“No more!” Those are the words Riley says when he doesn’t want any more milk, food, or anything else we feed him. When he says “no more,” that’s really it—he’s done. At dinner last week, Paula said, “That pasta was great and I could eat more, but I think I’ll be like Riley: no more.”

Wouldn’t it be great if we would just use those words when our brains tell us we’ve had enough and our eyes tell us it still looks really good? No more. Say it out loud and really make a commitment. It doesn’t mean that seconds aren’t available. It doesn’t mean that a sweet dessert isn’t there. It just means you’re not having any more. You can say that any time during the meal or after you’ve cleaned your plate, but that lets you and everyone else know that you’re done eating. Period.

“Just one more bite.” I’ll bet you’ve done that a time or two or a thousand. I have. But you’ll take no more even when you’re putting away leftovers or getting the take-home box from the restaurant. And you don’t clean up the bite or two the kids left on their plates. No more means no more.

You can follow the ketogenic diet, the Mediterranean diet, a vegan diet, or any of the many ways to eat, but unless you learn to say “no more” on a regular basis, you won’t get to the body weight you desire.

Be like Riley. Say “no more” and see how it affects your weight.

The Bottom Line

The Memos this week have focused on a common-sense approach to health. We absolutely need to get ourselves checked out by healthcare professionals to make sure there’s no underlying disease going on. Once that’s done, remember that many times, the simplest solution is the correct one. That’s a common-sense approach to health.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet