How to listen to your hunger?
updated the 24 June 2015 à 10:28Sandrine, a 35 years restaurateur, shares with us her inability to find the time to eat healthy and balanced.
“ In ten years, I gained ten pounds”
Sandrine, 35, restaurateur .
“I opened a restaurant several months ago. Before that, I was a waitress. Simply put, in ten years, I gained ten pounds. The only meal I can enjoy, seated and taking my time, is my breakfast at 10am. I have my lunch and dinner in a ten-minute haste, before or after service. I try to ensure it is balanced, but I never get a complete meal, from appetizers to dessert. And I find it hard to diversify. I either lack time or am too lazy – especially when I come home late. I sometimes skip meals. On closing day, a Wednesday, I make for it, and eat a lot more. ”
The opinion of Nicolas Rouig, dietician:
“The important thing is not whether you eat before or after service. What matters is to eat when you are hungry enough, and not wait too long when you are, otherwise you will end up throwing yourself upon the food. The safest thing is to eat a little during service, to avoid getting too hungry at the end of your work day. But the quantity you consume should be adapted to your hunger. It may work to split your meals – appetiser before work, and dessert after. You can thus take your lunch and/or dinner in two parts. The top athletes often adopt this kind of diet and sometimes eat 5-6 times a day. It is not snacking, but more of slowly and calmly taking in small doses of your energy intake in the course of the day. The more often you eat, the less you will eat in total. It is better to be a small regular eater, than a big casual eater. This also allows you to eat in a more balanced way in no time. If like Sandrine, you sometimes skip lunch, it is no great tragedy – simply adjust your diet in the afternoon. If you are hungry, eat lunch a little later, but reduce the quantity so that you still have an appetite for dinner. Otherwise, simply take a balanced snack. But it is important in order not to get too hungry at dinner.”
Continue reading our report on “Eating well after-hours”:
How to eat healthy with a busy work schedule?
Is a good breakfast important?
How to maintain a balanced diet?
Fabienne Broucaret
