Feeding Your True Hunger
Sometimes I find an article so helpful or interesting that I copy and paste it into my blog. True, someday that may get me sued, but some things are worth spreading around. I thought that true of this article.
What leads you to eat beyond your appetite? Some point to emotional eating, boredom, or cravings, but a bigger umbrella for doing something you know you shouldn’t is the feeling of deprivation. There may be something you can’t have, and you may project feelings of lack by “treating” yourself to whatever you want to eat. It’s freeing to be in control, so why not rebel against what would be healthy for your body and pleasure your palate beyond hunger? The reason is, learning how to deal with feelings of lack is one of the most important parts of maintaining healthy habits beyond weight loss.
Food Restriction and Cravings
Multiple studies have shown that highly restrictive diets are hard to maintain long term, but a new study gives specifics as to what may be the principle issue. A study of 129 women were separated into three groups: dieters, non-dieters, and those watching their weight. Non-dieters had fewer cravings than those watching their weight, with dieters showing the most cravings. The difference between these groups was in levels of food deprivation. The key to eating within your appetite may start with disconnecting your hunger from your weight. Whether normal weight, overweight or obese, we all get hungry multiple times throughout the day. Despite multiple commercials to the contrary, a diet can not prevent hunger, so embrace the normal feeling of wanting to eat and you may feel less deprived in the long run.
Pain and Overeating
We’ve heard the old adage no pain, no gain, but the reverse is true. If you have pain, you may overeat in reaction to it which could contribute to weight gain. The journal Obesity just published a study that showed that obese patients with chronic pain have reduced weight loss success. Depression, shame, and self-efficacy are mentioned as barriers to controlling eating and participating in physical activity. The issue with lack of comfort and weight loss however is that losing weight and moving more may actually alleviate pain. Not only will eating more fruits and vegetables and less high-calorie foods help draw down daily caloric intake, but exercising is also known to improve mood. Increased self-efficacy has also been observed in subjects who move more.
Stress and Overeating
It’s no secret that people are more stressed than they used to be. The April 2012 issue ofAppetite published a study that proves exposure to stress increases the drive to eat in normal and overweight individuals. What this means for those who are overweight is you’re not broken and your urge to eat more during stressful events is not the reason why you’re overweight. The issue comes down to finding your stop button. Not just for overeating, but also for stress. As you learn to be cognizant of what and how much you eat, you must also find the stressors in your life and try to remove them according to what’s under your control.
Trust a Try
All in all, your weight is not the reason why you overeat. We all overeat from time to time and there are similar triggers for both normal and overweight individuals. The key to losing weight and keeping it off is in understanding that deprivation is a part of life. You can’t always get what you want. You’re not always going to be full, happy, or pain-free, especially on the way to correcting years of inactivity and unhealthy eating. Learning to cope with this fact will help you accept who you are, move towards becoming healthier without a feeling that you're missing out on something. As you continue to make better decisions little by little, you'll gradually replace bad habits with good ones which will eventually lead you to feed your true hunger which only you, not food, can do.
Food Restriction and Cravings
Multiple studies have shown that highly restrictive diets are hard to maintain long term, but a new study gives specifics as to what may be the principle issue. A study of 129 women were separated into three groups: dieters, non-dieters, and those watching their weight. Non-dieters had fewer cravings than those watching their weight, with dieters showing the most cravings. The difference between these groups was in levels of food deprivation. The key to eating within your appetite may start with disconnecting your hunger from your weight. Whether normal weight, overweight or obese, we all get hungry multiple times throughout the day. Despite multiple commercials to the contrary, a diet can not prevent hunger, so embrace the normal feeling of wanting to eat and you may feel less deprived in the long run.
Pain and Overeating
We’ve heard the old adage no pain, no gain, but the reverse is true. If you have pain, you may overeat in reaction to it which could contribute to weight gain. The journal Obesity just published a study that showed that obese patients with chronic pain have reduced weight loss success. Depression, shame, and self-efficacy are mentioned as barriers to controlling eating and participating in physical activity. The issue with lack of comfort and weight loss however is that losing weight and moving more may actually alleviate pain. Not only will eating more fruits and vegetables and less high-calorie foods help draw down daily caloric intake, but exercising is also known to improve mood. Increased self-efficacy has also been observed in subjects who move more.
Stress and Overeating
It’s no secret that people are more stressed than they used to be. The April 2012 issue ofAppetite published a study that proves exposure to stress increases the drive to eat in normal and overweight individuals. What this means for those who are overweight is you’re not broken and your urge to eat more during stressful events is not the reason why you’re overweight. The issue comes down to finding your stop button. Not just for overeating, but also for stress. As you learn to be cognizant of what and how much you eat, you must also find the stressors in your life and try to remove them according to what’s under your control.
Trust a Try
All in all, your weight is not the reason why you overeat. We all overeat from time to time and there are similar triggers for both normal and overweight individuals. The key to losing weight and keeping it off is in understanding that deprivation is a part of life. You can’t always get what you want. You’re not always going to be full, happy, or pain-free, especially on the way to correcting years of inactivity and unhealthy eating. Learning to cope with this fact will help you accept who you are, move towards becoming healthier without a feeling that you're missing out on something. As you continue to make better decisions little by little, you'll gradually replace bad habits with good ones which will eventually lead you to feed your true hunger which only you, not food, can do.
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