Think-Feel-Eat Episode #15: Four Food Types (and the 80/20 Food Rule)
Hi! I’m Donna Reish, IF teacher, weight loss coach, blogger, and half of “The Minus 220 Pound Pair” as my husband and I have lost over 220 pounds together (160 of that in the past couple of years through the Weight Loss Lifestyle habits and strategies I teach!). In this episode, I present the introduction to the Perfect Storm of Weight Loss.
In this episode, I continue to teach about creating your Eating Protocol for the Perfect Storm of Weight Loss starting with a review of the Perfect Storm and how all three aspects of the perfect storm are interrelated.
I then remind us what we already know about a strong eating protocol: what we eat affects how well we can stay on our protocol; habits affect how well we can stay on our protocol; our thoughts affect how well we can stay on our protocol.
We also know that fasting and deciding ahead of time help us stay on our protocol.
I use the mantra “Don’t take a bite until I write” every day. This means that I can’t eat anything until I have decided what my two meals will contain—right down to the time, the amount, the types, etc. while prioritizing protein and not exceeding what my body needs in order to either maintain or lose (depending on goal).
Our protocol will help us succeed when…
a. It is food we like
b. It gives us a metabolic boost like protein does.
c. It is low on junk food
d. Put big rocks in your jar first—your real foods, your satiating foods, your protein, etc.
e. It gives us fiber—Fx3= Fluffy, Fibrous, and Fluidy
Next I went into detail about the Four Food Types: Fuel Food (80% each day); Fun Food (20% each day); Frenzied Food (want to avoid), Fog Food (want to avoid). I describe how to divide up your food into the 80/20—and how to avoid Frenzied Food and Fog Food.
We must decide ahead of time what we are eating—and we must fill 80% of our foods with FUEL foods. We must plan our 20% of Fun Food each day and be sure that it isn’t Fabulously Fun Food (too high dopamine spike, too calorie dense, save for special occasions only).
Check out past episodes in order: donnareish.com/perfectstorm
Think Feel Eat Outline Episode 15: Four Food Types (and the 80/20 Food Rule)
A. Review of the Perfect Storm
1. Seeing how all three aspects are interrelated
2. All three aspects cause all diet success and failure
3. Focusing on only one aspect keeps us stuck in weight loss spinning
4. Exercise not the best means to lose weight
a. Self sabotage—running 30-40 miles a week for six months with no weight loss (should have lost a pound a week)—research shows that we usually eat more than any exercise burn gave us
b. Exercise causes us to think we can eat more—either subconsciously or consciously
c. Don’t rely on exercise to create your defiicit
d. Exercise is for….muscle building, metabolism boosting, mood enhancing, habit formation, shape of your body, clothes fitting, how you look, self integrity, serotonin, oxytocin, etc…..so much goodness!
e. Don’t count on it for weight loss—use it for the reasons above…and use it all the time. Movement is amazing!
B. What Do We Already Know About Creating an Eating Protocol?
1. WHAT we eat affects how well we can stay on our protocol
2. Habits affect how well we can stay on our protocol
3. Thoughts help us stay in control of food—rather than trying to use willpower or white knuckling
4. Fasting helps us control our hunger as we develop clock hunger
5. “Don’t take a bite until I write”—must write down what I am going to eat for that day the night before or the morning of—when I am thinking with my pre-frontal cortext not my toddler brain
6. Overeating, over desire, over hunger, craving, indulging, bingeing…food is what makes us fat.
7. A diet plan alone (that doesn’t consider creating a deficit in your food intake and that doesn’t teach you what to do with cravings and over desire, etc.) will usually not lead to goal—or it won’t keep you there if it does lead to goal through white knuckling.
8. “We propel what we plan. We move what we measure.” EVERY SINGLE DAY.
9. Our protocol will help us succeed when…
a. It is food we like
b. It gives us a metabolic boost like protein does.
c. It is low on junk food
d. Put big rocks in your jar first—your real foods, your satiating foods, your protein, etc.
e. It gives us fiber—Fx3= Fluffy, Fibrous, and Fluidy
10. Calories in check PLUS another boundary that keeps you eating more real food
11. Protocol must be something that you do not need to cheat on all the time. (One Fun Food Meal a week overall and one fun food within your protocol each day will not be considered cheating—you don’t want a protocol that you need to cheat on!)
C. Four Food Types
1. Fuel Food
2. Fun Food
a. Make your rules
b. Not fabulously fun foods!
c. The less seductive your Fun Foods are, the fewer cravings you’ll have and the better you can stay on your protocol
3. Frenzied Food
a. Eat fast before you think
b. Grab without thinking
c. Trick yourself
d. Often say something quickly to yourself like “I don’t care” or “This won’t matter” or “It won’t impact my weight”!
4. Fog Food
a. Truly in a fog with food
b. Not measured, so often it is an overeating of allowed food
c. When barriers and boundaries are not in place
D. We Can Do This!!
1. Check out my up and coming page that I use with my private coaching clients (you can use it on your own—let me know if you want to set up a free consult call to see if coaching is right for you!). This page has all of the elements we’ve discussed so far in the Perfect Storm! donnareish.com/perfectstorm
2. Set up a free consult—I’d love to talk with you! No charge. No pressure! https://donnareish.com/coachingpackages/