One of the things Noom does really well is to use research to explain eating habits. It then twists the research around to give options for overcoming specific bad habits we might not even know we have.
For example, did you know that you eat less is there is less food available? And you also eat less if you can see the proof of food you have already eaten. This was research done in a restaurant where they found tables which were cleared more frequently and had the next course brought through ate more than those which were not.
It was probably a bit more in depth than that, but the take away for me was that if there is less food then I will eat less food.
I read this when I first did the course in September, and I read it again when I redid the course in January. I am still working my way through the last part of the course now and it still pops up from time to time.
It is obviously a thing!
However, up until now, I have not wanted to decrease my food intake at night.
I’d already given up snacking, which was huge for me. Snacking was my favourite time of the day, snuggled up with my husband, watching NCIS…it doesn’t get more relaxing than that. Unfortunately, it wasn’t doing either of us any good at all.
So no snacking it was.
It was really hard at first, but I don’t really even notice it now. I have an iced lolly after dinner and that seems to satisfy any cravings.
Eating less though, no, I wasn’t ready for that…
…until now.
I’m not sure why but I get fuller much quicker. And actually eating my normal portions is making me feel a bit sick each night.
Take last night.
I had one baked potato with tuna and sweetcorn mayonnaise and a salad. I felt waaaaay too full at the time (and very nauseous), and it’s now eight the next morning and I still feel like I’m digesting it.
I have an issue in that I need to finish everything on my plate. Learnt behaviour from my childhood that I have passed on to my children. I’m not sure I could ever actually leave any food.
So, I think it is probably time to reduce my serving size by reducing the size of my plate.
This will have many benefits, least of all that I won’t feel sick anymore.
But also hopefully I will feel it is digested before I even get to bed, and certainly by the next morning!
I am also perfecting my ‘ideal’ evening routine right now, and one thing I’d really like to include is some yoga. Since beginning weight training, I feel like my muscles are shorter and less flexible than they were before. Usually, even at almost fifty, I am super flexible, but I definitely feel the muscles are tighter than they used to be.
However, with a large meal in me, being bendy is the very last thing I want to do!
So I am pledging, from tonight onwards, I am going to use a side plate (albeit a fairly large side plate) to hold my dinner.
I shall keep you updated as to my progress…yes, I know, you can’t wait!!