The Simple Strategy That Helped Me Slow Down and Lose Weight

How do you feel when you hear me say, that sometimes, changing how you eat can really be more powerful than changing what you are actually eating? 

Do you believe me? Are you thinking, "Um, no-way? Whaaat? That can't be true."  But, it is! So, let me tell you a little story about one of my past clients... 

Her name was Samantha, and she was a big deal marketing director. She was 47 years old, and she came to me for help with digestive issues. She had something that she called her "belly balloon." Her belly just ballooned out even though she worked out five times a week.

When I asked her a few questions about her eating habits, she told me that she would stop at Starbucks on her way to work and down a large frappuccino and an egg and cheese sandwich in the car while rushing through city traffic. And then for lunch, she'd run to the corner cafe and pick up a personal pizza and devour it in the elevator before running back to her desk. She told me, "I want to feel better, but I'm not going to cook and don't want to give up Starbucks or pizza. I love these things."

So, I told her, "I think I can help you despite the constraints you're giving me here." And the only change that I invited her to make was to relax while she ate.

So, the strategy was to incrementally increase the time it took her to eat lunch by adding a few minutes to each meal until she reached 20 minutes for a meal. And my client was, like, "OK, I'll try it. "

And a week later, Samantha called me super excited to report that, for the first time in years, her belly did not feel bloated. It didn't feel pooched out. And what's more, once she slowed down, she began noticing the way those foods made her feel and that Starbucks and pepperoni pizza actually didn't feel so good.

Pretty cool, huh? Small hinges swing big doors, right?

So. Are you ready to learn about the 20-Minute Meal now? I bet you are!

How the 20-Minute Meal Works:

Starting with your next meal, follow these simple steps...

 Step #1:

• Check the clock before you start your next meal
• Eat your meal at the pace you normally would
• Check the clock at the end of your meal
• Jot down how much time your entire meal took in your 20-Min Meal Journal

If you subscribe to my email list, you've already got your 20-Minute Meal Journal...  If you don't, click here to download yours!

Step #2:

• At your next meal, increase your mealtime by 5 minutes more than your last time
• Document your mealtime, when you started to feel full, your mood and your “aha!” moments in your 20-Min Meal Journal

Step #3:

• Keep repeating Step #2 with each meal until meals last at least 20 minutes
• Document each day in your 20-Min Meal Journal

Step #4:

• Note at what time during the 20-Minute Meal that you feel satisfied and when you tip over to full in your 20-Min Meal Journal

Step #5:

• Make each meal for the next 7 days a 20-Minute Meal (or longer!)
• Note in your 20-Min Meal Journal if you feel uncomfortably full

Aaand, that's it!  I can't wait to hear how it goes.  Comment below with any questions.  Share your victories and your "aha" moments! I read them all and I LOVE hearing from you.

I'll be back next week with a VERY cool new lesson allll about how you eat is as important (if not more) as what you eat.