Eat Like Joe

How Joe eats is based on 5 cardinal principles:

1. Preparation — One thing that I noticed about Joe is that at least once a week and sometimes even bi-weekly he does his grocery shopping. This enables him to have a constant supply of fruits and vegetables along with other basic food products. One thing that is key to eating properly is having the food available to you so that you will not be tempted to skip meals or feel compelled to purchase fast food. Now along with the preparation involved with purchasing the food there is another aspect to the notion of preparation. Whenever meal time approaches for Joe he will prioritize that time and prepare his meals. All vegetables are cut and properly portioned out. Whatever else that is on the menu, is either being prepared in the oven or on the stove, at the same time. This way time is maximized and this whole process can be cut down to 10-15 min max.

2. Nutritional Balance — There is usually a representative of every food group to be found in one of Joe’s meals. You have a protein element which can be beans or soy, maybe even chicken. Along with that there is always a vegetable element as well. This can be either in a separate salad or as the fillers found in his wraps. Another aspect of Nutritional Balance can be exemplified by his fruit shakes. Now, because not everyone wants to eat several apples or bananas a day one way to get them in is in a nice compact tasty shake. By eating meals which have a wide array of healthy elements to it, one is able to get what they need, such as vitamins and minerals and minimize what they don’t need, such as processed sugars and saturated fats.

3. Eating/Chewing Slowly — Another thing that everyone knows about Joe is that he takes his time to eat. As frustrating as this can be to those around him it is the healthier choice. We have always been told to chew slowly and not to rush through our meals. By chewing slowly one enables there digestive system to work more efficiently since a huge amount of digestion actually occurs in the mouth. Joe also does not wolf down his meals. Instead he pauses for conversation and attempts to be witty. This way his body is able to register being full before he has eaten too much.

4. Portion Control — A huge principle in any one’s weight loss plan is not overeating. The reason is simple. By taking in more food than the body needs the more likely it is that the food will be stored as fat. Whenever Joe prepares his meals he always makes just as much as he plans to eat and then he puts whats left away. Imagine how much easier it would be to not overeat if you didn’t have the option? When you prepare your plate of food always take the food source away. If the option to eat more is there you will most likely fail. So practice overeating prevention and you will have a much better chance at losing that weight you so desperately want gone.

5. The big ole glass of water– Lastly, no meal would be complete if it wasn’t accompanied by a big ole glass of water. You will never see Joe eating unless there is water to go with it. By choosing water and not sugar drinks not only are you doing away with useless calories but you are aiding your digestion as well. Water is the oil of the body. Without enough water the body simply does not move as well, both internally and externally. When ingesting food what we always want is the food to move and not sit. We want the food to go to energy now and muscle growth later. Proper hydration will enable us to better digest our food as well as power the metabolism to work stronger sooner and faster encouraging weight loss and feelings of energy throughout the day.

In conclusion we see that Joe had it right all along. By practicing these 5 rules consistently, over time the weight will come off and stay off. Simply losing the weight is not that difficult. Keeping it off on the other hand is another story. Eat like Joe and the weight will not just come off but stay off. At the end of the day its all about metabolism. By boosting your metabolism to work faster and more efficiently you will be able to train your body to burn more calories at rest. But don’t take my word for it, Just ask Joe!