As promised last week, we're going to take some time this week to review the hunger/fullness scale.
Today, we're going to focus on the hunger side of things.
Many clients come to me a talk about how they are hungry all the time. They are concerned that if they use hunger to guide them in when to eat, they will gain a TON of weight -- because they are hunger 24/7.
Here's the thing -- a large percentage of those people actually learn they do not understand what physical hunger really is. They associate the desire to eat with the physical hunger signal when, in fact, they are two very different feelings.
Physical hunger is felt in your stomach. It's growling, an emptiness, or a hollowness. If you feel it and don't eat, it will come back more intensely. Sometimes, I tell my clients "Hunger is like a light switch -- you either are physically hungry or your not. You are not "kinda" physically hungry. "
This is because hunger is the physical signal our body sends out when it needs more calories to keep going.
So, for journal purposes, TODAY, pull out that journal and start assessing every time you put something into your mouth:
How hungry are you?
3 Physically HungryThe first sensations of physical hunger but you are in charge and can start planning what you want to eat.
2 Hungry Sense of emptiness or hollowness in stomach
1 Very Hungry
Need to eat is very strong, may be light headed
0 Extremely Hungry Physically sick, nauseous from not eating
If you're not physically hungry -- just make a note of that in your journal. And remember:
NO JUDGMENT! You're just experimenting to figure out what you're feeling. This isn't an exercise in only eating when you're hunger -- just practice assessing what physical sensations you are feeling before you eat.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query physical hunger. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query physical hunger. Sort by date Show all posts
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Learning how to identify physical hunger
Yesterday, we talked about understanding the absence of hunger. I forgot to mention that you will not feel the absence of hunger as your eating...
IF YOU'RE NOT PHYSICALLY HUNGRY BEFORE YOU START EATING.
The reason for this is that physical hunger is a biological signal that triggers ones food-seeking behaviors. (and no -- all food seeking behaviors are NOT biologically driven!)
At a very basic level, what happens is this:
Your body senses that the fuels necessary to maintain your current state of activity are getting low. Once that happens the brain signals for neurochemicals to be released causing us to feel hunger. If the situation doesn't change, more of those signals are stimulated and more hunger registers.
Once we start to eat (some science is pointing to the smell of food being the first signal), intake of calories start to register as the food is being chewed which sets off chemical messengers back to the brain. More signals on the progress of the food will be sent from the stomach. More in from the intestines. Once enough calories have been registered by the brain, it shuts off the hunger signal.
If you're not physically hungry -- there is not messenger cascade to turn off. The first physical signal you are going to get is when your stomach registers it is being stretched(from too great a volume of food sitting there!). So, after eating that (second) dessert after dinner at the neighbors, you won't register a cessation of hunger as a potential stopping point because you weren't hungry in the first place!
Just another reason to work on you use and understanding of the Hunger/Fullness scale!
You need to learn the difference between physical hunger and trigger eating. You won't be able to use absense of hunger as a stopping point for eating if you weren't hungry in the first place.
IF YOU'RE NOT PHYSICALLY HUNGRY BEFORE YOU START EATING.
The reason for this is that physical hunger is a biological signal that triggers ones food-seeking behaviors. (and no -- all food seeking behaviors are NOT biologically driven!)
At a very basic level, what happens is this:
Your body senses that the fuels necessary to maintain your current state of activity are getting low. Once that happens the brain signals for neurochemicals to be released causing us to feel hunger. If the situation doesn't change, more of those signals are stimulated and more hunger registers.
Once we start to eat (some science is pointing to the smell of food being the first signal), intake of calories start to register as the food is being chewed which sets off chemical messengers back to the brain. More signals on the progress of the food will be sent from the stomach. More in from the intestines. Once enough calories have been registered by the brain, it shuts off the hunger signal.
If you're not physically hungry -- there is not messenger cascade to turn off. The first physical signal you are going to get is when your stomach registers it is being stretched(from too great a volume of food sitting there!). So, after eating that (second) dessert after dinner at the neighbors, you won't register a cessation of hunger as a potential stopping point because you weren't hungry in the first place!
Just another reason to work on you use and understanding of the Hunger/Fullness scale!
You need to learn the difference between physical hunger and trigger eating. You won't be able to use absense of hunger as a stopping point for eating if you weren't hungry in the first place.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Hunger/Fullness scale continued
Yesterday, we talked about the fullness side of the Hunger/Fullness Scale. But what if you are the person who never really gets full and is constantly snacking?
Let's look at the hunger side of the equation.
0 Extremely Hungry
Physically sick, nauseous from not eating
1 Very Hungry
Need to eat is very strong, may be light headed
2 Hungry
Sense of emptiness or hollowness in stomach
3 Physically Hungry
The first sensations of physical hunger but you are in charge and can start planning what you are going to eat
The most important thing to remember is that we are talking about physical hunger. If you ask yourself if you are physically hungry and you have to stop to think about it -- you probably aren't! Physical hunger is like a light switch -- you either are or you aren't -- there isn't a kind of.
Often, I have started coaching a client only to have had them call me a few days in and tell me they didn't realize they haven't felt physical hunger in years. With all of the available food around all of the time, many clients never wait to eat until they are physically hungry.
The goal I set for a client is to start making a plan for what they are going to eat and how full they they want to feel when they reach a level 3. At a 3, you are still very much in charge of your ability to make positive decisions for yourself. You could still safely make it through the grocery store checkout line without adding a couple candy bars into the cart ("Don't put those into the bag, please -- I will just put them here in my purse")
If you don't eat when you started to feel the first sensations of hunger, your hunger will become more intense over time. (this differs from cravings -- more on that in a later post). Once you start getting into the level 2 and 1, your ability to make decisions on what and how much to eat diminishes. You run the risk of getting so hungry that you get more full than you intended to.
Tomorrow, we will cover the center of the scale (456).
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Back to basics part 2
Let's look at the hunger side of the equation.
0 Extremely Hungry
- Physically sick, nauseous from not eating
- Need to eat is very strong, may be light headed
- Sense of emptiness or hollowness in stomach
- The first sensations of physical hunger but you are in charge and can start planning what you are going to eat
The most important thing to remember is that we are talking about physical hunger. If you ask yourself if you are physically hungry and you have to stop to think about it -- you probably aren't! Physical hunger is like a light switch -- you either are or you aren't -- there isn't a kind of.
Often, I have started coaching a client only to have had them call me a few days in and tell me they didn't realize they haven't felt physical hunger in years. With all of the available food around all of the time, many clients never wait to eat until they are physically hungry.
The goal I set for a client is to start making a plan for what they are going to eat and how full they they want to feel when they reach a level 3. At a 3, you are still very much in charge of your ability to make positive decisions for yourself. You could still safely make it through the grocery store checkout line without adding a couple candy bars into the cart ("Don't put those into the bag, please -- I will just put them here in my purse")
If you don't eat when you started to feel the first sensations of hunger, your hunger will become more intense over time. (this differs from cravings -- more on that in a later post). Once you start getting into the level 2 and 1, your ability to make decisions on what and how much to eat diminishes. You run the risk of getting so hungry that you get more full than you intended to.
Tomorrow, we will cover the center of the scale (456).
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Mindfulness is going mainstream!
Alright small (but growing) band of mindful eaters, I have some great news! For a while, I have been telling you you're not alone. But today I have more proof for you. Here's an article from US News that talks about mindfulness and how to use your awareness to keep your eating on track:
How to Stop Sabataging your Health by Rebecca Scritchfield
When you make a choice to eat, what drives your decision? For many people, it can be any number of feelings, from boredom or stress to fatigue or just wanting to "taste" whatever it is you are craving. But there is only one physical signal we have that indicates it's a good time to eat, and that's hunger. Hunger is very interesting. It's not an "on/off" switch, but rather it's more like the volume on your television. There are many levels. When the hunger "volume" is up, your feelings may be more intense, like a growling stomach or an urgent need to eat for more energy. When the hunger volume is lower, it could be that you are just starting to feel hungry again, but it is not as intense. If you wait a bit, you will feel the hunger increase.
You can rely on your hunger signals if you don't try to fight them. You usually feel sensations in your belly area like a stomach growl or empty feeling that occurs between three and five hours since your last meal, depending on how much you ate and how quickly your body processed it. When you listen to the signals in this way, it is call "intuitive eating"—trusting your body to give you signs of physical hunger, and trusting yourself to honor those signals by eating.
It's a good idea to get attuned to your hunger signals, regardless of whether you are trying to lose weight or not. Intuitive eating is rational. You get hungry; you eat. It seems simple enough. For some people, this is easier said than done. Some people feel challenged to differentiate a hunger pang from a craving or a means of distraction. way to distract themselves from tackling a growing to-do list Sometimes they confuse a neutral feeling—neither hungry nor full—with hunger. If there is "room" for food, maybe that's hunger?! Sometimes people can identify the feeling, but they don't want to know the answer. They want to eat the food. No matter where you fall on this spectrum, know that you can improve upon your eating skills so that you feel more familiar with the signals. You will feel empowered to make choices to eat based not on your emotional need for food, but your physical hunger.
What do you tell yourself besides "I'm hungry" before you eat something? Have you ever said any of the following:
• I had a bad day so I deserve to eat [fill in the blank].
• I already messed up by ordering take-out for lunch today. I might as well just skip my workout, eat something unhealthy, and start over tomorrow.
• I never eat well when I'm stressed. It's how I deal.
Each of these statements exemplifies self-sabotage. They are irrational thoughts you tell yourself that take you out of a dialogue with your body. Think about it. If you were teaching eating skills to someone, would you say, "When you have a bad day, treat yourself with a candy bar from and maybe you will feel better." How about: "You should be ashamed for ordering takeout. Since you ruined your day, you might as well eat a huge bowl of ice cream and skip your workout." You can easily see the irrational thinking when you imagine yourself doling out such advice.
The problem with self-sabotage is that it does not help you whatsoever. It doesn't help you eat a balanced diet. It doesn't help you feel good about your habits. Finally, it doesn't help you reach a weight that's right for you.
You can stop getting in your own way by squashing sabotage.
• Make a list of all the "rationales" you have told yourself. For each one, write down if the thought is realistic and helps you with self care, or if the thought is irrational and leads you to pursue poor habits.
• Whenever you hear one of your "rationales" come up, pause, write it down, and ask yourself: "Is this the best self-care choice for me right now?"
• Pay attention to signs of hunger every day. There are many times you may think about eating or experience a craving. It's okay. Just take a minute to decipher what you are feeling. Does your body need food? If so, use your intuitive eating skills, and eat. If you know you don't feel hunger, name that emotion, and come up with a way to address it that doesn't involve eating.
Please be patient. It takes time to change and build new skills. Don't expect miracles overnight. But sooner or later you will stop subverting your desire to eat well and feel healthy.
How to Stop Sabataging your Health by Rebecca Scritchfield
When you make a choice to eat, what drives your decision? For many people, it can be any number of feelings, from boredom or stress to fatigue or just wanting to "taste" whatever it is you are craving. But there is only one physical signal we have that indicates it's a good time to eat, and that's hunger. Hunger is very interesting. It's not an "on/off" switch, but rather it's more like the volume on your television. There are many levels. When the hunger "volume" is up, your feelings may be more intense, like a growling stomach or an urgent need to eat for more energy. When the hunger volume is lower, it could be that you are just starting to feel hungry again, but it is not as intense. If you wait a bit, you will feel the hunger increase.
You can rely on your hunger signals if you don't try to fight them. You usually feel sensations in your belly area like a stomach growl or empty feeling that occurs between three and five hours since your last meal, depending on how much you ate and how quickly your body processed it. When you listen to the signals in this way, it is call "intuitive eating"—trusting your body to give you signs of physical hunger, and trusting yourself to honor those signals by eating.
It's a good idea to get attuned to your hunger signals, regardless of whether you are trying to lose weight or not. Intuitive eating is rational. You get hungry; you eat. It seems simple enough. For some people, this is easier said than done. Some people feel challenged to differentiate a hunger pang from a craving or a means of distraction. way to distract themselves from tackling a growing to-do list Sometimes they confuse a neutral feeling—neither hungry nor full—with hunger. If there is "room" for food, maybe that's hunger?! Sometimes people can identify the feeling, but they don't want to know the answer. They want to eat the food. No matter where you fall on this spectrum, know that you can improve upon your eating skills so that you feel more familiar with the signals. You will feel empowered to make choices to eat based not on your emotional need for food, but your physical hunger.
What do you tell yourself besides "I'm hungry" before you eat something? Have you ever said any of the following:
• I had a bad day so I deserve to eat [fill in the blank].
• I already messed up by ordering take-out for lunch today. I might as well just skip my workout, eat something unhealthy, and start over tomorrow.
• I never eat well when I'm stressed. It's how I deal.
Each of these statements exemplifies self-sabotage. They are irrational thoughts you tell yourself that take you out of a dialogue with your body. Think about it. If you were teaching eating skills to someone, would you say, "When you have a bad day, treat yourself with a candy bar from and maybe you will feel better." How about: "You should be ashamed for ordering takeout. Since you ruined your day, you might as well eat a huge bowl of ice cream and skip your workout." You can easily see the irrational thinking when you imagine yourself doling out such advice.
The problem with self-sabotage is that it does not help you whatsoever. It doesn't help you eat a balanced diet. It doesn't help you feel good about your habits. Finally, it doesn't help you reach a weight that's right for you.
You can stop getting in your own way by squashing sabotage.
• Make a list of all the "rationales" you have told yourself. For each one, write down if the thought is realistic and helps you with self care, or if the thought is irrational and leads you to pursue poor habits.
• Whenever you hear one of your "rationales" come up, pause, write it down, and ask yourself: "Is this the best self-care choice for me right now?"
• Pay attention to signs of hunger every day. There are many times you may think about eating or experience a craving. It's okay. Just take a minute to decipher what you are feeling. Does your body need food? If so, use your intuitive eating skills, and eat. If you know you don't feel hunger, name that emotion, and come up with a way to address it that doesn't involve eating.
Please be patient. It takes time to change and build new skills. Don't expect miracles overnight. But sooner or later you will stop subverting your desire to eat well and feel healthy.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Hunger/Fullness Scale continued
The last couple posts, we have been talking about the Hunger/Fullness Scale. We have covered both ends but how about the middle?
One of the questions I get asked ALOT is, "Do you expect me to only eat when I am hungry?"
NO! In our culture, there are any number of reasons to eat -- one of them is for the physical body but a great many of them social (think birthday parties, wakes, business lunches, graduation parties... Not to mention because you are happy, sad, stressed, angry -- need I say more?)
What I am asking you to do is be able to accurately label your experience. Be able to understand why you are about to do what you are about to do. That way, if you want to make a change -- you are working with all of the available information.
So...the middle of the scale.
4 5 6 Trigger Eating
Eating for any reason other than physical hunger
I use these three numbers all as one (456 instead of 4,5,6)
Trigger eating is eating for any reason other than physical hunger. (Bored, sad, etc but also because it is noon and that is lunch time even though you aren't really hungry, the piece of pie your neighbor offers when you go over to visit, the obligatory appetizer when you are out with friends)
Sometimes, clients get a little nervous about "admitting" to a 456. There is nothing wrong with eating for reasons other than hunger!! What I am asking you to do is understand this is your behavior -- learn to differentiate trigger eating from physical hunger.
The last number on the scale is a level 7. It is the trickiest but possibly the most useful number on the whole scale. More on the virtues of the 7 tomorrow.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Back to basics -- the middle
One of the questions I get asked ALOT is, "Do you expect me to only eat when I am hungry?"
NO! In our culture, there are any number of reasons to eat -- one of them is for the physical body but a great many of them social (think birthday parties, wakes, business lunches, graduation parties... Not to mention because you are happy, sad, stressed, angry -- need I say more?)
What I am asking you to do is be able to accurately label your experience. Be able to understand why you are about to do what you are about to do. That way, if you want to make a change -- you are working with all of the available information.
So...the middle of the scale.
4 5 6 Trigger Eating
Eating for any reason other than physical hunger!!!!!
I use these three numbers all as one (456 instead of 4,5,6)
Trigger eating is eating for any reason other than physical hunger. (Bored, sad, etc but also because it is noon and that is lunch time even though you aren't really hungry, the piece of pie your neighbor offers when you go over to visit, the obligatory appetizer when you are out with friends)
Sometimes, clients get a little nervous about "admitting" to a 456. There is nothing wrong with eating for reasons other than hunger!! What I am asking you to do is understand this is your behavior -- learn to differentiate trigger eating from physical hunger.
The last number on the scale is a level 7. It is the trickiest but possibly the most useful number on the whole scale. More on the virtues of the 7 tomorrow.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Do something Friday
The season of graduations, weddings, family reunions, and outdoor parties is upon us! We're one week away from Memorial Day weekend and the start of our summer activities -- which means out opportunities to eat are going to be increasing (how is that even possible?!)
So it's time to pull out that journal and start paying attention -- which in this case means actually writing down every time you eat. Focus on those times you find yourself eating when you are not physically hungry. You'll know this is the case if the hunger sensation you feel is localized in your chest, your mouth or there really is no hunger sensation at all.
Physical hunger should be localized in your stomach -- it may feel growly, hollow, empty, etc. But for most people, there is a sense of physical emptiness. (versus a craving where something sounds so good to you but there is no emptiness in your stomach).
Click back over to the page where we talked about 456 on the Hunger/Fullness scale. 456 is trigger eating -- eating in reaction to something other than physical hunger. The clock telling you it's time to eat. Stress eating. Eating because it's the time your spouse likes to eat. Someone hands you a piece of something and you eat it because it's there. --all of these are trigger eating. You're not hungry -- you're just eating.
All of the festivities listed above lend themselves to trigger eating -- the food is there so therefore you eat.
If you start journalling now, you have time to increase your mindfulness of what typically triggers you to take in more calories than you intend. But to do this, you're going to need to take the time to JOURNAL when you eat and use the Hunger/Fullness scale to assess how hungry you were when you started eating and how full you were when you finished.
The whole weekend exercise is to get you feeling and understanding your behavior and then seeing it on paper so you can look for patterns. The writing it out is critical for success in this process!
There's time to prepare yourself for all the fun activities you have this summer -- but you need to start now.
So it's time to pull out that journal and start paying attention -- which in this case means actually writing down every time you eat. Focus on those times you find yourself eating when you are not physically hungry. You'll know this is the case if the hunger sensation you feel is localized in your chest, your mouth or there really is no hunger sensation at all.
Physical hunger should be localized in your stomach -- it may feel growly, hollow, empty, etc. But for most people, there is a sense of physical emptiness. (versus a craving where something sounds so good to you but there is no emptiness in your stomach).
Click back over to the page where we talked about 456 on the Hunger/Fullness scale. 456 is trigger eating -- eating in reaction to something other than physical hunger. The clock telling you it's time to eat. Stress eating. Eating because it's the time your spouse likes to eat. Someone hands you a piece of something and you eat it because it's there. --all of these are trigger eating. You're not hungry -- you're just eating.
All of the festivities listed above lend themselves to trigger eating -- the food is there so therefore you eat.
If you start journalling now, you have time to increase your mindfulness of what typically triggers you to take in more calories than you intend. But to do this, you're going to need to take the time to JOURNAL when you eat and use the Hunger/Fullness scale to assess how hungry you were when you started eating and how full you were when you finished.
The whole weekend exercise is to get you feeling and understanding your behavior and then seeing it on paper so you can look for patterns. The writing it out is critical for success in this process!
There's time to prepare yourself for all the fun activities you have this summer -- but you need to start now.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
The Middle
Okay -- so you've worked on assessing when how physically hungry you are and how full you get. What about those times when you're not hungry at all (but you eat anyway).
This isn't bad behavior! It just needs to be recognized so you can plan accordingly.
So far, we've got all of the numbers on the scale defined except 456. This is used all as one word not as levels and it signifies trigger eating.
Trigger eating is eating for any reason other than physical hunger. So -- you're 3 o'clock vending machine trip when you had lunch at noon? Likely, trigger eating because you're bored, sick of working, or just need a break.
Eating at noon but not physically hungry? 456. If you're eating because the clock tells you it's time -- trigger eating. Eating because you need to take meds with food? Trigger eating. Eating the piece of birthday cake because you don't want to be rude? Trigger eating.
It's not bad. It's not inappropriate. It just is. Learn to understand the difference between trigger eating and physical hunger and it just gives you more option about where you're going to find your nine bites to leave uneaten.
TODAY, notice when you're eating for any other reason than physical hunger. WRITE IT DOWN!
....and as always....don't judge! Be nice to yourself and just notice these behaviors -- you're not broken and there's no need to fix yourself. This is just an exercise to give yourself more opportunities to actively choose working on your long-term satisfaction versus choosing short-term gratification.
This isn't bad behavior! It just needs to be recognized so you can plan accordingly.
So far, we've got all of the numbers on the scale defined except 456. This is used all as one word not as levels and it signifies trigger eating.
Trigger eating is eating for any reason other than physical hunger. So -- you're 3 o'clock vending machine trip when you had lunch at noon? Likely, trigger eating because you're bored, sick of working, or just need a break.
Eating at noon but not physically hungry? 456. If you're eating because the clock tells you it's time -- trigger eating. Eating because you need to take meds with food? Trigger eating. Eating the piece of birthday cake because you don't want to be rude? Trigger eating.
It's not bad. It's not inappropriate. It just is. Learn to understand the difference between trigger eating and physical hunger and it just gives you more option about where you're going to find your nine bites to leave uneaten.
TODAY, notice when you're eating for any other reason than physical hunger. WRITE IT DOWN!
....and as always....don't judge! Be nice to yourself and just notice these behaviors -- you're not broken and there's no need to fix yourself. This is just an exercise to give yourself more opportunities to actively choose working on your long-term satisfaction versus choosing short-term gratification.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Hunger/Fullness scale -- last one for now -- I promise
So...the magic number 7.
Yesterday, I said that 7 is the trickiest but possibly the most useful number on the scale. Here is why...
When you are physically hungry and start to eat, there is a space in time when you have eaten enough calories that the physical hunger is gone but you have no sense of fullness.
A good example of this is if you have ever run home to pick up the kids before heading out to some kind of kid activity and grabbed an apple off the counter. Before you start eating, you are at a level 3. You eat the apple (one of the smaller apples not the ones the size as your head)and when you are done, you are no longer hungry -- but you have no sense of fullness either. The reason you stopped eating was probably because the apple was gone -- had there been more, chances are you would have eaten more. But there wasn't, so you didn't.
Maybe you haven't ever paid attention to what that feels like but trust me -- it is possible, as you are eating a meal, to notice that you are no longer physically hungry and not full either.
The reason it is helpful to recognize a 7 is that if you are eating something that has no value to you (for me, an example is boxed mac and cheese -- gross but it takes care of the hunger). I do not want to spend my precious, hard-earned calories on boxed mac and cheese -- sometimes, it is necessary to eat it (if the kids cook it)to get rid of the hunger -- but I don't want to fill up on it!
Recognizing when hunger is gone, gives you one more opportunity to stop eating if the goal is just to get rid of the hunger.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Back to basics -- Lucky Number 7
Yesterday, I said that 7 is the trickiest but possibly the most useful number on the scale. Here is why...
When you are physically hungry and start to eat, there is a space in time when you have eaten enough calories that the physical hunger is gone but you have no sense of fullness.
A good example of this is if you have ever run home to pick up the kids before heading out to some kind of kid activity and grabbed an apple off the counter. Before you start eating, you are at a level 3. You eat the apple (one of the smaller apples not the ones the size as your head)and when you are done, you are no longer hungry -- but you have no sense of fullness either. The reason you stopped eating was probably because the apple was gone -- had there been more, chances are you would have eaten more. But there wasn't, so you didn't.
Maybe you haven't ever paid attention to what that feels like but trust me -- it is possible, as you are eating a meal, to notice that you are no longer physically hungry and not full either.
The reason it is helpful to recognize a 7 is that if you are eating something that has no value to you (for me, an example is boxed mac and cheese -- gross but it takes care of the hunger). I do not want to spend my precious, hard-earned calories on boxed mac and cheese -- sometimes, it is necessary to eat it (if the kids cook it)to get rid of the hunger -- but I don't want to fill up on it!
Recognizing when hunger is gone, gives you one more opportunity to stop eating if the goal is just to get rid of the hunger.
Monday, July 6, 2009
The Difference between Boredom and Hunger
How many times have you eaten only to realize (later – of course) that you weren’t really even hungry at the time – you were just bored? How many times have you eaten when you weren’t hungry, recognizing that you were bored, and eaten anyway?
Yesterday was then end of an unexpected (and wonderfully pleasant) 4th of July weekend. Unexpected – because instead of starting late in the afternoon of the 4th and ending with the fireworks, it started at the crack of dawn and ended the following evening at sunset. –with all of the outdoor fun and eating.
So this morning (10am- ish) when I could barely concentrate on my work because I was so hungry I couldn’t even think straight, I started to wonder – am I bored? Is this really hunger? What is going on here?
Here is what I figured. I was hungry! Starved, in fact. I don’t know why. It doesn’t make sense. Sure, I played outside all weekend but I ate too. I assume I ate about the same amount I always do. I don’t remember going for a long period of time being really hungry.
But here is the really important thing that I need to keep in mind:
It doesn’t matter why I am really hungry today – I just am. If I am willing to trust my body enough to respect its signals when I am full, I need to trust it enough to tell me when I am hungry, too.
Due to my schedule this morning, I didn’t eat until 12:30p but as time passed this morning, my hunger increased (sure sign it is physical hunger) and now (after lunch) I am able to sit down and concentrate. I am accomplishing tasks I was unable to complete this morning (due to my distraction) and I do not have a desire to seek out other kinds of food.
I am full (level 8.5 or possibly a 9) which is more full than I usually like to be. But, it is a risk I face when I duck out to get tacos from my favorite Mexican restaurant
Yesterday was then end of an unexpected (and wonderfully pleasant) 4th of July weekend. Unexpected – because instead of starting late in the afternoon of the 4th and ending with the fireworks, it started at the crack of dawn and ended the following evening at sunset. –with all of the outdoor fun and eating.
So this morning (10am- ish) when I could barely concentrate on my work because I was so hungry I couldn’t even think straight, I started to wonder – am I bored? Is this really hunger? What is going on here?
Here is what I figured. I was hungry! Starved, in fact. I don’t know why. It doesn’t make sense. Sure, I played outside all weekend but I ate too. I assume I ate about the same amount I always do. I don’t remember going for a long period of time being really hungry.
But here is the really important thing that I need to keep in mind:
It doesn’t matter why I am really hungry today – I just am. If I am willing to trust my body enough to respect its signals when I am full, I need to trust it enough to tell me when I am hungry, too.
Due to my schedule this morning, I didn’t eat until 12:30p but as time passed this morning, my hunger increased (sure sign it is physical hunger) and now (after lunch) I am able to sit down and concentrate. I am accomplishing tasks I was unable to complete this morning (due to my distraction) and I do not have a desire to seek out other kinds of food.
I am full (level 8.5 or possibly a 9) which is more full than I usually like to be. But, it is a risk I face when I duck out to get tacos from my favorite Mexican restaurant
Friday, March 2, 2012
Do something Friday
How to stock your car with healthy foods -- this was the name of an article I just read. Full of good tips on how to make sure you have access to healthy options when you're out and about, I am left wondering if this isn't exactly the advice that is making us fat.
Ok -- if you travel for business and are on the road all day this advice makes sense. It's hard to find reasonable portions of healthier option foods when you travel. But we're talking about being on the road all day long -- not running to the grocery store.
Even when I consider the weekend travel that many of us do (hauling the kids here, there, and everywhere while trying to fit errands in between), the advice seems a little overblown.
I remember packing snacks for my kids when they were little because, for them, unattended hunger led to emotional meltdowns. But we're not children. We should have a little better understanding of our bodies and our emotions.
Hunger is not a bad sensation to feel. It should not be avoided at all costs. You don't need to keep nibbling thoughout your normal commute to stave off death by starvation.
This weekend, pay attention to how you commute. Are you reflexively hoarding snacks in your purse, pocket or car because you are used to eating while you drive? Perhaps it's time to unlearn that behavior. Perhaps it's time to fully realize experiencing a little bit of the physical hunger sensation isn't something worth gaining more weight to avoid.
Ok -- if you travel for business and are on the road all day this advice makes sense. It's hard to find reasonable portions of healthier option foods when you travel. But we're talking about being on the road all day long -- not running to the grocery store.
Even when I consider the weekend travel that many of us do (hauling the kids here, there, and everywhere while trying to fit errands in between), the advice seems a little overblown.
I remember packing snacks for my kids when they were little because, for them, unattended hunger led to emotional meltdowns. But we're not children. We should have a little better understanding of our bodies and our emotions.
Hunger is not a bad sensation to feel. It should not be avoided at all costs. You don't need to keep nibbling thoughout your normal commute to stave off death by starvation.
This weekend, pay attention to how you commute. Are you reflexively hoarding snacks in your purse, pocket or car because you are used to eating while you drive? Perhaps it's time to unlearn that behavior. Perhaps it's time to fully realize experiencing a little bit of the physical hunger sensation isn't something worth gaining more weight to avoid.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Some of the Fitness Industry is feeling excluded!
The paper itself wasn't the cause of the flap in my fitness professionals' world -- the cause was that no fitness providers were consulted in the writing of this paper. --Wow! Big, huh? Well...big enough that it has collegues of mine all over the nation fussing over it.
In the interests of full discloser, I have to admit, I haven't read the white paper yet. It's in my bag and next on my task list -- but what I can say for sure it this:
No matter who was consulted on this paper -- YOU are the only one that can actually do anything about your weight management. Your doctor can't do anything about your weight management. I can't do it for you, either -- because if I could, it would be done (I just hate tasks hanging over my head!). And neither can the Weight Watchers consultant down the street.
Each of these professionals can help give you tools. That's it. (Sorry to disillusion you)
Your physician can offer you education, prescriptions, some motivation (usually in the form of "you need to take care of yourself and here's why...).
I can give you a set of Mindfulness tools. Email you each day and encourage you to pay attention to what you're putting in your mouth, make choices about what goes in and what stays out, and teach you how to figure out if you are eating because of physical hunger or emotional hunger. I can even work with you every week to offer accountability and reinforce the habits you are trying to develop.
Your Weight Watchers consultant can teach you to count points, educate you about good and bad fats, teach you the difference between "good" carbs and "bad" carbs.
But the important thing to remember is that all of that is just the prep work. They are great things to know and great support to have -- but they (the tools) or we ( the professionals) can't DO the work.
You are where the rubber meets the road. You are the one that can pick up the tools and use them.
When it comes right down to it, it doesn't matter who was consulted in the writing of the report. It matters who decides to pick up the tools and put them to good use. We can all help each other take better care of our physical selves -- but ultimately, you decide how you want to use the abundant resources your are lucky enough to have access to and each day you have plenty of opportunities to improve.
So the question remains: what are you doing about your weight management today?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
What is an Eating Coach
A few years ago, doing research for my job as an exercise physiologist at a hospital-based physical therapy/fitness facility, I came across an article about people losing weight using an eating coach.
Really, I was looking into bringing a life coach into the facility for a Lunch and Learn kind of thing for our members but as often happens on the web -- I followed the links and started reading about coaching for weight loss.
The concept of using sensations of hunger and fullness (versus counting calories) to determine how much a person should eat to lose weight was brand new to me. The idea seemed too good to be true (weight loss without cutting out certain foods, counting calories, working out in the gym for 3 hours every day) -- who wouldn't want to lose weight this way?
Skeptical, I called the coach from the article and talked to her. The more she talked, the more I could see how this approach could work. In the end, I ended up taking the classes needed so I, too, could coach.
Now what?
Now I spend part of every week coaching clients who want to lose weight but are willing to think in the long term. They are looking for lifestyle changes they can live with -- not the" quick fix, lose 60 pounds in 6 weeks but then return to old habits and gain it all back" diets many of us have experienced.
Love your glass of wine when you get home from work? I am not going to tell you to give it up. I might suggest you sit down and relax while you drink it -- instead of gulping it when you first walk in the door and right before you start cooking dinner for the kids.
Love risotto (I do)? Not going to ask you to use low-fat soy cheese. But how about taking time to enjoy them smell of the first bite before it goes into your mouth. And once it is there, notice the texture and flavor. Experience the food you say you love.
How about leaving the table feeling light and ready to move on with your day -- secure in the knowledge you will be able to eat again so there is no reason to stuff yourself right now?
If you can eat 9 bites a day less than you do now, you can lose 1/2 to 1 pound a week. Can you find those 9 bites? The 9 that don't add any value to your life. The 9 bites of food that taste okay but not wonderful. The 9 bites you didn't even realize you ate (think about the things sitting in the breakroom at work that end up in your mouth without you making the conscious choice about eating them).
You don't have to leave out your favorite foods. You can eat in out. You can have it all -- you just need to reconnect with what your body tells you about physical hunger and fullness.
Really, I was looking into bringing a life coach into the facility for a Lunch and Learn kind of thing for our members but as often happens on the web -- I followed the links and started reading about coaching for weight loss.
The concept of using sensations of hunger and fullness (versus counting calories) to determine how much a person should eat to lose weight was brand new to me. The idea seemed too good to be true (weight loss without cutting out certain foods, counting calories, working out in the gym for 3 hours every day) -- who wouldn't want to lose weight this way?
Skeptical, I called the coach from the article and talked to her. The more she talked, the more I could see how this approach could work. In the end, I ended up taking the classes needed so I, too, could coach.
Now what?
Now I spend part of every week coaching clients who want to lose weight but are willing to think in the long term. They are looking for lifestyle changes they can live with -- not the" quick fix, lose 60 pounds in 6 weeks but then return to old habits and gain it all back" diets many of us have experienced.
Love your glass of wine when you get home from work? I am not going to tell you to give it up. I might suggest you sit down and relax while you drink it -- instead of gulping it when you first walk in the door and right before you start cooking dinner for the kids.
Love risotto (I do)? Not going to ask you to use low-fat soy cheese. But how about taking time to enjoy them smell of the first bite before it goes into your mouth. And once it is there, notice the texture and flavor. Experience the food you say you love.
How about leaving the table feeling light and ready to move on with your day -- secure in the knowledge you will be able to eat again so there is no reason to stuff yourself right now?
If you can eat 9 bites a day less than you do now, you can lose 1/2 to 1 pound a week. Can you find those 9 bites? The 9 that don't add any value to your life. The 9 bites of food that taste okay but not wonderful. The 9 bites you didn't even realize you ate (think about the things sitting in the breakroom at work that end up in your mouth without you making the conscious choice about eating them).
You don't have to leave out your favorite foods. You can eat in out. You can have it all -- you just need to reconnect with what your body tells you about physical hunger and fullness.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Ebb and Flow
Okay -- the above is not my favorite phrase. A couple of years ago, I actually hated that phrase. It was spoken to me (again and again) by a dear friend with the best of intentions, talking above how one moves through life -- sometimes you are going with the current -- things are smooth -- you can do no wrong and then....sometime not. There is no groove to be found. Everything is hard and unrewarding and unsuccessful and fruitless. Sure...it is easy to love the phrase when you are in the flow. When you're in the ebb -- not so much, to say the least.
But here's the thing about ebb and flow: when you are in one stage -- the other is coming -- no avoiding it, that is how life works. The secret is to trust in the cycle -- a whole "this too shall pass" mentality. The goal being an average that ends up more in the flow than the ebb.
There are times when I fear winter. I HATE being cold. I like the snow. I like being outside. I like the beauty. But I really HATE being cold because it causes me pain.
Today, it was beautiful outside. So sunny that it was almost blinding. And after multiple days of it being darned cold, today was only reasonably cold -- so all things considered, not bad at all temperature wise.
Besides being cold, the other thing I HATE about the winter is the dark. The short days of winter, going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark, get to me. But today was not one of those days. Today there was so much sun I didn't know what to do with myself first. So, today, I opted for a run...outside...in the winter...crazy!
IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!
And the best thing about it was I could smell spring. Okay -- it isn't even Ground Hog's Day. And I don't know where you are from but I know where I live, we have plenty of winter left. But it smelled like spring was coming. AND I know it will. You know why?? Because the weather has gotten warmer and the days have gotten longer every spring I have been alive. Ebb and flow. Sometimes it is dark and cold and then the days get longer and the weather warmer.
I sit here tonight and am just tired! (no...not from the run...it wasn't that long) I don't know why I am tired. I went to bed pretty early all weekend. I relaxed this weekend. I got things done this weekend -- pretty balanced weekend. But here I am tired. Guess what? Tonight I am tired (did I mention it is still early in the evening?) and maybe tomorrow I will be tired too but eventually I won't be tired at this time of the evening -- I will be full of energy and ready to do something really fun -- Ebb and Flow.
Sometimes I can crank out posts to you guys like there is no tomorrow -- the words and ideas fly out of my fingers and on to the screen. And sometimes there isn't an idea to be had -- not one -- and it is like pullin' teeth to come up with something to say to get you thinkin'. Ebb and Flow.
How many times have I written a post telling y'all how starving I was -- how I thought I was just going to die before I got something to eat?? And there is always the other side of it for me -- the one that drives my friends crazy -- when I have no appetite and don't really want to eat. Ebb and Flow. Sure, you've also heard me tell you I have gotten to the freak out stage where I scare myself to death about how hungry I am and how (in my head) I think I am going to gain a 1000 pounds if I keep eating like I am eating right then. But it doesn't happen because right about then whatever was going on to make me sooooo hungry turns off and I am less hungry than normal for a while and things even out. Ebb and Flow.
The thing that makes ebb and flow survivable is understanding that this isn't the one time where it isn't going to work. Every winter, I need to have faith that spring will return. Every time I am discouraged because I am unreasonably tired (and I shouldn't be!!!), I need to have faith that for some reason, my body is calling for more sleep and I will feel well rested and full of energy again. When I have greater physical hunger, I need to stop my freaking out and have faith that there is nothing wrong with me. My hunger signals will diminish when my body has enough calories.
And at some point in the future, the world will be cold and dark again. I will be tired again (for no reason!!), my hunger will be seemingly unstoppable again. Ebb and Flow.
And the more I try to deny that I hate being cold, I am tired, that I am insanely, physically hungry -- the more I will slow myself down. I will waste energy fighting against something I cannot change -- the Earth's rotations, my fatigue, my body's need for energy. I will fight. I will get frustrated (with myself, with the world, with the people who seemingly don't have to fight as hard as I do...) until I realize that I don't have to fight either.
My job is to understand what it going on. See and acknowledge the patterns of ebb and flow. Learn how to work with the world (and my body). And appreciate what each state can teach me.
Easier said than done. But so worth it if you can get there -- at least during the flow -- it is so much harder to remember during the ebb.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
What can mindfulness do for you?
Obviously, we've talked a lot about mindfulness here -- paying attention to the action of what you are putting into your mouth, making choices about whether you actually want to eat whatever's on it's way in, becoming more fluent in recognizing the difference between reacting to a stimulus in your environment and acting on a bodily signal of physical hunger.
I've mentioned how for most of my clients, mindful eating bleeds over into other aspects of their lives -- buying that new shirt because it is truly beautiful and not just reflexively because it's on sale, starting to pay closer attention to how exercise makes you feel as a way to increase your positive associations with that habit, etc.
I just came across this brief write up on how mindfulness, as taught through the practice of yoga, can reduce the pain associated with fibromyalgia. For those of you who don't know, fibromyalgia is a health condition that isn't well understood but shows itself as pain, muscle soreness, stiffness, fatigue and depression. According to researchers, those in the study who participated in yoga 75 minutes two times per week for 8 weeks experienced a significant reduction in their stress hormone cortisol.
Neat! But why's that important here?? Because increased cortisol levels cause the body to gain weight!
And, according to the researchers:
“We saw their levels of mindfulness increase – they were better able to detach from their psychological experience of pain,” Curtis says. Mindfulness is a form of active mental awareness rooted in Buddhist traditions; it is achieved by paying total attention to the present moment with a non-judgmental awareness of inner and outer experiences.
“Yoga promotes this concept – that we are not our bodies, our experiences, or our pain. This is extremely useful in the management of pain,” she says. “Moreover, our findings strongly suggest that psychological changes in turn affect our experience of physical pain.”
This study underscores the body/mind connection. For centuries, Western medicine has treated one or the other but failed to fully appreciate the integrated nature of both.
The same experiences written about by the researchers are experienced by those trying to lose weight -- the pain may be less physical and more emotional but it shows itself in many of the same ways: fatigue, depression, tension.....
Just another reminder that the mindfulness you are practicing when you eat is an important skill for the more than just weight management. It's a tool to live better -- and isn't that a worthwhile investment of your time?
I've mentioned how for most of my clients, mindful eating bleeds over into other aspects of their lives -- buying that new shirt because it is truly beautiful and not just reflexively because it's on sale, starting to pay closer attention to how exercise makes you feel as a way to increase your positive associations with that habit, etc.
I just came across this brief write up on how mindfulness, as taught through the practice of yoga, can reduce the pain associated with fibromyalgia. For those of you who don't know, fibromyalgia is a health condition that isn't well understood but shows itself as pain, muscle soreness, stiffness, fatigue and depression. According to researchers, those in the study who participated in yoga 75 minutes two times per week for 8 weeks experienced a significant reduction in their stress hormone cortisol.
Neat! But why's that important here?? Because increased cortisol levels cause the body to gain weight!
And, according to the researchers:
“We saw their levels of mindfulness increase – they were better able to detach from their psychological experience of pain,” Curtis says. Mindfulness is a form of active mental awareness rooted in Buddhist traditions; it is achieved by paying total attention to the present moment with a non-judgmental awareness of inner and outer experiences.
“Yoga promotes this concept – that we are not our bodies, our experiences, or our pain. This is extremely useful in the management of pain,” she says. “Moreover, our findings strongly suggest that psychological changes in turn affect our experience of physical pain.”
This study underscores the body/mind connection. For centuries, Western medicine has treated one or the other but failed to fully appreciate the integrated nature of both.
The same experiences written about by the researchers are experienced by those trying to lose weight -- the pain may be less physical and more emotional but it shows itself in many of the same ways: fatigue, depression, tension.....
Just another reminder that the mindfulness you are practicing when you eat is an important skill for the more than just weight management. It's a tool to live better -- and isn't that a worthwhile investment of your time?
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Are your Valetine's Day treats calling your name?
When talking about cravings, one tool is the redirect. Instead of immediately giving into the craving (mouth hunger -- not physical hunger), if one can redirect one's actions many times, the craving goes away.
As a fitness professional, I think a great way to redirect is, instead of walking to the vending machine at 3p, head outside and take a quick walk around your building. Not only does that offer the opportunity to change up your scenery, clear your head, and give you a distraction so you can take your mind off the craving, it give you an extra opportunity to add steps into your day to increase your heart health!
But a new study suggests that if a person proactively walks for 15 minutes a day (BEFORE the cravings start), they may find themselves eating many fewer snack calories throughout the day!
Fewer cravings means you won't have to use as much will-power (and we all know that's something that can be in short supply!) to keep your response to cravings under control!
The study author says, "We often feel that these snacks give us an energy boost, or help us deal with the stress of our jobs, including boredom," Taylor said in a statement. "People often find it difficult to cut down on their daily treats but this study shows that by taking a short walk, they are able to regulate their intake by half."
So, perhaps it's time to add another tool to your mindfulness toolbox!
As a fitness professional, I think a great way to redirect is, instead of walking to the vending machine at 3p, head outside and take a quick walk around your building. Not only does that offer the opportunity to change up your scenery, clear your head, and give you a distraction so you can take your mind off the craving, it give you an extra opportunity to add steps into your day to increase your heart health!
But a new study suggests that if a person proactively walks for 15 minutes a day (BEFORE the cravings start), they may find themselves eating many fewer snack calories throughout the day!
Fewer cravings means you won't have to use as much will-power (and we all know that's something that can be in short supply!) to keep your response to cravings under control!
The study author says, "We often feel that these snacks give us an energy boost, or help us deal with the stress of our jobs, including boredom," Taylor said in a statement. "People often find it difficult to cut down on their daily treats but this study shows that by taking a short walk, they are able to regulate their intake by half."
So, perhaps it's time to add another tool to your mindfulness toolbox!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Leverage
A couple weeks ago, a coworker asked me to create a series of classes on "Increasing your activity level to aid in weight loss". My program would be a complement to her nutrition series entitled Weight Management 101. Since she is a dietician and I am an exercise physiologist, this seems like a natural fit.
In order to get me started, she gave me the information she was going to use from the National Institutes of Health entitled "The Practical Guide to Identification, Evalutation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obese Adults". (and it was as dynamic of a read as the title indicates)
As I kicked around the idea of this program in my head, I keep coming back to the question:
Why would anyone, who already has a membership to my fitness facility and presumably is using it, choose to spend an hour listening to me talk about being more active when during that same hour, they could actually be active???
The best answer I could come up with was: Leverage
Investing the hour with me this month will allow them to leverage that time and become more active during the rest of their workouts. Hopefully, the knowledge they gain will give them an opportunity to burn more calories over the long haul than they would have if they continued doing exactly what they are currently doing because they didn't invest the hour in coming and listening to me.
The idea of leverage intrigues me -- both for eating and for activity (and, if I am honest with you, for money and for time).
The idea that I can make a small investment that will grow without much addition input of resources (additional time or money) so that I can create a greater desired outcome -- that is fantastic!!
So you know how leveraging your money works -- I make a commitment to have 6% of my paycheck taken out and put into a 401k -- starting when I am 24. Because my wage is small, there isn't much money going into the 401k -- of course, the sacrifice of giving up that 6% isn' that great either.
Over time, that 6% grows and compounds and over my working lifetime it adds up to something I can retire on (really comfortably -- I hope).
The same can be said for activity. In the 1930's, we burned enough calories in everyday tasks (think opening the garage door, starting the car, pulling it out of the garage, getting out of the car to MANAUALLY pull the garage door shut / dragging the carpets out onto the line to beat them with a stick instead of letting the Roomba do all the work / ect) to add up to the calories of 5 cheesecakes a month. -- Think about it, if you were doing all of those activities required for just living life in the 1930's, you could eat 1.25 cheesecakes per week and still stay at the same weight you are right now! Talk about leveraging the situation.
So what about food? How do you leverage your food choices?
The first idea is maximize your enjoyment!!!! If is doesn't taste GREAT -- only eat enough of it to get rid of your physical hunger.
If it does taste great, ENJOY every bite -- really taste it!
And most of all -- don't disregard all of the little "deposits" you make in the calorie savings bank! If you are able to decrease your fullness level by one number (from a 9 to an 8, let's say) at a meal, that is just like making that small 6% deposit into your 401k. The extra calories that are not satisfying physcial hunger are not going to be stored as fat AND you have had one more success in creating a habit of recognizing that a level 8 can be VERY satisfying even if it is not VERY full. That habit will make it more likely you will choose to eat less at another meal in the future, create another success, and increase your positive spiral.
All of your positive work (that, of course, you are CELEBRATING!! -- because that is the right thing to do with victories and you would celebrate with a friend if she were making these same decisions -- so you really should be celebrating when you make them for yourself!) ... positive decisions tend to lead to more positive decisions. When you are successful, you feel more empowered to make other challengine choices and be successful with those. With this phylosophy, your positive choices grow exponentially and you feel great about it! (This is very exciting to see. This is why I LOVE what the coaching I do!!)
So give the idea of leverage some thought. In your mind, when you choose to leave something uneaten -- think about it adding to your weight loss account. When you eat something that tastes great, know that you are EXPERIENCING the food and really appreciate it. That, too, is a deposit in the weight loss account because if you are tasting it and it is fantastic, there will be a time when you eat less of something because it does NOT taste fantastic and you know you can be satisfied with less of it.
And most of all -- no matter how much weight you need/want to lose or how much you are struggling to maintain your weight right now, giving the mindful eating approach some extra time and thought right now, will save you time, thought and heartache in dealing with your weight in the future -- and that is the ultimate leverage.
In order to get me started, she gave me the information she was going to use from the National Institutes of Health entitled "The Practical Guide to Identification, Evalutation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obese Adults". (and it was as dynamic of a read as the title indicates)
As I kicked around the idea of this program in my head, I keep coming back to the question:
Why would anyone, who already has a membership to my fitness facility and presumably is using it, choose to spend an hour listening to me talk about being more active when during that same hour, they could actually be active???
The best answer I could come up with was: Leverage
Investing the hour with me this month will allow them to leverage that time and become more active during the rest of their workouts. Hopefully, the knowledge they gain will give them an opportunity to burn more calories over the long haul than they would have if they continued doing exactly what they are currently doing because they didn't invest the hour in coming and listening to me.
The idea of leverage intrigues me -- both for eating and for activity (and, if I am honest with you, for money and for time).
The idea that I can make a small investment that will grow without much addition input of resources (additional time or money) so that I can create a greater desired outcome -- that is fantastic!!
So you know how leveraging your money works -- I make a commitment to have 6% of my paycheck taken out and put into a 401k -- starting when I am 24. Because my wage is small, there isn't much money going into the 401k -- of course, the sacrifice of giving up that 6% isn' that great either.
Over time, that 6% grows and compounds and over my working lifetime it adds up to something I can retire on (really comfortably -- I hope).
The same can be said for activity. In the 1930's, we burned enough calories in everyday tasks (think opening the garage door, starting the car, pulling it out of the garage, getting out of the car to MANAUALLY pull the garage door shut / dragging the carpets out onto the line to beat them with a stick instead of letting the Roomba do all the work / ect) to add up to the calories of 5 cheesecakes a month. -- Think about it, if you were doing all of those activities required for just living life in the 1930's, you could eat 1.25 cheesecakes per week and still stay at the same weight you are right now! Talk about leveraging the situation.
So what about food? How do you leverage your food choices?
The first idea is maximize your enjoyment!!!! If is doesn't taste GREAT -- only eat enough of it to get rid of your physical hunger.
If it does taste great, ENJOY every bite -- really taste it!
And most of all -- don't disregard all of the little "deposits" you make in the calorie savings bank! If you are able to decrease your fullness level by one number (from a 9 to an 8, let's say) at a meal, that is just like making that small 6% deposit into your 401k. The extra calories that are not satisfying physcial hunger are not going to be stored as fat AND you have had one more success in creating a habit of recognizing that a level 8 can be VERY satisfying even if it is not VERY full. That habit will make it more likely you will choose to eat less at another meal in the future, create another success, and increase your positive spiral.
All of your positive work (that, of course, you are CELEBRATING!! -- because that is the right thing to do with victories and you would celebrate with a friend if she were making these same decisions -- so you really should be celebrating when you make them for yourself!) ... positive decisions tend to lead to more positive decisions. When you are successful, you feel more empowered to make other challengine choices and be successful with those. With this phylosophy, your positive choices grow exponentially and you feel great about it! (This is very exciting to see. This is why I LOVE what the coaching I do!!)
So give the idea of leverage some thought. In your mind, when you choose to leave something uneaten -- think about it adding to your weight loss account. When you eat something that tastes great, know that you are EXPERIENCING the food and really appreciate it. That, too, is a deposit in the weight loss account because if you are tasting it and it is fantastic, there will be a time when you eat less of something because it does NOT taste fantastic and you know you can be satisfied with less of it.
And most of all -- no matter how much weight you need/want to lose or how much you are struggling to maintain your weight right now, giving the mindful eating approach some extra time and thought right now, will save you time, thought and heartache in dealing with your weight in the future -- and that is the ultimate leverage.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Is Mindful Eating a Free Pass?
I have talked in the past about diet rules and how they provide structure to a program. They provide a box for you to stay inside of. Sometimes, that is a nice, safe feeling -- for a while anyway.
So where is the box when you are trying to eat mindfully? Clients, in the past, have sometimes mistaken me when I say "Eat what sounds great!" for "Eat as much as you want of whatever you want and you will still lose weight". This is not the case.
The box with mindful eating is that you are reconnecting with your sensations of hunger and fullness. And learning to differentiate between physical hunger and trigger eating. Saying no to yourself when you feel the urge to trigger eat (in response to stress, let's say) can be a very empowering thing. It is your higher self taking action and moving you in the direction you want to go.
Now, as far as the eat whatever sounds great, the box is that you have to be paying attention and eat the smallest amount that gives you the greatest amount of pleasure. Let's be honest, how often do you eat just one Hershey's Kiss? One CAN be enough IF you are paying attention to the texture, flavor and aroma --not just popping it in, chewing like a fiend and looking for the next one before the first one is totally swallowed.
It takes real work to learn to pay attention. It doesn't just happen. If you are eating mindfully, you can eat anything you want but that freedom comes with the responsibility to pay attention through the whole process -- and not overeat!
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