Eating May Be Addictive
Written by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites
Eating is Addictive? Are you kidding?
No kidding, Dick Tracy. Nonetheless, we've got some skinny solutions to ponder during this festive time of year - more festive for some, than others.....
So what does one do when one must live to eat? Although we must eat to live, many of we-humans live to eat. Somewhere along the tracks, our appetite became bigger than our brain and our chew-chew became derailed.
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There is nothing quite like a Diet Train Wreck - and to rectify this vicious Circle of Eating, we must 're-train' and get right back on track. Here are a few suggestions that may work for you:
Rather than zipping through foods during the day - STOP-LOOK-LISTEN to your body talk.
Ask the following questions.
Do You Have Set Times for Meals & Snacks?
- Why am I eating right now? Snack time? Meal time? Or just because I wanna eat time?
Are You Aware of the Recommended Serving Size for the Foods You Eat?
- What is a serving size? I'm not eating more than a serving size, am I?
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Are the Foods in Your Diet Highly Refined? Can They Easily be Placed into the Food Pyramid Groups?
- Is this food selection in the official Food Pyramid? Unfortunately, cookies, cupcakes and candy reside in the 'Minimal Fat' block of the old Food Pyramid and it doesn't take much to meet and/or exceed 'minimal' when it comes to sugar-filled foods.
Stick to sugarplums - without the sugar and your waistline, scales and Tooth Fairy will love you forever!
Are You Counting Daily Calories?
- How many calories have I had today?
Did I exceed my calorie needs? If so, by how much?
Keep in mind that it takes 3,500 calories over your daily calorie needs to equal a pound of weight gain.
Are You Eating Too Fast? Yes, then why?
- Did I just wolf down my food with no Red Riding Hood in sight? If so, why? Was I nervous? Stressed out? Too tired to give a whang? Too hungry?
My dear old mother has a funny story from her childhood that she has shared with me often over the years.
Coming from a large brood, meal time and 1 chicken often meant that those quickest on the draw got white meat while the slow-pokes often ended up with the neck.
More than once my mother remembers my grandmother saying, " Slow down! Are you going to a fire?"
Rather than thinking of food as food, think of food as necessary energy. Ask yourself the following:
- Will this food provide my body with quick energy or long-term energy? Sugar loaded foods tend to provide a burst of quick energy whereas foods rich in protein keep blood sugar levels steady for long intervals. Also beware of fat overloads and tummy overloads so that your chew-chew doesn't derail.
- How pure is this energy (food)? The closer the energy is to Mother Nature, the purer the energy. Example:
Good - Steamed broccoli covered with melted cheese.
Better - Steamed broccoli with 1/2 pat of margarine.
Best - Steamed broccoli.
Always think of ways to improve the quality of your daily diet. Improvements may come in the following forms:
- cooking methods
- healthy recipes
- substituting full-blown dairy foods for skim-based
- opting out of high calories/empty-calorie beverages throughout the day
- pairing your healthy daily diet with exercise/fun activities
Maintaining a food journal is a great way to track your daily diet and may help to get your chew-chew back on track. Also keep in mind:
- Chew-Chews generally operate on a schedule and are rarely too early or too late
- There is generally a baggage limit on chew-chews
- Speeding is not allowed and may cause derailment
- Chew-Chews require proper energy to perform efficiently
- Chew-Chews have an emergency stop option for those instances when the path may become unexpectedly blocked
- You are the conductor of your chew-chew and must safeguard your caboose.
Stay tuned to Diet Bites for more original topics related to weight and your good health.
We hope these suggestions help keep your chew-chew on track. All aboard the Diet Bites train!
Weight Loss Bonus Tip: How to Control Your Appetite
Having a bit of trouble getting your appetite under control? Does it feel a bit like a wild stallion on the run and you have no spurs in sight?
If this sounds familiar, try to stop eating before you feel stuffed. It takes the stomach about 20 minutes to register the food that you have eaten. If you get bucked off, don't give up on your diet! Get right back on that wild stallion and practice 'stop eating' until you have it mastered. Giddy up, pardner!
In Summary
There is an important lesson in the above. Not only do we look " more marvelous" when we take time to eat, we also " feel more marvelous" when we take time to eat AND we are giving our brains time to register the food we are eating.
In addition, eating too fast can create digestive woes - such as chunks of foods that are quite large to breakdown and digest, as well as gas and bloating issues.
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