Those Frustrating Cravings

Lately, many people I've spoken with are feeling exasperated because they haven't gotten "back on track” after Easter, Passover, or other life events that involved different types of food. We always emphasize the importance of GETTING BACK ON TRACK if you have hit a bump in the road. Something that tends to stick with us, however, are CRAVINGS. The following article explains why cravings can become so overpoweringly difficult to suppress; it is important to realize that there are MANY factors coming into play when cravings arise. I thought I'd send this article out again since the topic of cravings has come up in most conversations I've had with patients this week.

So, if you are feeling discouraged, remember: you're not alone! This time of year can set people astray from their goals. Don't allow yourself to feel overwhelmed by feelings of guilt or frustration…instead, set a plan of action. If you're feeling off-track, decide EXACTLY how you'll take your first steps to get back ON track.

Healthy lifestyle changes take time and effort. You WILL succeed and achieve your goals; just keep getting back on track when setbacks arise. Don't ever give up on yourself!

Dr. Doug

Those Frustrating Cravings
(With thanks to the Lindora Clinics of California)

You're having a terrific day. You feel focused, positive, and in control! You've exercised and you're eating well. Then suddenly, without warning, it happens. A nagging temptation for one of your favorite foods grabs hold and refuses to let go. The more you try to ignore it, the more tormenting it becomes.

Welcome to the world of cravings, where powerful forces stronger than mere willpower rule. Cravings can be your worst nightmare undermining your self-esteem, shaking your self-confidence, and derailing your weight loss program. Cravings are a result of various physical, psychological, and environmental factors that affect the way your body and brain function. It may have something to do with your set point.

You see, the human body was designed to store fat and then burn it as fuel. Your brain, digestive tract, muscles and fat all work together through a highly complex system of biochemical feedback loops to maintain a stable weight. That particular weight, which your body strives to maintain, is commonly known as the "set point.”

But, you ask, "If my body's designed to maintain a stable weight, why did I gain weight in the first place and why is it so hard to lose?” Here is the deal: in essence, if you eat more calories and/or get too little exercise over a long period of time, your body's weight regulation system won't be able to cope adequately. It will adjust upward and your body's systems will "settle in” to support a higher weight.

So what happens when you start to lose weight? Because your body strives for equilibrium, its metabolic alarm system goes off as soon as you stop eating as much as you normally do. Your body demands food. Like the ravenous, great white shark, it has one thing on its mind: "Feed me! Feed me!” You begin feeling uncomfortable, anxious, and perhaps even edgy. The quickest form of relief? That's right: food. Thus, the cycle of losing and regaining continues.

We don't fail because of will-power; we fail because of cravings. As long as your set point remains elevated, you will crave food whenever your body senses you're not eating enough to maintain your present weight.

These "hunger alarms” make it especially difficult for overweight people to lose weight, and even tougher for them to keep it off. Your body will fight to hold on to whatever excess fat it has become accustomed to. It will also do its best to replace any weight you happen to lose. Thus, you need to understand the mechanism of cravings in order to control them.

As your body adjusts to a lower weight the cravings will disappear, but one must remain vigilant, as steering too far in the wrong direction will simply ‘remind' those regulatory hormones that the fat cell wants to go back to its previous size.

It's not easy.

However, it's not often a lack of will power. You are battling biochemical signals that want you to maintain your present weight. Understand that you have to battle through these signals until your ‘weight hormones' are content at a lower weight.