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Controlling Weight Gain

Written by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites

Using Thought Process & Mind Techniques to Control Weight Gain

Yes - you can control gaining weight and it might be a lot easier than you think. We have tips below to assist but first, I wanted to address a point.

So many times when I've written holiday articles at Diet Bites I've suggested that the goal should be to maintain current weight through the end of the season.

For example, if Jane weighs 167 pounds in November, if she weighs the same on the first day of the year - then she has done exceptionally well. If she weighs less - even better!

With this said - if you are overweight you probably place your focus on losing the excess pounds. I'd like to suggest that you strive to accomplish that AND while you are attempting to do such, also strive to 'not exceed' your current weight.

So many times an individual will go onto a reduction plan, and then get off the plan. Do you know what happens almost 100% of the time directly afterwards?

A binge.

The individual runs to the pantry or to their favorite restaurant and loads up with as much food as they can - making up for 'lost' time. This leads to regaining any lost weight.

And frankly, I've never known a post-dieter who didn't gain more pounds than they lost. Please - don't allow this to happento your body.

Hunger OR Appetite?

Symptoms associated with hunger:

1. A gnawing in the pit of the upper abdomen. At this stage, the individual may be discerning about the types of food or drink that they want to put into the belly. They are picky.

2. In cases of mild to moderate hunger, rumbling from the abdominal cavity can be heard. Any food will suffice for the individual in the moderate state of hunger.

3. The mouth tends to get dry, the voice sounding hoarse. Nausea may settle in. In severe hunger, the abdomen will bloat. In addition, when mild hunger leads to moderate, the tummy area may experience bursts of pain or throbbing.

Symptoms associated with appetite:

1. The individual is extremely picky about what they want to eat. They are in no rush, they often take their time in finding that special something that will satisfy their craving and while they are eating it - they do so slowly so that each bite is savored.

2. Craving. That word is key where appetite is involved. Often, the individual will have a craving because their daily diet is lacking in a specific mineral or vitamin.

For example, salt, protein or carbohydrates. The healthy person whose menu for the day was deficient in salt may crave something salty - such as potato chips.

The body will often cry out for the nutritional needs which are not met through cravings for certain foods.

Keep in mind that the human body requires specific vitamins and minerals in order to proficiently complete the digestive process. Without such, the metabolic rate slows to a snail's pace. Fat loss isstalled where dieting is concerned.

3. With cravings aside, when the situation doesn't deal with inadequate nutritional needs, there are simply some individuals who enjoy eating.

They love the taste, texture and colors of certain foods.

They live to eat rather than eat to live.

I speak with an authoritative voice as I was once chained to food. I was over 125 pounds overweight. This was almost twenty years ago. Thankfully, using my knowledge from college classes as well as infusing it with very hard work, I managed to lose all of those unwanted pounds.

The Grasshopper Story, How to Obtain Control

Our area has been riddled with 'the grasshopper'. The other evening I went outside and watched my husband hand-mowing one side of our yard which had grown to Godzilla proportions.

The old riding lawnmower died on us and it's a challenge for we-oldsters to hand mow large areas.

Alas, we are too poor to invest in another rider - so I suppose that we have to think in a positive light - that we'll be getting in some exercise by push-mowing.

If only we weren't having tripledigit temperatures it would be much easier. And once these triple-digits appear they don't end until October at times.

Nonetheless, as my husband mowed each strip - thousands of grasshoppers sprang out from the thick, tall grass and weeds.

I was reminded of this image this morning. While the area he was mowing was thick and overgrown because 'we just weren't able', the grassy area around our house is cut short. There are bare areas due to the soil being very sandy, so the lawn is quite flat and easier to maintain.

As I was making my way to the birdbath and feeder, I noticed hundreds of grasshoppers moving out of my path. It reminded me of how people bow to kings and other leaders of power. Most of the time -people do not bow or submit out of love or respect. They do such out of fear - or punishment.

I got to thinking about how I could tie this into an article at Diet Bites - which was the inspiration for this article. If we submit to our cravings, to the 'hungries' - we can expect to be rewarded. It's just not the kind of reward that we want as we are rewarded with brand new layers of fat.

And if we avoid kneeling or bowing to our cravings - it's not going to be an easy path.

We may feel hunger until our stomach shrinks back down to its normal size.

But when westand up to weight gain and control our cravings - when we control what we decide to feed our body - we are rewarded in unimaginable wonderful ways - in how we feel, look and carry ourselves.

We break free of being a prisoner to food, a servant to food.

In Summary

Losing those unsightly layers of fat doesn't require an individual to join a particular club. Anyone can lose the weight. The key rests in being able to maintain your healthy weight after reducing.

Try to regroup your mode of attack on fat; think through your meals and plan them carefully by basing what you eat and drink on the American Food Pyramid - or the eating guideline for your country.

Learn to recognize appetite from true hunger. Cut out snacks holding empty calories and reach for those rich in nutritional values. You will be rewarded greatly in the area of health benefits and most probably, a longer life.

Related Articles

Ideal Body Weight

Weight Gain Side Effects

Do You Have a Slow or Fast Metabolism?

Why Am I Fat? Why Am I Overweight?

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