Do you eat like an adult?

I get it, I really do - you have a busy life, a demanding job and a ton of responsibility.

You might be used to powering through your day, surviving on coffees or pop, snacking here and there, bits of crackers and maybe some chocolate bars at 5pm and arriving home late. Starving and exhausted.

Since lunch, more often than not, is usually an afterthought (too busy/too stressed/too something), dinner is pretty much a gong show too since nothing with planned ahead.

Many nights you come home from work, crack open a bottle of wine or whatever your pleasure is, pour yourself a glass, then another one while staring into the fridge or pantry, getting hungrier by the minute then think screw it, and order in.

Or else you whip up something quick like eggs which you wolf down, straight out of the pan, while standing up! And yes I have been here too!

Not only is this behavior bad for you on a deeper psychological level, it's also messing up your fat loss goals/fitness goals or body goals big time.

Here's why:

1. Your brain doesn't know it's eaten enough

When you eat standing up/on the run/grabbing this or that, it's impossible that your brain gets the message that it's full. In fact, it doesn't even know what’s been eaten….

2. It's terrible for your health, digestion, and body composition

Shoveling food in or eating on the go, constantly stressed and on edge means that your stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline) are pumping like crazy throughout your body while you eat. Bad News!

This not only results in highly unpleasant stomach pain, bloating and or other digestive issues, but also makes it harder for you to lose fat and more likely to store fat on your belly.

3. It's really damaging psychologically

By inhaling the eggs straight from the pan, you're giving your body and your brain the message that you don't matter enough to even take 10 minutes to sit down and eat.

What sort of a message is that?!

If we want to lose fat long term it's time to take a different approach.

Try these two steps to get started...

1. Sit down at an actual table when you eat.

And no. Not in front of your computer. That's cheating and kind of defeating the point.

At a physical level, you will digest your food better if you are sitting down and eating.

Eating from a place of calm and not from a place of rush and stress gives your body and your brain the proper signals that it has eaten enough. This prevents overeating not only at that meal, but for subsequent meals that day.

2. Set the table.

Invest in some nice china, placemats, napkins etc - you know, the kind Grandma used to have!

Don't just plop a Tupperware on the table and proudly shovel the food down thinking how awesome it is that you’re reduced to this because you're so busy and “who needs plates anyway?!” This is nonsense.

Be an adult and set the table for yourself even when you are alone and even when no one is looking. This is one of the most powerful things you can do when it comes to fat loss and developing healthy eating behaviors.

By treating yourself with love, by eating with conscientiousness and by actually chewing your food, you´ll find that not only will fat loss come easier but it´ll probably come faster too.

So whether you live alone, have a family or its just you and your partner - take the time to sit, eat, relax and savour your food for your mind and body!