The Block (/Clock) is Hot ⏳
Portion Control Via Time Eating Blocks
The New Moon 28-day challenge for this month is in the realm of calorie control - via portion control! And while this can cover many bases, we are going to approach it in the frame of eating times. 🕢
Or more specifically, paying attention to and then altering how much time we take in between eating. And even more specifically, getting to a point where you are eating every 3 to 4 hours. Ok I'm done getting more specific. In this paragraph at least. 🙃
The 3-4 hour eating block is one of those nutrition hacks that can really eliminate the amount of calories you eat - and better yet, lend to the being a more "intuitive" eater. 🧠
Which is what everyone seems to want. If you know anything about my approaches, you know I say counting calories and tracking are the BEST ways to go. But still, most people won't do it! 😏 So this is a "hack" per se.
You might be amazed how often you eat throughout the day without realizing it. Or how often you're snacking on top of your meals. 😳
It's so easy to take a few bites here, have a pack of that there. Figuring out how many hours it takes for you to actually get HUNGRY and then limiting your eating until then (and eventually making an actual timed guideline) is a game changer. 👏🏾
After really paying attention, you'll probably find it averages a few hours, which means that in a 12 hour cycle (let's say 10am to 10pm), you're ideally eating 4 to 5 times. Not all slots have to be full blown meals - you can use a couple of the slots for snacks or other small portions (but this also will be determined by your hunger level).
The main point is to train yourself to eat when necessary instead of eating just to do it. It's more a practice in being conscious and mindful. 🧠
So while there will be days that you won't be able to be as much a stickler, at least those days will be exceptions to the rule. And you will know it. And do better the next day.
🚨 Note/Disclaimer: this is a general (and well accepted) idea and not direct food scheduling advice. So if you have dietary or physical demands that call for shorter or longer times in between food intake, follow the instructions of your healthcare professionals as this is only a method. You have to find the right break time for you.
28-Day Time Block Challenge:
In general, this challenge falls under the "circadian rhythm" and "intermittent fasting" categories.
And while those are very popular, there are many ways to tackle them. And most people have a very hard time eating only 6-8 hours out of 24. 😫 And if you're even thinking about going down that route, it is probably best to be implemented slow (unless told otherwise by your doctors).
So what we are going is an approach that eases us into being able to eat less - and not to eat less "just because". But because we're most likely eating "just because" - and not actually hungry while doing it. ❌
Food is often an emotional fix. Sometimes we eat things just because we like the taste. Sometimes it's social. But no matter what the reason, you'll find that OFTEN it's anything other than really being hungry. 🙅🏾♀️
This challenge is to make you more mindful of that - and then able to tweek it for the better.
And this is a logging and food journaling challenge. It will take effort. But it's worth it.
💥💥💥 Special note: like many of the 28 day challenges, it is really an ONGOING one - until you hit where you want to be. And if you are not eating at least 3 hours apart after the month is done, allow for enough time to build to the necessary point. Continue as needed!
🚨 And again, 3-4 hours is a guideline, but NOT necessarily what you need. That is why the challenge is set up for you to observe first. Move at the pace you need.
Week 1
⏰ Day 1 - Every time you eat, document both what it is AND the time you eat it in your phone notes, a journal, or a dedicated piece of paper. Taking a photo of your food throughout the day as you eat is another version that works best for many (so you don't forget and can just transfer the information - food and times - to the journal). You can also use a calendar (there are 2 printable options below) to jot down general number notes.
⏰ Day 2 - same as above
⏰ Day 3 - same as above
⏰ Day 4 - same as above
⏰ Day 5 - same as above
⏰ Day 6 - If you have done the 5 days consistently, take time to note how much time is being taken up between meals. This could be it's absolutely scattered - an hour here, 2 hours there, 5 hours while you got caught up doing something, etc. Or it can be more consistent - it seems like about every 2 hours. Come up with a general consensus about the average time in between. Continue to log.
⏰ Day 7 (day 1 of newest goal) - Based on the average "time in between" you decided, add 30 mins and shoot to eat at that frequency.
Example: you decided on 2 hours. Now your goal is to SCHEDULE eating every 2.5 hours. So if you eat your first meal at 10am, you are planning for the rest of the day and your goal will look like this: eat at 10am, 12:30pm, 3pm, 5:30pm, and 8pm. Observe how you're feeling at 10:30pm - if you're hungry, eat.
The point of this is to push you into eating more filling and nutrient dense food that will fill you up because you know you don't get to eat for a while - and you won't want to waste the time block on something you like only for taste, but you'll still be hungry after eating.
⭐ Special note about cut off times: another goal along this path is to get to a point where you stop eating 2-3 hours before you typically go to bed (unless you really are hungry - and if this happens, you probably didn't maximize your slots the best way earlier). This is part of the goal because it does have an effect. However, I do want to point out that in the end, if you have a caloric deficit, regardless when you eat, you will lose weight. Still, all this does have scientific benefits so it's worth doing. And having a cut off time is just a good habit to have anyway - after all, this is very much about discipline.
Week 2
⏰ Day 8 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 2 of time block goal #1)
⏰ Day 9 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 3 of time block goal #1)
⏰ Day 10 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 4 of time block goal #1)
⏰ Day 11 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 5 of time block goal #1)
⏰ Day 12 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 6 of time block goal #1)
⏰ Day 13 - Assess if you have been hitting the goal. Write in your journal or notes if you have hit the 5 days at the new goal AND if it seems somewhat effortless. Think it over for the day or over night. (day 7 of time block goal #1)
⏰ Day 14 - Decide the next step...
-If (and only if) you have hit all 7 days at the new goal AND feel like it didn't feel like punishment, add another 30 mins. (in previous example, you now shoot eating every 3 hours). (day 1 of time block goal #2)
-If you struggled with the new time block goal, continue to stick to goal #1 for another 6 days.
Week 3
⏰ Day 15 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 2 of time block goal #2)
⏰ Day 16 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 3 of time block goal #2)
⏰ Day 17 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 4 of time block goal #2)
⏰ Day 18 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 5 of time block goal #2)
⏰ Day 19 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 6 of time block goal #2)
⏰ Day 20 - Assess if you have been hitting the goal. Write in your journal or notes if you have hit the 5 days at the new goal AND if it seems somewhat effortless. Think it over for the day or over night. (day 7 of time block goal #2)
⏰ Day 21 - Decide the next step...
-If (and only if) you have hit all 7 days at the new goal AND feel like it didn't feel like punishment, add another 30 mins. (in previous example, you now shoot eating every 3.5 hours - which is already surpassing the 3 hours so you're seeing if a longer time is applicable for you after this point). (day 1 of time block goal #3)
- If you struggled with the new goal, continue to stick to goal #2 (or even #1) for another 6 days.
Week 4
⏰ Day 22 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 2 of time block goal #3)
⏰ Day 23 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 3 of time block goal #3)
⏰ Day 24 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 4 of time block goal #3)
⏰ Day 25 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 5 of time block goal #3)
⏰ Day 26 - Continue eating based on your new time block goal. Continue to log your food and times. (day 6 of time block goal #3)
⏰ Day 27 - Assess if you have been hitting the goal. Write in your journal or notes if you have hit the 5 days at the new goal AND if it seems somewhat effortless. Think it over for the day or over night. (day 7 of time block goal #3)
⏰ Day 28 - Decide the next step...
-If (and only if) you have hit all 7 days at the new goal AND feel like it didn't feel like punishment, add another 30 mins. (in previous example, you now shoot eating every 3.5 hours - which is even more so surpassing the 3 hours - so you really need to access if it's right for you). (day 1 of time block goal #4)
- If you struggled with the new goal, continue to stick to goal #3 (or #1 or #2 - wherever you are at) for another 6 days.
And so on and so forth. Keep going until you have reached a 3-4 hour block. You may not need the full month if you started at 2 or more hours apart - or you may need way more than a month if you're a frequent snacker and consider yourself not very disciplined with food. It's all about meeting yourself where you are and going from there! 🙂
Parting Words
Portion control is one of the biggies for calorie intake so this is one of the effective ways you can do it. If you do this challenge, you will find as you go along that you think twice - or maybe even a few times (🙃) about what your food choices are.
When you don't set limits, there's nothing to work toward - and that's where we get into trouble! If you're on the struggle bus with your eating habits, this challenge will set you up on a helluva path and get you on track. 👌🏾
