Hunger, Appetite, and Motivation, Part 4

Your physical jar easily will get full.  It is the emotional jar that tends to go empty, or almost empty.  And we will work very diligently to make sure it gets full before we go to bed.  That's why most people eat all evening.  They are making up for having not attended to their emotional jar.  They were "good" all day, having deprived themselves of the foods that truly satisfy, and are now being "bad" because of having to make up for the lost time and eating experiences.   Most bingeing and overeating are the result of deprivation of one sort or another.  And eating foods that are of no interest to you or just aren't satisfying at the time are a primary source of deprivation.  Over the years, I have found that when the issue of quality of the eating experience has been taken care of, in other words, when you are eating just what you want to be eating, when you want to be eating it, quantity becomes a moot point.  You don't overeat when you are in the habit of getting what you want when you want it.  There is no need, no drive, to over indulge when you can eat that particular food whenever you choose.  This may seem bizarre right now, but it is true.  Overeating a food occurs primarily when you have gone too long without eating it.  When you have deprived yourself of it and then must make up for lost time.  So from now on, always ask yourself, "Am I going to enjoy this?"  If you aren't, pick  another food and ask yourself the same question about it.  Do this until you can answer, "Yes, this is what I want to be eating at this time."  This is the best way to fill the emotional jar - to meet your appetite needs. 
Copyright 2011 Lynn Borenius Brown

OnlineandTelephoneCounseling.com

Hunger, Appetite, and Motivation, Part 3

Unless you, for some reason, have no access to food, there is no problem filling the physical jar.  None of us ever go hungry unelss we so chose.  And it doesn't take alot of food to fill it to the top.  So, there is rarely a problem with the physical side of eating.  The problem almost always lies in the appetite, the emotional, aspect.  You attempt to control eating by looking to external sources for information regarding food intake.  Most everyone knows a lot about nutrition, fat grams, calories, etc.  You look to this knowledge for the answers to consumption.  And while information is inherently useful from a practical standpoint, it has little to do with controlling your weight. 
The ability to lose weight and keep it off is grounded in being able to satisfy your appetite without eating more than your body needs for functioning.  To do this requires an intimate knowledge of what you need to eat at any given time.  This is easier to ascertain than you would at first believe.  What you do is this:  Every time you go to make a choice about what you are going to eat, the first question you ask yourself, the very first one, is "Am I going to enjoy this?"  If you aren't, go to another food choice.  It doesn't matter how healthy the food is, if it isn't going to satisfy you at this time, there is no purpose in eating it.  All you'll be doing is putting food in that small, physical jar without adding to the all important emotional jar.  So, from now on, eat only foods you are going to enjoy.  Don't compromise.

More about this next time.

Copyright 2011  Lynn Borenius Brown

OnlineandTelephoneCounseling.com

Hunger, Appetite, and Motivation, Part 2

What is appetite?  It is the longing or yearning for something especially desirable.  Appetite arises from previous pleasurable experiences.  Because both hunger and appetite entice us to eat, they are frequently confused.  Unfortunately, hunger is not required for eating - appetite alone is enough inducement.  And, it takes only a little food to abolish hunger, but we continue eating because of appetite.  And therein lies our main concern.
A good way to address this issue is to visualize two jars.  The way I see it is that each day you have to fill both jars.  One is the physical jar.  That one represents hunger.  And it is not very large.  The second one is the emotional jar.  It represents appetite.  This one is almost always larger than the physical jar.  What most of us do is overflow the physical jar in order to fill the emotional jar.  And that is why we gain weight.  Next time, we'll discuss this in detail.

Copyright 2011 Lynn Borenius Brown

For more information about video classes and individual sessions, please visit: http://EmpoweredDieter.org

Hunger, Appetite, and Motivation, Part 1

We are now going to start discussing hunger, appetite, and motivation.  This information will become very useful to you as you go through the weight managment process.  Being able to differentiate between hunger and appetite and meet your appetite needs will eliminate overeating as well as bingeing.  Understanding motivation and how you can go about getting and staying motivated will allow you to get to your goal.  So, let's get started.
What is hunger?  It is a primitive, elemental sensation that is felt as a dull ache or gnawing pain in the mid-chest region or somewhat lower.  Cycles of hunger-experience occur.  A cycle iusually begins with weak contractions.  These then become gradually more vigorous and appear at shorter intervals until the height of activity is reached, which may culminate in an actual spasm.  After this, the stomach usually relaxes and remains quiet for a period of time after which it starts again with occasional weak squeezes and the cycle is repeated.

Other than eating, what can stop hunger pangs?  Chewing movements and swallowing stop the sensation of hunger.  Not only chewing or swallowing, but also emotional excitement arrests digestive functions.  It also stops the muscular actions associated with hunger.  Smoking weakens them and may completely stop them, depending upon the strength of the tobacco.  Alcoholic beverages reduce contractions.  And very vigorous exercise inhibits recurrent constrictions but afterwards they are likely to return with greater intensity.  Oddly enough, tightening your belt also stops weak or moderate contractions.  The stoppage is, however, partial and even when complete it lasts only about five - 15 minutes then the contractions reappear despite continued pressure around the waist.

So, hunger is a physical sensation with no emotional component.  If this is so, then were do all our problems with snacking, overeating, and bingeing come from?  This takes us to appetite.

Copyright 2011  Lynn Borenius Brown

For more information about video classes and individual sessions, please visit: http://EmpoweredDieter.org

Water and Your Weight Loss, Part 4

Preferably, water should be cold.  It is absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water and evidence suggests that drinking water can actually help burn calories.
When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, its fluids are perfectly balanced.  When this happens, the breakthrough point has been reached.  This means that endocrine-gland function improves, fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost, more fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat, natural thirst returnns, and there is a loss of hunger almost overnight.

If you stop drinking water, your body fluids wll again be thrown out of balance and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain, and loss of thirst.  To remedy this situation, you will need to resume drinking water.

Copyright 2011  Lynn Borenius Brown

For more information about video classes and individual sessions, please visit: http://EmpoweredDieter.org

Water and Your Weight Loss, Part 3

Water also helps the body to rid itself of waste.  And during weight loss the body has a lot more waste to get rid of.  All of the metabolized fat must be shed.  Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste.
Water helps relieve constipation.  When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from intestinal sources.  Since the colon is one primary source, the result is consitpation.  But, when the body get enough water, normal bowel function returns.

How much water is enough?  On average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses each day.  The overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight.  Incerase the amount you drink if you exercise briskly or it the weather is hot and dry.  Except upon awakening, your unrine should be almost clear.  If it isn't, you aren't drinking enough water.

Copyright 2011  Lynn Borenius Brown

For more information about video classes and individual sessions, please visit: http://EmpoweredDieter.org

Water and Your Weight Loss, Part 2

Diuretics offer a temporary solution.  They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients.  Again, the body perceives a threat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity.  So, the best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body plenty of water.  By doing this, stored water will be released.
If water retention is a constant problem, excess salt may be the culprit.  The body will toelrate sodium only in a particular concentration.  The more salt you eat, the more water your system retains to dilute it.  But, getting rid of salt is easy.  All you have to do is to drink more water.  It takes away excess sodium, as it is forced through the kidneys.

An overweight person needs more water than a thin one.  Larger people have larger metabolic loads.  Since water is the key to fat metabolism, the overweight person needs more water.

Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration.  It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weightloss.  Shrinking cells are bouyed by the water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy, and resilient.

Copyright 2011  Lynn Borenius Brown

For more information about video classes and individual sessions, please visit: http://EmpoweredDieter.org