just came off. What the hell?!
This is when I came to the realization, I was competing with him to eat. Let's put things into perspective. He has almost an entire foot on me, and I am just barely reaching 5 feet (4 feet 11 and 3/4 inches to be exact). Yet we were sharing the same meals and eating nearly the same amount. Obviously that is not going to work.
The problem was we both enjoyed food...a lot, like a lot, a lot. We both have a sweet tooth. However we were different type of eaters. I enjoyed nibbling here and there, and saving a bit to enjoy later. He liked to inhale the food in one go, and get that burst of flavor. Naturally he would consume rapidly, and even if I wasn't hungry I would try to eat at his pace. Who knew the next time I would get to taste that delectable donut, or cake, or pie.
Things had to change. I did some research and looked at how things were different from when I was alone and when I was with hubs. I found these 5 habits that helped me be mindful of my eating.
I have a calendar in my office. Each day anything good or bad, health wise, I put in my calendar. Every time I work out, I put in my calendar. Every time I eat out, I put in my calendar. This could be done in a bullet journal, or basically anywhere that you access always and can see. It reminds you of your good habits, and it keeps track of your bad ones.
So randomly I will crave a pizza, but then I look at my calendar and see I just had pizza less then a week ago, and that will be a good visual reminder to at least wait till the week is over before I order another pizza. This also gives me something to look forward to. When I see I haven't exercised and its already been 2 days, that gives me more of a boast to at least do a quick work out video. When I am done I get the satisfaction of adding it my calendar. It's kind of like the sticker system in grade school.
2. Use smaller plates
We are all visual eater to a certain extent. I eat in a smaller plate then my husband. This way I am eating portions more suited for me, without feeling like I am depriving myself.
This one was difficult for me to get started on. As I said before my husband is bigger, and eating the same as him, had me really eating way more then I intended. We love sharing our meals together. We turn any restaurant into a tapas place because we both like experiencing different flavors. In order for us to continue this ritual, I made a conscious effort to eat 40 percent of our meals and he eats the 60 percent remaining. At first I felt a little deprived, but now I really don't mind because I am content with what I am eating, and I am no longer competing. I can slowly savor my 40 percent, and he can scarf down his 60 percent. Obviously this doesn't apply to desserts ...soo yeah, loll.
4. Use tracking apps like myfitnesspal
This ties into habit one. If you don't know what myfitnesspal is, here you can learn all about it. Once you start recording all your eating, you are more aware of what you are putting into your body, and also how calorie dense some foods can get. I always low ball on calories. Using an app like myfitnesspal will keep you honest. Also keep your exercise off of the calorie counter.
5. Motivate each other
This one is probably the most important. You have to work together. We really try not to derail each other's progress. We may not be on the same page about how we consume food (me a slow nibbler, him a fast gulper) but we try not to get in each others way. I try not to buy as many snacks form the store. He doesn't feel betrayed if I hide a few snacks from him. 😉
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