Weight Loss
Learning to be Hungry
How many times have you skipped a meal because you’re dieting, time-poor or stressed, only to graze mindlessly or overeat later? It’s a common trap and can result in all sorts of problems, including weight gain.
Our bodies and brains are designed to work together to tell us when we need to eat and how much. But denying messages like hunger pangs and satiety, or eating when you aren’t hungry, confuses your body and throws out its ability to regulate food intake. This can lead to chronic tiredness, poor health, mood swings and yoyo-ing weight.
“There is such a thing as a natural appetite, where you respond to your body’s hunger signals and eat enough so that you feel full and have energy to function at your peak,” says Sharon Natoli, director of Food & Nutrition Australia. “The problem is, many people have lost touch with their natural hunger, and under- or overeat because they feel lonely, depressed, stressed or bored.”
Dr George Blair-West, psychiatrist and author of Weight Loss for Food Lovers agrees. “When we look at what controls how much people eat, they eat to subconscious ‘scripts’, rather than taking notice of whether they are actually hungry,” he says. An example of a ‘script’ is eating more when food is served on a larger plate. Another is the influence of eating environments – Dr Blair-West quotes research which shows that people eat up to 35 per cent more in the presence of another person than when alone, and up to 96 per cent more when eating in a group of seven or more.
“Losing weight is first and foremost a psychological challenge, overcoming deeply-rooted thought patterns that link food with emotional nurturance, rather than simply an issue of self-discipline,” says Dr Blair-West. “If you deprive yourself of the foods that you love, inevitably you will rebel and rebound into overeating.”
To prevent this self-sabotaging behaviour, he advises treating yourself to favourite foods, but in smaller portions. So buy a multi-pack of chips rather than a large packet, and eat just one small pack. The treat should be eaten early in the day when there is time to burn it off (mid-morning is best), and when you don’t crave it, so the whole craving factor is reduced.
The flipside of overeating is under-eating – when you don’t get the nutrition your body needs because you are fearful of gaining weight, have cut out certain food groups (like carbs or dairy), or are simply too busy to eat regular meals.
“People under-eat mainly because they are too busy or are afraid of gaining weight,” says Sharon Natoli. “If you only eat little amounts during the day, there’s a greater chance of overeating at the end of the day, when there’s less opportunity to burn the energy off. There’s also the risk that by skipping meals or cutting out food groups, you could be depriving your body of essential nutrients that you need to function optimally and cope with stress.”
For chronic under-eaters, it’s important to remember that food consumed doesn’t automatically translate into body weight – much of it is used to fuel your body’s metabolic processes. The body’s basal metabolism accounts for 60 to 70 per cent of daily energy use, depending on your age and constitution, and then there’s the energy expended through normal physical activity and exercise.
For people who are too busy to sit down to regular, balanced meals, Dr Blair-West says planning ahead is essential. “Busy people need to put aside time to shop for food that they can eat quickly and fit into their busy day. There are good meal replacement shakes out there that are quite nutritious and are a better option than skipping a meal.”
So what can you do if you’re so used to gulping down meals in front of the TV or on the run that you’ve lost touch with your natural appetite? Firstly, before you eat anything ask yourself, “Why am I about to eat this?” to tune in to where your body is at – are you genuinely hungry, eating to satisfy a craving, or because it’s mealtime?
Secondly, when you eat, take time to savour the food. “Eating quickly is a major contributor to weight gain,” says Dr Blair-West. “Savouring research shows us you get 100 per cent of satisfaction in the first mouthful, 80 per cent in the second, about 60-70 per cent in the third, and after that it’s not so powerful, so it makes sense to eat slowly so you enjoy your food more, and as a result, eat less.”
Lastly, give your full attention to what you are eating. This helps you appreciate food, so you can tap into your body’s natural levels of satiety. The World Health Organisation has projected that by 2010, 75.7 per cent of males and 66.5 per cent of females in Australia will be overweight if current trends continue.
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