How to Eat Less

I am a long term user of the practice of intermittent fasting but I realise the method doesn't appeal to everyone. However, there are certain aspects of the practice of intermittent fasting which can be used universally by anyone who wants to eat less - even without fasting.

First of all, why would you want to eat less? The answer is simple - to lose weight you have to consume less calories than you are currently consuming in order to create a negative calorie deficit and in order to take in less energy than your body is using. This is the basis of all weight loss and this concept cannot really be cheated through conventional dieting.

This brings us onto the concept under discussion. If you want to eat less food and lose body fat you will need to gauge how much you are currently eating. The next logical step to take is to avoid consuming foods packed with high numbers of calories (for their weight). These are often referred to as calorie-dense foods. For instance, the prawn crackers you get from Chinese takeaways are feather-light, but they contain huge amounts of calories. They are dense with energy. Half a kilo of meat has far less calories than half a kilo of prawn crackers, I believe (I have not actually researched that particular combination but I am confident that I am correct on that one!). I think you get the point.

The next thing to do is to avoid unscheduled eating. This is where some of the concepts of intermittent fasting can be really helpful. People who fast need to drink lots of fluid all through the day, in order to keep the digestive tract bulky, which gives a feeling of satiety. However, even if you drink a lot of water you may find that hunger still creeps up on you sometimes. There is a great trick for getting around this, used by people who fast regularly (like myself). You still drink a large volume of water to try and fill the gut. However, in addition to this, you can have a piece of low calorie fruit - say a single apple. This small amount of food will contain less than 100 calories but it adds texture to the 'bulk' in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, it also creates a muted insulin response in the blood because some glucose is released, albeit in tiny quantities.

This small glucose infusion, combined with the large volume of fluid in the gut, gives the physiological impression that you have just eaten and that energy is beginning to release from the food just eaten. This has an impressive hunger-suppression effect. Be aware that drinking a large water volume and waiting for 10-15 minutes will usually alleviate any potential feelings of hunger, even without eating anything. But combining that with a small fruit has a much more profound effect. The fruit itself has little effect on suppressing hunger, but combined with a large volume of water it works brilliantly. It also works because many fruits are fibrous and also because they release energy in a different way to sugary foods (they do so more slowly because they have what is called a 'lower glycemic index').

This is a great strategy for ensuring that you don't eat between scheduled meals and it also keeps you healthy because raw, fresh fruits contain useful enzymes that promote good health. Try to keep meal frequency low if you are trying to reduce calorie consumption, rather than trying to eat lots of tiny meals - which drives your food cravings and regulatory systems to a state of confusion. It is easier to go for longer periods of food abstinence than for regular periods of eating small meals. In other words, eat small meals - by all means - but eat fewer of them (not more) if you are seeking weight loss.

In addition to all this, eat the occasional big meal every other day - to keep the system confused, to speed up the metabolism and to curb cravings. This also means you should allow yourself the odd unhealthy meal as well (once weekly, perhaps), for craving-control purposes. The term "unhealthy meal" is a relative one - and as your eating becomes healthier in general, your "unhealthy meals" will also become relatively more healthy.

All the best.

Idai Makaya
www.idaimakaya.com