Veterinarian doctors and students can often have irregular and unstructured eating habits from years of late night studying, hectic schedules and getting called in at all hours.
Unstructured eating usually means grabbing whatever food is close, skipping meals and overindulging from hunger. Unhealthy food choices as well as going long periods without eating can lead to spikes in insulin and cortisol. Overtime, unstructured eating can create health problems such as weight gain as well as contribute to other wellness issues.
Regulating eating behaviours is an essential skill for living well in a sustainable way.
Here’s how you can get more regular:
1. Eat slowly and mindfully.
This might not be possible at every meal, but even practicing when you can can help you tune in to your appetite, hunger and satiety signals.
You can practice mindful eating by putting your phone away or turning off screens to eat without distractions. Use a meal timer or app to remind yourself to slow down. You could even “wine taste” your food.
2. Learn to recognize your hunger and fullness cues.
Most adults don’t actually know what physical hunger and fullness feels like. We have no appetite awareness. Practice simply noticing when you’re hungry or full. Notice what physical sensations you can feel, such as a growling stomach or lightheadness.
You can also use an appetite awareness tracker to notice how much food it takes to feel “satisfied”.
3. Normalize and routinize eating habits.
Many doctors and vet students miss meals, or don’t eat enough on some occasions, while eating too much at other times.
Regularly spaced, relatively predictable meals that are roughly the same size work best for most clients looking to lose weight, create sustainable healthy habits, normalize health indicators and learn body signals so they can self regulate.
Regulating eating behaviors is one of the everyday skills we teach in our wellness coaching program. We consider it a "high impact fundamental", because if you learn and practice it consistently, it will make a significant difference to your results.
If you’re looking to get healthier and you need help adding a bit more structure to your hectic schedule, we can help you with specific coaching tasks and actions and provide you with the accountability to help you achieve your goals.
Kirbie’s purpose is to show people the incredible transformations that they are capable of. She believes that health coaching is preventative medicine and the foundation for personal and professional development.
Interested in starting your health journey? Book your FREE consultation call with Kirbie today!
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