Let's assess some of the things our parents told us about food and eating. There is a lot to learn from the this - you'll be able to take away advice around healthier eating habits and even weight loss tips!
“CLEAN YOUR PLATE.”
I think many parents were proud members of the clean-plate club.
The concept of “cleaning your plate” is used with the best of intentions, and it can be a serious challenge to get children to eat well. The problem is, people rarely bother to clarify that it’s really not necessary once you hit adulthood.
Getting into the routine of "cleaning your plate" makes it more likely that you will consistently overeat, this is because you start ignoring your feelings of fullness. The clean your plate mentality promotes the use of external cues as opposed to internal cues for figuring out what’s an appropriate amount of food for you. If you’re used to feeling like you have to clean your plate, on a subconscious level, you might ignore those internal cues that you’re full.
Of course, there is the concern about wasting food on your plate, which is valid. But eating extra calories that you don’t need is also something of a waste – missed opportunity for leftovers! – and it doesn’t help your overall health either.
If you do struggle with this, exante Meal Replacement Shakes are a great option as they contain 100-120 calories, 12g protein and 25% of your daily nutrient and vitamins. You can enjoy an adequately portioned meal replacement shake in any of these delicious flavours: Chocolate, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Strawberry, Cookies & Cream or Chocolate Mint.
“IF YOU'RE NOT HUNGRY ENOUGH TO EAT AN APPLE, YOU'RE NOT REALLY HUNGRY.”
You can picture this one, right? It used to go something like this:
“Mom, I’m huuuungry”
“No you’re bored. Go find something to do.”
“But I’m actually really huuuungry.” (Narrator: She was, in fact, not hungry.)
“Go eat an apple, there’s some on the counter.”
“I don’t want an apple, I want something nice.”
“If you’re not hungry enough to eat an apple, you’re not really hungry.”
How infuriating? I thought that was one of the stupidest things I’d ever heard. I didn’t want an apple, and I wasn’t just bored.
But in hindsight, Mom was on to something here. If you’re ever feeling a craving coming on, tell yourself to eat an apple. If it does sound appealing, have an apple. Sometimes it’ll be enough to curb the cravings because of it’s natural sweetness.
If that doesn’t sound appealing, you probably are just bored. In this case, you could try an exante Boost – it’s our healthy alternative to sugary sodas and energy drinks. With only 10 calories and 0g of sugar, it’s a guilt free energy boost. Boost gives your body natural ingredients to help burn fat, increase metabolism and fortify your immune system. On top of all that, we’ve included Slendesta in the recipe – an appetite suppressant that keeps you full for up to 3 hours and curbs those cravings.
“HAVE SOME WATER IF YOU'RE HUNGRY”
Sometimes when my Mom wasn’t offering me an apple for my hunger, she was offering me something even more puzzling, water! I would dismiss my Mom for her crazy suggestion – water for hunger? That doesn’t even make sense.
But, once again, this bit of parental advice has some truth in it.
The reasoning behind this is that our bodies often mistake thirst for hunger. If you drink water and don’t feel hungry anymore, then you were just thirsty. However, if you have a drink and 10 minutes later you are still hungry, then it’s time for some food. This is a super easy trick to aid your weight loss goals!
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