These 10 simple “rules” are brought to our countdown by GoMacro.com. We believe each could be it’s own point on our “101 Legit Ways to Lose Weight” countdown, but collectively, they give a clear picture of how lean and healthy people eat to maintain their physique. To elaborate on the points on this list, we have included further information in parenthesis.
1. You are what you eat. (what you eat directly affects how you feel, your health and wellness)
2. Eat real food. (the gooey, ammonia-based pink slime, formally used in McDonalds and Taco Bell meat, is NOT real food).
3. Cook. (you have much more control over the carbs, fat, protein, sodium content, etc in your food when you cook at home vs eating out).
4. Treat food with respect. (don’t eat to soothe uncomfortable emotions; don’t making eating a contest; etc.)
5. Eat mainly plants and whole grains. (read labels. If there is any refined/enriched flour in a product, it is not 100% whole grain… see #55 on our countdown for more information on whole grains & #13 on our countdown for non-starchy veggies).
6. Be adventurous and eat a wide variety of food. (See #100 on our countdown).
7. Chew your food 50 times. (Once you swallow, party’s over. Prolong the goodness! Enjoy your food more by allowing it to spend longer on your taste buds, chewing it repeatedly. This will also make you eat slower, which means you will most likely eat less).
8. Stop eating before you feel full. (You will have the opportunity to eat a meal or snack again in approximately 4-hours. Don’t gorge as if it’s your last meal before a famine strikes).
9. Eat in moderation. (Eat small servings- like the French! The most satisfying bites are always the first three that you take. Savor them).
10. Break the rules once in a while. (Not every day. Not even every Saturday. But once in a while, even supermodels, fitness personalities, and nutritionists break the rules. Don’t consider this an evil temptation, but a gift. For us to be fortunate enough to have truly delicious food, with sweet, salty, and savory tastes, is a luxury that we should enjoy, unashamedly, once in a while. If we were to only eat “healthy” food, all the time, we would miss out on some of the joy of eating. Even the founder of Cinnabon, Jerilyn Brusseau, is a recovered anorexic- who battled the disease in her 20s, 30s, and 40s. She created these cinnamon rolls as a luxury for her family and friends to enjoy once in a while. She used a dough that had a quality like a pillow, fine-quality cinnamon carmel center syrup that would be a contrast of textures, and a savory creamy topping to add to the indulgent quality. Do people appreciate or respect the intention- that these delicacies were meant to be loved, enjoyed, and savored once in a while? No! They go to airports and buy Cinnabon on a whim before a flight. They eat these tantalizing treats just as something to reach for; they don’t appreciate the fine ingredients- they just eat, nonchalantly. It is not Brusseau’s fault that they gain weight, and it’s not her fault that they buy Cinnabon more often than they should. We all have free will. Use yours to indulge in moderation. When you do so, close your eyes, smell the aroma, let the fat dance on your taste buds, chew, and as you swallow, be grateful for the gift of the decadent treat and say “Mmmmm”).