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September 11, 2024 34 mins

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Ever wondered if you could enjoy your favorite foods without derailing your weight loss efforts? Join me, Jonathan Ressler, as we explore the transformative "Rule of Four"—a game-changing strategy that allows you to relish any food in moderation by stopping at just four bites. Discover how this approach can help you make smarter, smaller choices that add up to significant, sustainable results. Say goodbye to food guilt and hello to a healthier relationship with what you eat, all while savoring the flavors you love.

Tune in to learn the science behind why four bites is a magic number and how your brain's dopamine response plays into eating habits. We delve into the concept of mindful eating, emphasizing the importance of those initial, most satisfying bites. By understanding our natural satisfaction signals and leveraging neuroplasticity, you can rewire your brain to find fulfillment in less food. This episode is packed with actionable insights to help you stop mindless eating, regulate hunger and cravings, and ultimately, achieve your weight loss goals without feeling deprived. Ready for real, lasting change? Don't miss this episode of "Shut Up and Choose.

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
If you're a whiny snowflake that can't handle the
truth, is offended by the wordfuck and about 37 uses of it in
different forms gets ass hurt.
When you hear someone speak theabsolute, real and raw truth,
you should leave Like right now.
This is Shut Up and Choose, thepodcast where we cut through

(00:25):
the shit and get real aboutweight loss, life and everything
in between.
We get into the nitty gritty ofmaking small, smart choices
that add up to big results.
From what's on your plate tohow you approach life's
challenges.
We'll explore how the simpleact of choosing differently can
transform your health, yourmindset and your entire freaking

(00:48):
life.
So if you're ready to cutthrough the bullshit and start
making some real changes, thenbuckle up and shut up, because
we're about to choose our way toa healthier, happier life.
This is Shut Up and Choose.
Let's do this Now.

(01:10):
Your host, jonathan.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Ressler.
Hey everybody, welcome back toShut Up and Choose.
I'm your host, Jonathan Ressler, and, as you know, my podcast
is about cutting through all thenoise and the bullshit and all
the lies that are part of theweight loss industry, and I'm
here to tell you how to loseweight naturally and sustainably
, without any of the bullshit.
As you know, I've lost over 140pounds, still going, been on

(01:34):
this thing for 17-18 months nowand I'm fucking loving my life.
Before we get into it,obviously, it's football season
and I just wanted to give a plugto a podcast that I really like
.
If you like college footballand you really want to
understand the ins and outs, but, more importantly, if you're a
college football better, I wouldhave to tell you you need to

(01:54):
listen to a podcast called Firstin Him.
They break down all the gamesevery week, they give you the
inside information and theyreally do a great job of talking
about college football andhonestly betting on college
football.
Me personally, I'm not a sportsbettor, but if you are, I can
tell you it's a great podcast.
Now, by way of full disclosure,one of the hosts is my son,

(02:14):
hudson.
You know I do love collegefootball because my two sons
both played college football.
My daughter, however, did notplay college football, which
makes sense.
But anyway, today I want to talkabout something that is really
near and dear to my heart andit's really something that
people go fucking nuts over whenI talk about.
I always say you can eatwhatever you choose and still

(02:35):
lose weight.
People are like, wow, that'snot possible.
I have one friend who tells meyou can't tell me if you eat
chili dogs every day for lunch,you're going to lose weight.
And no, the truth is youprobably won't.
However, you do know that theonly way to lose weight is to
consume less calories than youburn.
So if you only eat chili dogs Idon't know, I have no idea how
many calories are in a chili dogbut if that puts you in a

(02:58):
calorie deficit, you will loseweight.
I'm not saying you're going tobe healthy afterwards, because I
don't think a chili dog reallynourishes your body the way it
needs to be nourished.
But you could Technically youcould lose weight that way.
But that's not really what I'mtalking about.
I'm talking about how to loseweight, eating, of course, food
that's good for you, thatnourishes your body and that
satisfies you, but how to alsobe able to indulge, how to be

(03:25):
able to eat those things thateverybody says there's no way
that you can eat.
So when people ask me like hey,jonathan, how could you
possibly eat whatever you wantand still lose weight?
It sounds too good to be true.
And I get that.
But here's the thing there's nomagic in it.
It's not a mystical secret thatjust a few of us know.
It's called the rule of four.
It's what I call the rule offour and I believe it's a game

(03:47):
changer.
So this little rule allows youto enjoy any food, even those
that most weight loss coaches ordiet guys or doctors would slap
a big fat red no on.
You can eat them all withoutcompletely derailing your
progress.
The reality is, life is tooshort to swear off every food
that makes you smile.
The rule of four isn't justabout eating.

(04:08):
It's about enjoying food.
It's about savoring every biteand then having the discipline
to put down the fork or thespoon or whatever it is you're
using, or take another bite.
It's a strategy that keeps youaccountable and you know, I
think personal accountability ishuge but it keeps you
accountable, in control andsatisfied, all that while you're

(04:29):
still making progress towardyour weight loss goals.
So I want to talk a little bitmore actually a lot more about
what the rule of four is,because I think it's pretty
powerful and I think if you canmove this into your life, you
can make this part of your life.
You're really going toexperience something that you've
never had before on a weightloss journey, and that's
satisfaction, because this helpsyou lose weight without feeling

(04:54):
deprived.
So the rule four is prettysimple you can eat four forkfuls
or spoonfuls or bites, whateverof any of the food that you
want, even the ones that areconsidered bad.
You know, I don't think anyfood is bad, but even the ones
that are considered bad by mostdieting standards.
Think of it as like myguilt-free permission slip to

(05:14):
you to indulge.
Indulge, but just do it inmoderation.
And you can apply that rule toI don't know a piece of
chocolate cake, a donut, somekind of creamy pasta or some big
, fat, ugly, gooey cheeseburgerthat you've been dreaming about.
You get four bites, no more andno less.
The first bite is like heaven.

(05:35):
The second bite is stillincredible.
The third bite is still prettyfucking good, but by the fourth
bite your taste buds should besatisfied.
Good, but by the fourth biteyour taste bud should be
satisfied and after that you'renot really eating any longer
because you're enjoying the foodyou're eating just to eat.
So this isn't like somearbitrary rule.

(05:56):
Yes, I made it up or I figuredout, I don't know what it is,
but it's based on the idea thatthe peak enjoyment of any food
happens within those first fewbites.
You know it.
Think about when you take thatfirst bite of something you're
in fucking heaven, it's amazing.
But after that every additionalbite brings you back like

(06:17):
diminishing returns, right, likeit's not, as it's still good,
but it's not as good.
So I'm going to break down thefour bites for you so you can
see why stopping at four I isthe sweet spot.
And and then I'm going to breakdown the four bites for you so
you can see why stopping at fouris the sweet spot.
And then I'm going to talkabout the science of it.
I did something for this podcastthat I normally don't do.
I actually did some scientificresearch.
I did this diet, not reallydoing any scientific research, I

(06:38):
just did it.
I did my weight loss journeybased on that and I just called
it a diet, and I guess that'sfrom all the research that I've
been doing.
I'm using the D word, which Ihate because I didn't diet.
I didn't go on any diet.
I came up with this method ofeating not really knowing the
science behind it.
But now as I get deeper in andI'm starting to really get a big
audience and I'm coachingpeople one-on-one and I guess I

(07:01):
really do need to understand thescience.
So I did a lot of scientificresearch, which I'm going to get
into.
But first let me talk about therule of four and why it's so
great and why it's so powerfuland why it really will.
I believe if you implement this,it will change your entire
relationship with food.

(07:21):
So all right.
So the first bite right, likethat's heaven.
The first bite of anything youlove is like I don't know, like
a fireworks going off in yourmouth.
It's a firework show for yourtaste bud.
It's that initial burst offlavor that makes you close your
eyes, let out a little sigh ofpleasure, maybe think, wow, this
is amazing.

(07:41):
I remember eating a dessert inLas Vegas on my birthday a year
ago and think, oh, my God, thisis the best thing I've ever
tasted.
So whether that's the firstbite of that thing that I ate,
that I don't remember what itwas, but it was so oh, I
remember the sensation.
It was incredible.
So whether you're talking abouta hot out of the oven chocolate
chip cookie or the taste oflike I don't know, maybe you

(08:02):
love pizza a salty, cheesy sliceof pizza that first bite is
pure magic.
It's when your senses are themost engaged, so you're tasting,
smelling and fully experiencingthat food.
It's sensory overload and it ispure, unadulterated bliss.
The first bite is all about thatinitial connection, the one

(08:22):
that keeps you coming back formore.
But here's the thing right thatfirst bite is also about that
initial connection, the one thatkeeps you coming back for more.
But here's the thing right thatfirst bite is also the one you
remember most.
It's the peak experience, it'sthe highest you're going to get,
and it sets the tone foreverything that follows.
So in my book I talk aboutmindful eating and the
importance of being present whenyou eat, and the rule of four

(08:43):
really aligns perfectly withthat philosophy, because it's
not about shoveling food downyour throat which I'm guilty of,
I've done it but it's aboutsavoring every bite and
appreciating it and then movingon.
So that's bite one.
Bite two is like the encoreright.
It's like, yeah, play anotherset, encore, bravo.

(09:04):
The second bite is stillincredible, but it's not really
a surprise anymore.
You know what to expect now,but it's still fantastic.
Don't get me wrong.
It's still unbelievable.
You're still in the moment,you're still enjoying it and
you're still probablyappreciating every second of it.
That bite reinforces thepleasure you got from the first
bite and it gives you just alittle bit more of that

(09:26):
satisfaction that you got fromthe first bite.
But here's the catch the secondbite.
While it's still amazing, itdoesn't have the same wow factor
that the first bite did.
It's like watching a greatmovie for the second time.
Right, you still love the movie, you want to watch it over and
over again, but some of theinitial thrill is gone.
You know what's going to happen.

(09:47):
You've been there, you've donethat, you've tasted it, you've
seen it in the case of the movie.
And that's a really importantrealization because it shows
that while your brain craves therepetition of that pleasure,
the return is alreadydiminishing.
You're still loving it, but notquite as much as you did that
first bite.
So bite three this one isreally good, but it's not that

(10:11):
mind-blowing bite.
So by the third bite, yourtaste buds have adjusted.
The flavors are still there,but the experience is starting
to level off.
It's still good, don't get mewrong, but it's not as impactful
as the first two bites.
Your brain has alreadyprocessed the taste, the texture
and really the overallsensation of what you're eating.
You're still enjoying yourself,but you're not really in that

(10:34):
euphoric state of bliss that thefirst bite brought.
That was the first bite, so atthis point it's really easy to
just continue to eat it, justout of habit.
This is really when you have tostart checking in with yourself
.
Right, are you eating itbecause you're genuinely
enjoying the taste or are youjust eating it because it's in
front of you?

(10:55):
In my book, I emphasize theimportance of self-awareness and
honesty.
You have to be real withyourself, using the rule of four
, and acknowledge when you'vehad enough.
And that's why the rule of fouris so powerful it forces you to
stop and think before youmindlessly keep going.
Remember I said you have to bepresent every time you open your
mouth.
You have to think about whatyou're eating and does it align

(11:15):
with your why?
So this is when it really kicksin in bite three and then bite
four.
I'll call that, I don't know,the satisfier.
The fourth bite is where themagic of Rule 4 really comes
into play.
It really shines.
This bite, the fourth bite,should be your signal to stop.
By the fourth bite, your tastebuds are satisfied, you've

(11:35):
tasted the food, you've enjoyedit, but now it's time to move on
.
Anything that you eat, any bitebeyond that point, it's no
longer about the pleasure Nowit's about mindless eating, and
my whole thing is mindlesseating small, smart choices.
So anything beyond.
Bite four is really mindlesseating.
And this bite is crucialbecause it's where most people

(11:56):
myself included for 59 yearsit's where most people go wrong.
They just keep eating, hopingto recapture that first bite
feeling, but it never comes.
You're not getting any moresatisfaction, you're just adding
calories at that point.
So the fourth bite is theabsolute, perfect stopping point
because it lets you enjoy thefood without the guilt or the

(12:19):
regret that comes after a bingeand we all know we binge and I
guarantee if you're listening tothis podcast, you've eaten
something and said, man, I wishI didn't eat that, but you ate
it because you were in themoment at the time and you were
really.
You got caught up in the wholething.
So why the rule four works isbecause it's not about depriving
yourself, it's not tellingyourself you can't have that.

(12:40):
It's about indulgingintelligently.
You're not saying I can't havethis.
You're saying I can't have this, I just need to enjoy it in
moderation.
And it's the difference betweenfeeling deprived and feeling
satisfied, and that's a hugemental shift when it comes to
sustainable weight loss.
I believe weight loss is largelya mental game Most diets

(13:06):
Because they create a sense ofscarcity.
The moment you tell yourselfand I've said this over and over
again the minute I tell myselfI can't have something, I want
it 10 times more.
So the rule of four reallyhelped me eliminate that
scarcity mindset.
I'm allowed to have the food Iwant.
You can have the food you crave.
You just have to choose to doit in a way that aligns with

(13:27):
your goals, that aligns withyour why and it also, again,
aligns with the principles ofmindful eating that I talk about
all the time.
Mindful eating is all aboutpaying attention to your body's
signals Eating when you'rehungry, stopping when you're
full.
It's pretty easy.
The rule of four helps you dojust that by encouraging you to
savor every bite, enjoy thosefour bites, but then recognize

(13:49):
when you're satisfied.
So I guess, how did I, or howcould you, apply this rule of
four in real life?
It's easier than you think.
So next time you want to eatsomething that's typically off
limits on most nights, don'tstress about it.
I always say if you eat it, eatit, but don't stress about it.
Just remember the rule of four.
And here's how maybe you shouldlook at it.

(14:11):
The first part is slow down andbe present, right?
I always tell you that you haveto make small, smart choices
when you sit down to eat thatthing, that food.
Take a moment to reallyappreciate what it is, look at
it, smell it and get excitedabout the first bite.
I know if I was going to getdonuts or an ice cream or even
cooking something.
I'm working myself up to apoint of excitement before I'm
even there.

(14:31):
By the time I get there, it's Igot to have it.
Now, really appreciate whatyou're about to eat.
Then enjoy that first bitefully, take that first bite.
Let it be a moment of pureenjoyment, ecstasy, savor, close
your eyes, if you have to andreally experience that food.
That first bite is so importantand it's so good.
Then you have to remember.

(14:53):
The third part is remember tostay mindful, right, don't get
caught up only in the first bite.
As you go through each bite,check in with yourself, Notice
how the taste changes with everybite, with every forkful, every
spoonful, whatever you're doing, really think about it, and
you'll find that each bitebecomes a little bit less
satisfying.
It's never as good as the firstbite.

(15:14):
So pay attention to yoursatisfaction level.
And then, of course, the lastpart is stop at four.
Right After the fourth bite,put the fork down, throw the ice
cream cone in the garbage, putthe spoon down.
Whatever it is you're eating,you've enjoyed the food, but now
it's time to move on.
You'll feel satisfied and notstuffed, and you won't have that

(15:34):
lingering sense of regret thatcomes when you overindulge or
you eat the whole thing or youall know the feeling I'm talking
about.
I don't need to go into it.
I guess I said that was thelast thing, but really this is
the last thing because I'm a bigbeliever, like I said, in the
mental game and celebrating wins.
So celebrate the control thatyou just showed, recognize that
what you just did, you enjoyed afood that you love without

(15:58):
going overboard, and that's awin.
You should feel proud of that.
This is all about piling upsmall smart choices and small
wins.
So this rule of four thing isrealistic and it's sustainable.
Most diets fail because they'retoo restrictive and they don't
account for the simple fact thatwe all have cravings.
I don't care who you are, wehave cravings.

(16:18):
So trying to eliminate yourfavorite foods entirely is
absolutely a recipe for disaster.
Sooner or later you're going tobreak, and when you do, it's
usually not pretty.
I know, for me it was notpretty.
One cookie turns into 10, orthe whole package.
One slice of pizza becomes thewhole pie and before you know it
, you're spiraling.
Then you're like then you getthat, what the hell mentality?

(16:39):
You go, I blew it then.
So now you start eating othershit.
The rule four gives you a way toincorporate your favorite foods
into your life without losingcontrol.
It helps you to live life, lovefood and lose weight.
It's not about being perfect.
It's about being smart.
It's about making small, smartchoices.
You're not a failure forwanting dessert or something
sweet.
You're a fucking human being.

(17:00):
We all want those things.
The rule of four allows you toacknowledge your cravings and
satisfy them in a way thatdoesn't sabotage your progress.
Pretty easy stuff.
So, like I said, I did somestuff.
This particular episode that Inever do.
I looked into the science of itand I really did some research,

(17:22):
and it turns out that the ruleof four isn't just a clever
strategy.
It's actually grounded inscience, particularly in the
fields of psychology, neurologyand nutrition.
To understand why the rule offour works so effectively, let's
look at the science of tasteperception, satisfaction and the
brain's reward system.

(17:42):
Wow, man, I sound fucking smart.
I'm not that smart, I justhonestly did all this on the
internet.
But this is going to help.
You see why those four bitesare the sweet spot between
satisfaction over indulgence.
So let's talk about the firstthing is sensory specific
satisfaction, why your tastebuds get bored quickly.

(18:03):
The concept of sensory specificsatisfaction is at the heart of
the rule number four.
The rule four Sensory specificsatisfaction refers to the
phenomenon where the pleasurederived from particular food
decreases as you continue eatingit.
So in other words, the more youeat a certain food, the less

(18:23):
enjoyable it becomes, and thatresponse is actually your body's
way of encouraging dietaryvariety and preventing you from
overeating.
A simple type of food Makessense to me.
Research actually shows thatthe most significant drop in
enjoyment occurs after the firstfew bites.
That's because our brains arewired to seek novelty.

(18:45):
The first bite is a thrillingsensory experience, full of
flavors, textures, all kinds ofincredible stuff.
But as you continue eating,your brain quickly adjusts to
that stimulus and the sensoryresponse dulls.
So by the fourth bite thepleasure you derive from the
food has really diminishedsignificantly, which is why

(19:06):
you're stopping here and whystopping here feels natural and
satisfying.
And it's not just about thepsychological, it's a
physiological response too.
Your brain's hypothalamus mando I sound smart?
The part that's responsible forhunger and satisfaction
monitors the intake of flavorsand nutrients.
Once it senses that aparticular flavor has been

(19:27):
consumed enough, it sendssignals to lessen the pleasure
of further consumption, and thatshould nudge you towards
stopping.
The second piece of science thatI want to talk about is our
brain's reward system, which isdopamine.
So another critical aspect ofthis rule of four is the impact
on our brain's reward system.
Dopamine is often called thefeel-good neurotransmitter.

(19:50):
It plays a significant role inhow we experience pleasure from
food.
When you eat somethingdelicious, dopamine is released
from the brain, along with otherthings.
But when you eat somethingdelicious, you release dopamine
and that creates feelings ofenjoyment and satisfaction.
But dopamine, honestly, is adouble-edged sword.
It's responsible for theintense pleasure of that first

(20:12):
bite, but it also drives thedesire for more, and that's
especially true for highly tastyfoods like sweets and fats,
which are really engineered tomaximize dopamine relief.
So the more dopamine you get,the more your brain craves, that
feeling which definitely leadsto overeating.
So the rule four you get, themore your brain craves, that
feeling which definitely leadsto overeating.

(20:32):
So the rule four helps youmanage that cycle by allowing
you to get that dopamine kick,that peak dopamine response,
without letting it spiral out ofcontrol.
You get the initial rush fromthe first few bites, but you
stop before you enter theterritory of compulsive eating,
where you're no longer reallyeating for pleasure but you're

(20:52):
rather to feed that dopaminecraving.
So the next one really makes mesound sound smart and I really
worked on this one is this thingcalled hedonic adaptation.
And the hedonic adaptation isthe tendency of humans to
quickly return to a baselinelevel of happiness or
satisfaction after a change inlife circumstances.

(21:14):
So, like in this case, it'safter consuming food.
In other words, the joy ofeating something delicious
doesn't last indefinitely.
We know that after a few bitesyour pleasure level adapts and
you need more of that food toachieve the same level of
satisfaction.
And that's reallyscientifically one of the big
reasons why people tend toovereat.

(21:35):
They're chasing that initialhigh that really is no longer
achievable.
It's just not.
It's not achievable.
So with the rule four you'reacknowledging and accepting that
the peak of your eatingpleasure happens early.
You're not chasing anunattainable feeling, you're
embracing the reality of howyour brain works and that should
make it easier to stop afterfour bites, knowing that it

(21:57):
isn't going to get better Atthat point.
It's just more.
I also want to talk about therole of mindfulness and hormones
involved in that.
So mindful eating, which isemphasized certainly in the Rule
of Four, has been shown toenhance the body's natural
satisfaction signals.
Hormones like ghrelin, whichstimulates appetite, and leptin,

(22:19):
which signals fullness, playcrucial roles in how— man, do I
sound smart?
But they play crucial roles inhow we eat and how we regulate
what we're going to eat.
When you eat mindlessly, sayshoveling food in your face in
front of the TV which I'm guiltyof, I did that for my whole
life those signals, thosehormonal signals, can easily be

(22:41):
ignored or not seen, and thatleads to overeating.
So the rule of four encouragesthis mindful eating by forcing
you to slow down, to savor everybite and to think about your
level of satisfaction.
Studies have shown man, I mightget a lab coat.
Studies have shown that mindfuleating practice, like slowing

(23:03):
down and paying attention toyour food, really increase the
effectiveness of leptin andother hormones making you feel
full faster.
By the time you reach thatfourth bite, your body has
already begun to respond to thattaste, to the texture and the
satisfaction of the food andsending signals to your brain
that you've had enough.

(23:24):
You're definitely more likelyto hear those signals when
you're eating mindfully, andthat makes it easier to stop.
I always talk about reallythink, be present when you eat.
The next one I'm going to talkabout probably puts me on the
level of Einstein, which isneuroplasticity.
I mean, everybody's talkingabout neuroplasticity, so maybe

(23:45):
I'm not that smart, but yourbrain is constantly rewiring
itself based on the habits andbehaviors of the things that you
do, and that's calledneuroplasticity.
The more you reinforce aparticular behavior, the more
ingrained it becomes in yourneural pathways, and that's true
for both good and bad eatinghabits.
And most people are usingneuroplasticity to program
better things into their head,and I guess this kind of is as

(24:05):
well.
So if you're used to eating anentire bag of potato chips in
one sitting, your brain has beentrained to expect and crave
that amount.
But if you consistentlypractice the rule of four, you
can actually retrain your brainto be satisfied with less and
over time your neural pathwayswill adapt and the habit of
stopping after four bitesbecomes second nature.

(24:28):
I know it's second nature forme.
So this is where the rule offour really goes beyond just a
simple eating guideline.
It's a tool for long-termbehavioral change, and I believe
that I've changed myrelationship with food and I've
changed the way I eat, and Iguess I did it by
neuroplasticity.
So by repeatedly practicingthat discipline of stopping

(24:50):
after four bites, you'rerewiring your brain's response
to food, and that reduces yourimpulse to overeat and it
creates a new, healthier patternthat really aligns with your
weight loss goals.
The next one I want to talkabout is your insulin response.
Like I said, I'm lucky I wasnever diabetic.
But when you indulge in foodsthat are high in sugar or a lot

(25:12):
of refined carbs, your body'sinsulin response kicks into high
gear.
Insulin, as everyone knows, isthe hormone that helps your
cells absorb glucose from yourbloodstream, and it plays a
significant role in your hungerand fat storage.
Eating large amounts of thosefoods that I was talking about
definitely causes spikes andcrashes in your blood sugar
levels, and that leads toincreased hunger and cravings.

(25:34):
So by limiting yourself to fourbites, you're not only
controlling the calorie intake,but you're also managing your
insulin response.
So those few bites are enoughto give you the pleasure of the
food without causing a massivesurge in your blood sugar.
And that can be particularlybeneficial if you're trying to
manage or prevent insulinresistance, which everyone is
talking about, but that's apretty common issue for people

(25:56):
who are struggling with theirweight.
Also, the rule four is a naturalform of portion control that
doesn't feel like punishment.
Traditional portion controlmethods involve weighing food,
counting calories, eatingpre-measured meals.
Holy shit, talk about somethingthat feels like rigid and
disciplined and painful andjoyless.

(26:16):
That's what all that stuff is.
The rule four, on the otherhand, focuses on the experience
of actually eating.
Four, on the other hand,focuses on the experience of
actually eating.
You're not obsessing over thenumbers, You're enjoying the
food within a set and mindfulboundary.
Okay, you can eat it.
You just have a boundary on howmuch you can eat.
And that approach really alignswith scientific findings that

(26:37):
show restrictive diets backfirewe all know that by creating the
psychology of deprivation, andthat ultimately leads to binge
eating.
So the rule of four sidestepsthat whole thing by allowing you
I told you go ahead, eat it,but eat it in a way that's
self-regulated and sustainable.
And then the last piece ofscience is that the rule of four

(26:59):
really enhances your digestiveresponses.
It gives your gut the time tocatch up.
So your digestive systemdoesn't work instantaneously.
It takes time for your stomachto communicate with your brain
and signal fullness.
God, I know this because Iwould eat a ton and I didn't
think I was full, but then whenI was done eating like 10
minutes later, oh my God, I'mstuffed, I'm nauseous.

(27:20):
So when you eat fast or consumehuge portions, I'm nauseous.
So when you eat fast or consumehuge portions, you're outpacing
your body's signals and thatleads to overeating.
So the rule four inherentlyslows you down.
By it slows down your eatingpace and it gives your digestive
system time to respond.
So by the time you reach thatfourth bite, your guts already

(27:42):
started to process the food andsignal your brain that you're on
your way to being satisfied.
That slower pace aids in yourdigestion and it helps the
discomfort that I was talkingabout that comes with overeating
.
So I think that byunderstanding the science and
that's why I did it, but byunderstanding, that's why I
really looked into it andresearched it it, but by

(28:04):
understanding, that's why Ireally looked into it and
researched it.
By understanding the sciencethat's behind rule four, it's
clear that approach isn't juststopping at an arbitrary point.
It's about leveraging yourbody's natural response to the
food, your sensory satisfaction,your dopamine release, your
hormone signals neuroplasticitygood word, that's like a $10
word and it helps you to createa balanced and satisfied eating

(28:25):
experience.
And I always talk aboutbalanced eating, a balanced food
plan, eating stuff.
You can't eat just one thing.
So you're not really, you're nolonger depriving yourself.
You're making a scientificallyinformed choice that actually
aligns with your goals, thataligns with your why.
And the rule four empowers youto take control of your eating
habits in a way that's enjoyableand, more importantly,

(28:48):
sustainable.
You get to enjoy the foods thatyou love without the guilt,
without the weight gain or thesense of failure that happens
after you eat something thateverybody else says is bad.
So the next time you're temptedby that food that's off-limits
or bad or the big red flag inmost diet plans and most doctors
tell you, most weight losscoaches tell you remember the

(29:09):
science and savor your fourbites and know that you're
making a smart, science-basedchoice.
For your health, eating thefoods that you love is
absolutely critical.
So the rule four isn't agimmick or a fad.
It's a practical, no-nonsenseapproach to enjoying food while
losing weight.
It's about living life, lovingfood and losing weight.

(29:32):
It's about finding the balancebetween indulgence and
discipline, between pleasure andprogress.
By sticking to the four bites,you get to enjoy the foods you
love without letting themcontrol you.
So, remember, it's not aboutbeing perfect.
It's about making smart choices, small smart choices one bite
at a time, one fork full at atime, one spoonful at a time,

(29:53):
whatever it is.
So the next time you're facedwith something that's really
tempting, don't stress out aboutit.
Take your four bites, savorevery second, enjoy it, really
experience and then walk awayknowing that you made a choice
that is in line with your goalsand is in line with your why.
And just to be clear, I'm nottalking about eat everything you

(30:15):
eat this way.
I'm talking about eating thethings that people say are bad
or not diet food or how do youeat anything?
Eat your other food, be mindful.
If you're eating boneless,skinless chicken, be mindful of
what you're eating, but when itcomes to those things that are
off limits or supposedly bad, orall that other stuff, use the
rule of four.
I always say it and I said itin my book, and the truth is,

(30:38):
the power is in your hands, orat least, maybe in this case
it's in your fork or spoon.
But you don't have to give upthe foods you love.
You just have to choose how youenjoy them.
Okay, and with the rule of four,you get the best of both worlds
.
So go ahead, eat that food,take that bite, do that thing.

(30:59):
I know you can do this.
If you honor and you utilizethe rule of four, you'll be
amazed at how you can still,like I said, lose as much weight
as you want to eating all thefoods that you love.
So that's my take on the ruleof four.
I think it's a really powerfultool to use on your weight loss
journey.

(31:20):
I've been coaching some people.
They love the rule of four.
That's why I actually did thisthing, because it allows you to
eat that stuff and be satisfiedand still lose weight.
So that's it again for thesecond time.
That's it on the rule of four.
So now we're at the point whereI say thank you for buying my
book For those of you who did.
If you didn't, I suggest youget it.

(31:40):
It's like I said, it's beenkilling it on Amazon.
I've been selling a ton.
I've been coaching more people.
People have reached out to me.
I love doing that.
They're getting great results.
Honestly, this is I'm 60 yearsold.
This work that I'm doing nowhelping people lose weight
without taking shots and fuckingcrazy diets and all that shit

(32:02):
is probably the most satisfyingwork that I've done my whole
life.
I love it.
I'm having fun and I'm helpingpeople.
What could be better?
So you got this.
If you have a fat ass friend whoneeds a kick in the ass, tell
them to listen to my podcast,tell them to read my book, tell
them this really works.

(32:23):
This isn't some bullshit madeup in a laboratory.
This is coming from a guy whodid it and now from a whole
bunch I'm coaching probablyabout I don't know 12 or 13,
maybe 15 people in differentstages of their journey, and
every single one of them everysingle one of them is losing

(32:44):
weight consistently and they'reenjoying the journey for the
first time in their life.
That's powerful shit and Ifucking love doing it.
So, to wrap it all up, I'llsign off, the way I always do.
You know what to do, you knowwhat to eat, you know how to do
it.
You know how to get it done.
All you have to do is shut upand choose.

Speaker 1 (33:09):
You've been listening to.
Shut Up and Choose.
Jonathan's passion is to sharehis journey of shedding 130
pounds in less than a yearwithout any of the usual
gimmicks no diets, no pills.
And we'll let you in on alittle secret no fucking gym.
And guess what?

(33:29):
You can do it too.
We hope you enjoyed the show.
We had a fucking blast.
If you did, make sure to like,rate and review.
We'll be back soon, but in themeantime, find Jonathan on
Instagram atJonathanWrestlerBocaRaton.
Until next time.
Be back soon, but in themeantime, find jonathan on
instagram at jonathan wrestlerboca raton.
Until next time, shut up andchoose.
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