Not a Weight Problem, Rather an Eating Problem

Could Susie's weight gain be related to an eating problem rather than a weight problem?

Dieter Susie discovered that 35 unwanted pounds had attached themselves to her once slim body. So, Dieter Susie went on a diet for her weight problem.

Three months later, Dieter Susie had returned to her old slim self. Her weight problem was suddenly solved.

Then three weeks later, she discovered that 10 of the 35 pounds that she had lost had returned to her body.  Sigh.  Dieter Susie has a weight problem again!

But wait.  Does Susie really have a weight problem OR an eating problem?

Like many of us, Susie has an eating problem.  If she could solve her eating problem, she wouldn't have any concerns about her weight.

But what encompasses an eating problem?  Is Susie just void of willpower?  No - not at all!  Willpower has little to do with Susie's eating problem.  Sure, it may be part of the problem, but the eating problem may also be bolstered with the following:

Challenge: Controlling Appetite

A. Susie's 'Full Button' may have a glitch.  She may not know when she is full, so she continues eating until she becomes stuffed.  

Possible Solutions:

1. Try to eat before you become famished which can lead to bingeing.

2. As the tip suggests to the left of your screen, eat slowly and enjoy your food, bite by bite.  Make it last.  Chew thoroughly to savor every morsel.

3. It takes the brain about 15-20 minutes in most individuals to register a feeling of fullness.  Eating slowly will help the dieter to recognize that feeling of fullness, as will curbing off eating after 1 serving of the foods served have been enjoyed at meal time.

Eating Problem: High Calorie, High Fat Foods

B. Susie may have a passion for high calorie, high fat foods. It only takes a few nibbles for calories to mount onto those hips and thighs.

Here are a few solutions that might assist Dieter Susie in conquering her high calorie passions:

1. In many individuals, the more sugar one consumes, the more sugar one wants to consume.  Sugar is very addictive. Susie might do well in not only cutting back her Sweet Tooth, but adding a sugar substitute to her daily diet OR adding part sugar and part sugar substitute.  

Foodnote™: A cup of sugar contains about 800 empty calories.

2. Adding peeled, fresh fruits OR dried fruits to recipes rather than sugar might also help cut back calories.

3. Fat consumption is another culprit when it comes to high calorie foods.  A skinny onion suddenly becomes a scary onion when deep-fat-fried.  Susie may do well in soothing her passion for high calorie foods by dragging out her grill, her herbs, her spices and a handsome guy to cook the batch of lean chicken breasts that she purchased at the market.  Talk about fresh!

4. Adding cinnamon and a dusting of sugar OR sugar substitute to both cooked veggies and cooked fruits may help satisfy Susie's passion for high calories.  Example: 1 serving of sweet potatoes sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon, a few sprays of no calorie butter, a spoon or two of sugar substitute and Susie is suddenly in Dieter's Paradise!  

This diet cooking tip also works well on cooked carrots, winter squash, apples, peaches and pears.  Susie will save a plethora of calories and receive great satisfaction from both her weight scales and her self-esteem.

Eating Schedule Issues & Weight Gain

C. Dieter Susie's eating schedule may be fueling her eating problem. Here are a few solutions that might assist Dieter Susie in conquering situations contributing to her weight gain:

1. Susie may be eating too late in the day which tends to pack on many pounds.  Late eating makes it almost impossible for the dieter to burn off the consumed calories, so unless they have experienced a day of very light eating OR plan to disco until the sun rises, caution should be exercised.  

2. Late evening snacking should also be addressed.  Cutting out snacks entirely doesn't always work to the dieter's advantage because they began to miss their old diet way of life and yearn to return to fun living.

With that said, adding healthy snacks is a smart idea.  Our picks include: hot air popcorn, fresh fruit, fresh veggies, rice cakes and pretzels.

3. Finally, Susie needs to ensure that she isn't missing meals throughout the day.  While dieting, it's a good idea to keep the metabolism fueled for a steady burn.

Eating Problem: High Calorie Beverages

D. Susie's day may be filled with high calorie beverages that are notorious for packing on pounds. High calorie beverages may indeed be the reason for Dieter Susie's weight gain. She happens to love cola and currently enjoys three small cans throughout the day while at work.

The total calories for those three small cans of soda equal about 450 calories - empty calories at that.  Although we would be the first to agree that diet sodas cannot match the full flavor of regular sodas, regular sodas cannot match the low calories found in diet sodas.

At this point, Susie must ask herself, "How much do I want to lose this weight?  Do I want to lose weight more than I want to drink my three sodas each day?"

The following suggestions might help Susie with her diet dilemma:

1. It may not be necessary for Susie to banish regular sodas completely from her diet.  She might do well to limit her regular soda to one per day.  150 calories vs 450 calories.

2. Susie would do well to incorporate water into her daily diet. A slice of orange, lemon or lime on the rim of the glass adds beauty and enjoyment.

3. Susie might try some of the unique diet beverages on today's market such as Crystal Light, Kool-Aid that is sugar-free, low calorie fruit juices and maybe even some of the new diet sodas.

Eating Problem: Exhaustion

E. Susie may be so tired and exhausted that her diet is breathing in the deadly fumes of evil weight gain. Dieter Susie is so tired after a hard day at the office.  When morning comes, she is almost as tired as when she went to bed. Could that excess baggage be dragging Susie down?

Many times, unnecessary pounds do weigh an individual down and of course - it's always a good idea to get a doctor's formal opinion, particularly in cases where the individual is so tired they find difficulty just making it through the day.

For argument's sake, let's pretend that Susie is tired due to her unnecessary baggage.  At this point, obesity becomes a viscous circle because the individual is too tired to work on planning out a healthy daily diet and on the other hand, they will continue to feel tired until the weight comes off.

In such cases, the following suggestions might render a doable solution for exhausted Susie:

1. Susie must time to work towards a healthier diet or her exhaustive problems will continue to mount.  Cutting sugar, fat and processed foods might help her get back that Diet Zing!

2. It might help for Susie to take time out of her busy schedule to simply relax.  If the house goes without a cleaning for a day or two, the bottom won't drop out.

3. Many times, a vacation may reset our bodies.  But Susie should take care not to over-do on eating.  Unfortunately, vacations commonly lead to weight gain.

4. Allowing a few nice treats at the end of a hectic day may be of help.  A warm bath, a hot cup of tea, some soothing lotion, the scent of a lavender candle, a snuggly blanket, even a small dark chocolate - such as a Hershey's Kiss where calories are controlled, and savored.

5. A day at a spa or a massage might also help energize Susie.