5 Tips on How Eating like a Toddler Will Help You Lose Weight and Keep it off!

Have you ever noticed and thought about what you would do for your toddler? I would assume a parent would do almost anything to make sure their toddler had the best medical care, nutrition, and a stable living environment. Most parents will do practically anything to protect their children and foster a nourishing environment. When I asked my own mother about what she did for me as a baby from a nutritional standpoint, I was surprised to learn that I ate only organic food and healthy food including sweet potato, semolina, couscous, yogurt, fresh fruits and vegetables, and eggs.
Did you ever stop to think how eating like a toddler could help you lose weight?
Did you ever stop and think what natural rhythm your child has during the first few years of life?

When a baby is born their stomach is the size of a walnut, the second day of life it is the size of a cherry, and about the 10th day, it is the size of a large egg. It continues to eventually grow to the size of an adult stomach (the size of a large grapefruit). This small stomach prevents your baby from eating a lot and therefore requires more frequent feeding, which helps prevent hunger and aid in satiety. I provide five tips below on how eating behaviors of a toddler may aid in sustained weight loss.

1. DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST: Toddlers don’t ever skip breakfast like the 31 million Americans who do so every day, according to a 2011 Huffington Post article. Studies have shown that people who skip breakfast tend to be more overweight and people who eat breakfast tend to be skinnier.
2. EAT EVERY THREE HOURS Toddlers don’t skip meals – they eat every three hours, another habit most Americans don’t possess. They stop eating when they are full, which is very difficult to do for many adults struggling with obesity.
3. EAT WHAT YOU WOULD FEED YOUR TODDLER Toddlers (for the most part) eat healthy during the first few years of life. Their parents see to it, as I gave in the example above concerning my own upbringing.
4. DON’T EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING A TODDLER CAN’T Last time I checked toddlers don’t drink alcohol or eat out at fast food restaurants, and they eat smaller portion sizes than their adult counterparts. They do not consume empty calories; they take in nutritious foods that help them grow during their toddler years.
5. ADAPT A TODDLER BEHAVIOR Develop primitive behaviors of a toddler.Would it be so bad to eat fruits and vegetables, cereals, sweet potato, dairy products, and many other healthy foods?

People can choose to eat healthy by taking a few tips from their child on healthy eating and proper nutrition. Most of the time a parent is preparing meals for their child, so why not eat every three hours like your children do? For those who don’t have children, it was not too long ago that you were a toddler and ate the same way. Making a few small changes to a person’s lifestyle can prevent some of the most dangerous diseases in the world.

After reading this if you are in disbelieve I challenge you to try to eat like a toddler for 1 week and see if you lose weight in the process. I am confident you will lose weight and start to feel great about your health.

Tips for the Toddler Diet Challenge: Avoid Alcohol for 1 week, avoid fast food restaurants, eat what you want your newborn or 1-year-old son or daughter to eat, don’t skip breakfast, eat every three hours, eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full, drink plenty of fluids, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and avoid fruit juices.

Send me feedback on social media of your results and I will send the first five people that complete the challenge a copy of The Doctors’ Clinic-30 Program weight loss program.

Author

Dr. Eddie Fatakhov, M.D. Eddie Fatakhov, M.D. is a board-certified physician, nutritionist, and author of “Dr. Fat Off: Simple Life-Long Weight-Loss Solutions.”