{"id":329,"date":"2020-08-25T04:01:27","date_gmt":"2020-08-25T04:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baydari.com\/?p=329"},"modified":"2025-05-05T10:51:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T10:51:46","slug":"coaching-the-30-day-eating-challenge-that-can-blow-your-mind-and-transform-your-body","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baydari.com\/index.php\/2020\/08\/25\/coaching-the-30-day-eating-challenge-that-can-blow-your-mind-and-transform-your-body\/","title":{"rendered":"Coaching: The 30-day eating challenge that can blow your mind\u2014and transform your body."},"content":{"rendered":"
Diet challenges are usually all about what you <\/strong>can\u2019t<\/em><\/strong> eat. But what if you could see huge results from a self-experiment that doesn\u2019t make any foods off-limits? Instead of focusing on <\/strong>what<\/em><\/strong> you eat, our 30-day eating challenge emphasizes <\/strong>how<\/em><\/strong> you eat. And the results? They could be transformational. <\/strong><\/p>\n ++++<\/p>\n \u201cDo this first, and let\u2019s see if you can handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n The nutrition advice I\u2019d just given Cameron Lichtwer wasn\u2019t what he expected, so I made it a challenge.<\/p>\n As an instructor at the British Columbia Personal Training Institute, a strength and conditioning coach, and a former competitive athlete, Cameron<\/a> was no stranger to exercise and nutrition. In fact, he thought he\u2019d tried it all.<\/p>\n But my advice? It was so\u2026 basic. Wasn\u2019t he far beyond that?<\/p>\n Well, no. Because what I told him can help almost anyone, from the most advanced dieters to those who\u2019ve struggled with healthy eating for a lifetime.<\/p>\n I know: It sounds too ridiculously simple to work.<\/p>\n But guess what? It was exactly what Cameron needed. In two months, his body fat dropped from 13.9 percent to 9.5 percent, the lowest level he\u2019s ever achieved. This was without weighing and measuring food, or following a restrictive meal plan.<\/p>\n Soon after he started, he sent me this text:<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe it. I\u2019m losing fat and destroying my workouts. I\u2019m sleeping better. I feel awesome.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Cameron was surprised by the results he got from such a simple process.<\/p>\n But I wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Eating slowly is one of the core practices of Precision Nutrition Coaching. <\/strong><\/p>\n Because it works.<\/p>\n So why not try the slow-eating challenge yourself?<\/p>\n Practice it for just 30 days, and you may be shocked at what you achieve<\/strong>\u2014even if you don\u2019t change anything else<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n ++++<\/p>\n When it comes to eating better, most folks worry about the little details:<\/p>\n Yet they eat over the kitchen sink. Or in their car. Or in a daze while in front of the TV.<\/p>\n And who can blame them? We\u2019ve been taught to think about what we eat, not how we eat.<\/p>\n That\u2019s too bad since\u2026<\/p>\n Now, this may seem a bit controversial<\/strong>. After all, if you only eat Oreos, the speed at which you consume them isn\u2019t your biggest problem.<\/p>\n But setting aside the extremes, slow eating may be the single most powerful habit for driving major transformation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Instead of having to figure out which foods to eat, in what frequency, and in what portions\u2014all important factors, of course\u2014eating slowly is the simplest way anyone can start losing weight and feeling better, immediately<\/em>. (Like, after your first slow-eaten meal.)<\/p>\n That fuels confidence and motivation, and from there, you can always tighten up the details.<\/p>\n Because why go to the complicated stuff right away, when you can get incredible results without it?<\/strong><\/p>\n Slow eating isn\u2019t just for nutrition newbies. Nutrition nerds can also see big benefits. If you\u2019re like Cameron, for example, it could be the key to unlocking never-before-seen progress. In fact, we\u2019ve seen it work for physique competitors, fitness models, and even Olympic athletes.<\/p>\n Slow eating is like the secret weight-loss weapon everyone has access to, but nobody knows about. <\/strong><\/p>\n That\u2019s because it can help you\u2026<\/p>\n Sure, many popular diets claim this as a benefit. But with slow eating, this phenomenon can occur even if you don\u2019t change what<\/em> you\u2019re eating.<\/p>\n For example, in one study, University of Rhode Island researchers served the same pasta lunch to 30 normal-weight women on two different days. At both meals, participants were told to eat until comfortably full.<\/p>\n But they were also told:<\/p>\n The results:<\/p>\n So in 20 more minutes, the slow-eaters ate 67 fewer calories. What\u2019s more, it also took them longer to feel hungry afterward compared to when they were speeding through their lunch.<\/p>\n These effects, spread across every meal and snack, could add up to hundreds of calories saved over the course of a day. <\/strong><\/p>\n Granted, this is just a single study, but it demonstrates what we\u2019ve seen with our clients over and over.<\/p>\n (Feel free to try this experiment at home right now, if you like.)<\/p>\n Why does this happen? <\/strong><\/p>\n Reason 1: Physiology. <\/strong>\u00a0It takes about 20 minutes for your body\u2019s satiety signals to kick in. Slow eating gives the system time to work, allowing you to better sense when you\u2019ve had enough.<\/p>\n Reason 2: Psychology.<\/strong> When you slow down, and really try to savor your meal, you tend to feel<\/em> satisfied with less, and feel less \u201cdeprived.\u201d<\/p>\n Rachel Levy\u2019s initial reaction to this challenge: \u201cI can\u2019t possibly eat slowly. I will die!\u201d<\/p>\n As you can guess, she didn\u2019t perish after giving it a try. In fact, she went on to be the female winner of our July 2018 transformation contest<\/a>.<\/p>\n How\u2019d she make it happen?<\/p>\n \u201cI decided to just try.<\/strong> Just put one foot in front of the other, and only do what was being asked of me\u2014eat just a little bit slower.<\/p>\n \u201cI faced the fear of doing something different.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n During her first two weeks of eating slowly, Rachel had one of those \u201caha moments.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suddenly realized that the reason I ate quickly was actually a feedback loop: I ate quickly to calm my anxiety, but eating quickly was making me anxious.\u201d<\/p>\n The upshot: Discovering this connection immediately made it easy<\/em> for Rachel to eat slowly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Have regular bloating, cramping, or stomach pains? Many of our clients say slow eating helped solve their digestive issues.<\/p>\n Why does speed matter?<\/strong><\/p>\n Because when you wolf down your food, you take larger bites and chew less.<\/p>\n Your stomach has a harder time mashing those big chunks of food into chyme\u2014the sludgy mix of partially digested food, hydrochloric acid, digestive enzymes, and water that passes from your stomach into your small intestine.<\/p>\n When food isn\u2019t properly broken down into chyme, it can cause indigestion and other GI problems. We may absorb fewer nutrients, depleting ourselves of valuable vitamins and minerals.<\/p>\n Besides making you uncomfortable (maybe even miserable), shoddy digestion can also affect your mindset.<\/p>\n For instance, if your meal leaves you bloated, burpy, and sluggish, you may interpret this as \u201cfeeling out of shape,\u201d and become discouraged about your efforts. On the other hand, slowing down and digesting your food properly may help you \u201cfeel leaner.\u201d<\/p>\n Ever have a meal because it\u2019s a certain time of day, even if you\u2019re not particularly hungry?<\/p>\n Or clean your plate, though you\u2019re pretty sure you\u2019ll regret it?<\/p>\n These are just a couple of ways people tune out their internal hunger and satiety cues. There are plenty more, but the point is:<\/p>\n Many of us eat when we\u2019re <\/strong>not<\/em><\/strong> hungry, and keep eating when we\u2019re full. <\/strong><\/p>\n Slow eating can help get you right again. With regular practice, it improves your appetite awareness. You learn to recognize \u2014and more importantly, trust<\/em>\u2014your body\u2019s own internal signals.<\/p>\n Over time, this retrains you to eat when you\u2019re hungry and stop when you\u2019re full. Not because some rigid meal plan demands it, but because your body (a.k.a. your new best friend) tells you so<\/em>.<\/p>\n This is the difference between being \u201con a diet\u201d and learning how to \u201clisten to your body<\/a>\u201d\u2026 a valuable skill that allows you to make healthier choices for the rest of your life<\/em>.<\/p>\n Voila\u2014lasting body transformation in a way that doesn\u2019t suck.\n<\/p>\n Nellie was already \u201chealthy\u201d when she started Precision Nutrition Coaching. She went to the gym three to five times a week, ate mostly whole, unprocessed foods, and wasn\u2019t really looking to lose weight.<\/p>\n There was just one problem: She struggled with food addiction. \u201cI needed to face the reason I was eating a pound of carrots in one sitting,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n When first introduced to the habit of eating slowly, Nellie was so worried she couldn\u2019t do it, she considered leaving the program. But instead, she accepted the challenge. And although there were setbacks\u2014like the day she ate seven cupcakes\u2014little by little, it started to get easier.<\/p>\n Now, it\u2019s revolutionized her relationship with food. On a recent backpacking trip, Nellie\u2019s friend brought some Fritos along. At the end of their 13-mile day, Nellie started craving those chips.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore, I would have pounded them down. But this time, I put one in my mouth and savored it.\u201d She still ate the chips\u2014slowly\u2014but instead of feeling ashamed and overstuffed, she felt nourished and satisfied.<\/p>\n Big lesson for Nellie:<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve learned that when I listen to my body, it tells me everything I need to be successful.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you struggle with binge eating, learning to go slow can help.<\/p>\n That might sound odd, since a binge is driven by an overwhelming urge to consume as much food as possible, as fast as possible. (This quality is what differentiates binge eating from run-of-the-mill overeating.)<\/p>\n But the skills you develop from slow eating can help you mitigate the damage, and build resilience over time.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how: When you\u2019re in the grip of a binge, slow down as soon as you realize what\u2019s happening. <\/strong><\/p>\n Pause. Breathe. The food will wait for you. Even just one breath between bites will help.<\/p>\n You might not be able to stop eating right away, and that\u2019s okay. How much you eat isn\u2019t as important as getting back into a more thoughtful state of mind.<\/p>\n With this \u201cbinge slowly\u201d technique, most people can regain a sense of control. And the more you practice it, the more effective it will be.<\/p>\n If you keep slowing down, even during your most difficult moments:<\/p>\n In time, this\u2019ll help normalize your eating, boost your physical and psychological health, and improve body composition (or help you maintain a healthy body composition more easily, without restriction-compensation cycles).<\/p>\n We don\u2019t always have control over what foods are available to us. But we always have control over how quickly we chew and swallow.<\/p>\n Think of slow eating as the low-hanging fruit of nutrition: super accessible in any situation.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t require specialized meal plans or a food scale. No matter what\u2019s going on in your life, or what\u2019s on your plate, you can practice eating slowly. <\/strong><\/p>\n When Precision Nutrition Coaching client Elaine Gordon started the program, she already knew a lot about nutrition from years of working with coaches and researching on her own.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew the \u2018whats\u2019 of eating well, but really benefited from the \u2018hows\u2019 that PN teaches,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s incredible to see how your relationship with food changes when you bring attention and awareness to the process of eating.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n Thanks to her new, more mindful relationship with food, Elaine began to get the results she\u2019d been after all those years. And after seeing how effective it was for Elaine, her husband even started eating slowly. Now they practice the habit together.<\/p>\n The best part? Elaine knows she has this tool at her disposal, no matter where she is or what she\u2019s doing.<\/p>\n \u201cEven if all else fails with my diet, I can always choose to eat slowly.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Eating slowly and mindfully is simple <\/em>and effective<\/em>\u2014but not necessarily easy<\/em>.<\/p>\n Most people have to work at it.<\/p>\n Thankfully, you don\u2019t have to get it \u201cperfect.\u201d Shoot for \u201ca little bit better\u201d instead. You might be surprised at how effective this can be.<\/p>\n Try one of these tips. You can experiment with them for just one meal, or take on a full 30-day slow-eating challenge, if you feel up to it.<\/p>\n Before you eat, pause. Take one breath.<\/p>\n Take one bite. Then take another breath.<\/p>\n Take another bite. Then take another breath.<\/p>\n Go one bite, and one breath at a time.<\/p>\n That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n At first, most people panic at the idea of \u201cwasting time\u201d on eating or having to be alone with their thoughts and the sounds of crunching for too long. Plus, life is busy and rushed. Having long leisurely meals may feel impossible.<\/p>\n So, start small. Add just one minute per meal. Or two, or three, if you\u2019re feeling sassy about it.<\/p>\n When you start your meal, start the clock (or use an app like 20 Minute Eating<\/a> to time yourself).<\/p>\n The game: Stretch out that meal as long as you can. Then try to make your next meal last one minute longer.<\/p>\n Over time, you can gradually build up how long you spend at meals. <\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t be hard on yourself: If you forget to slow down during one meal, no biggie. Just slow down next time, and notice what happens.<\/p>\n And remember, even one minute better\u2014or one breath-between-bites better\u2014can help.<\/p>\n For the next level of challenge, don\u2019t eat while you drive, watch TV, or play with your phone. Sit at a table, not on your living room couch, and for heaven\u2019s sake, don\u2019t eat standing over the sink. Try to relax and experience your meal.<\/p>\n The whole point is to pay attention to your food and body. So, over the next 30 days, do your best to eat in a calm environment with minimal distractions. <\/strong><\/p>\n Try this experiment: Eat a whole food, like an apple slice, and count how many chews it takes to swallow a mouthful. Then grab a highly processed snack, like a cracker or cookie, and count your chews.<\/p>\n What differences do you notice?<\/p>\n Which food do you think will be easier to eat slowly?<\/p>\n Now act accordingly.<\/p>\n Minimally processed lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes require more effort\u2014and time\u2014to eat.<\/p>\n The more you have to chew, the longer it\u2019ll take you to eat, giving your fullness signals a chance to catch up.<\/p>\n Pacing yourself is easier when you have a specific action in mind to break up mouthfuls of food.<\/p>\n Between bites<\/strong>, try:<\/p>\n When you eat\u2026 eat. Enjoy it. Really taste it.<\/p>\n Is it salty? Sweet? Does it coat the roof of your mouth? What\u2019s the texture like?<\/p>\n Notice these little details with each bite. <\/strong><\/p>\n To really tap into this experience, try \u201cwine tasting\u201d your food<\/strong>. Practice chewing slowly, sniffing, and savoring your food, as if it were a fine wine.<\/p>\n As you experiment, try to identify what affects your eating speed or focus<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Consider factors such as:<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve made some observations, ask yourself:<\/p>\n Pay attention to the eating speed of those around you<\/strong>. Observe the slowest-eating person in the group and match their speed.<\/p>\n If you find yourself rushing, that\u2019s okay. Put your utensils down and take a minute to re-focus. If slow eating isn\u2019t habitual for you, this will take some time to master.<\/p>\n Embrace an experimental mindset and notice what you learn. <\/strong><\/p>\n Remember: every meal is a chance to practice.<\/p>\n Like many others, Phillip was skeptical about eating slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cI never expected it to work. It sounded too easy,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Eating slowly was more challenging than he expected, but with practice, things started to click, and the results have been major.<\/p>\n \u201cThe simple act of making time to eat slowly has gotten me closer to my goals than anything I\u2019ve ever tried,\u201d says Phillip.<\/p>\n And the results aren\u2019t just physical: Slowing down his eating helped Phillip set a more comfortable pace in other areas of his life, too.<\/p>\n \u201cNot only am I leaner, but life doesn\u2019t just pass me by anymore. I\u2019m more aware of the moments that are right in front of me.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n At the end of your 30-day slow-eating challenge, tune into what\u2019s different.<\/p>\n You\u2019re probably going to observe some changes in your body\u2014such as how your stomach feels after a meal or how your pants fit. You may also notice mental changes, like what you think about while you\u2019re eating, or how you react to feeling hungry or full.<\/p>\n Look at how much has changed in just 30 days, and imagine:<\/p>\n What would happen if you continued working on this habit\u2026 forever? <\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s a good reason to do just that: No matter what other habits you adopt or \u201cnext level stuff\u201d you try, eating slowly will always enhance your efforts. And how often can you say that about anything?<\/p>\n But don\u2019t just keep it to yourself: Share the 30-day slow-eating challenge with your friends, family, and co-workers. It could be exactly what they need, but never even knew to try.<\/p>\n Most people know<\/em> that regular movement, eating well, sleep, and stress management are important for looking and feeling better. Yet they need help applying that knowledge<\/em> in the context of their busy, sometimes stressful lives.<\/p>\n Over the past the past two decades, we\u2019ve used the Precision Nutrition Coaching<\/a> method to help over 150,000 clients lose fat<\/strong>, get stronger<\/strong>, and improve their physical and mental health<\/strong>\u2026 for the long-term\u2026 no matter what challenges they\u2019re dealing with.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also why we work with health, fitness, and wellness professionals (through our Level 1<\/a> and Level 2<\/a> Certification programs) to teach them how to coach their own clients<\/strong> through the same challenges.<\/p>\n <!–<\/p>\n We\u2019ll be opening up spots in our next Precision Nutrition Coaching on [launch_date program=”pnc” type=”general” dateformat=”l, F jS, Y”].<\/p>\n If you’re interested in coaching and want to find out more, join the presale list below. Being on the list gives you three special advantages.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re ready to change your body, and your life, with help from the world\u2019s best coaches, this is your chance.<\/strong><\/p>\n [Note: If your health and fitness are already sorted out, but you\u2019re interested in helping others, check out our <\/em>Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification program<\/em><\/a>].<\/em><\/p>\n –><\/p>\n The post Coaching: The 30-day eating challenge that can blow your mind\u2014and transform your body.<\/a> appeared first on Precision Nutrition<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Diet challenges are usually all about what you can\u2019t eat. 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\u201cYou want the next level stuff?\u201d I asked.<\/h2>\n
\u201cEat slowly and mindfully.\u201d<\/h2>\n
5 ways this 30-day eating challenge will change your body and mind.<\/h2>\n
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Eating slowly and mindfully can actually be more important than:<\/h3>\n
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1. Eat less without feeling deprived.<\/h3>\n
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2. Look and feel better.<\/h3>\n
3. Learn what \u201chungry\u201d and \u201cfull\u201d feel like.<\/h3>\n
4. Disrupt patterns that derail your progress.<\/h3>\n
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5. Gain a tool you can use anytime, anywhere.<\/h3>\n
How to eat slowly.<\/h2>\n
Take just one breath.<\/h3>\n
Add just one minute.<\/h3>\n
Put down the remote.<\/h3>\n
Eat foods that need to really<\/em> be chewed.<\/h3>\n
Do something between bites.<\/h3>\n
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Savor your food.<\/h3>\n
Notice what affects your eating speed.<\/h3>\n
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Refine your practice.<\/h3>\n
I ate slowly, now what?<\/h2>\n
Want help becoming the healthiest, fittest, strongest version of you?<\/h2>\n
Interested in Precision Nutrition Coaching? Join the presale list<\/a> now. You’ll get a free gift today, save up to [pnc_discount], and have the chance to secure a spot 24 hours early.<\/h2>\n
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