By Estela Schnelle MS, RD

www.weeklybite.com

Everyone has his or her own theory about this.  I’ve heard it all… “No carbs after 4pm”, “Food turns into fat after a certain hour”.  All these myths are false!  The truth is, our bodies run on a 24hr clock… not an eight or twelve-hour day.  If you are truly physically hungry, you need to eat! 

Why are these rules made?

In my article “Dieting vs. Calorie Counting” it states, “eating healthy is very important, but how much we eat is even more important”.  This is the main reason why these rules are made.  It’s called MINDLESS EATING.  For most of us, mindless eating happens in the evening, after dinner, watching TV, when we’re bored, etc…  Weight gain generally occurs when we consistently eat for reasons other than hunger (mindless eating).  Think about it… we eat dinner, we’re comfortably full, definitely not hungry anymore, but somehow, we still find a way to squeeze a cup or two of ice cream in there.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with dessert, but you have to account for it.  Make it part of your meal.  Not the mindless noshing that can occur after dinner.

Make your own rules!

You should know your body better than anyone!  Make your own rules.  I’ll use myself as an example.  It took some time, but I’m happy that I’ve gotten to know my body pretty well.  I know how much food is too much for me.  I know how much I can eat at dinner and feel content and satisfied.  I know that after each meal (including breakfast) I HAVE to have a small piece of DOVE dark chocolate.  I know that if I snack too much after dinner, I will not be hungry for breakfast.  I know how I will feel the next morning when I over do it at a restaurant the night before.  I make it a general rule for myself not to snack or eat after dinner.  If I am truly physically hungry after dinner, I will have something small to satisfy the hunger, but the lesson that I take away from that is I either didn’t eat enough for dinner, or didn’t eat enough throughout the day.  With my clients, I give them the general rule to stop eating two hours before they go to bed.  That way they can feel hungry for breakfast the next morning. 

Get to know your body!  Try different things out and see what works best for you.  Don’t be afraid to make a mistake… that’s the best way to learn!    Know that following the rules you have made for your body are better than what any book can tell you!

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