I Love Food

Does this statement sound familiar? I hear it from almost every patient, as if it's something I might not understand. Of course we all love food. It is soothing. It's associated with friends and family, holidays and movies. Food is our friend whether we are happy or sad. The trouble is there is so much food available that if we overindulge, it affects our health both mental and physical, and we gain too much weight.
What will it take for us to change our perspective on food? How do we consistently make better food choices? Have less food? Avoid unnecessary snacks? Learn to eat mindfully and not mindlessly? To realize, before we even bite into something that our brain is assessing whether this is good or bad for our health?
In our paradigm of dieting we generally accept that if we lose weight, we will feel better and thus be happier. In reality, as we lose weight we often feel tired, hungry, cravings and then experience weight regain. Possibly, then, we have the paradigm wrong! Instead, if we could decrease appetite, improve energy, and find ourselves happier, we would lose weight! Likely, this is the necessary way we need to look at our lifestyle; but how do we decrease appetite?
As I've said in previous articles, there will be newer drugs coming to Canada that somewhat suppress the appetite centre of the brain. Health Canada has yet to approve these medications, in spite of the fact the FDA (USA) and the European Union have given them the green light.
Pending the possible help of medications, we must look at our use of words much more carefully. "I'm hungry" and "I'm starving" are statements that make me edgy. We use them all the time, yet rarely are we "starving" and more often than not, we are not truly "hungry." We want food, but we ate only an hour earlier and our stomach is not growling and hands are not shaking from lack of nutrients. However, if we truly get a 'stomach hungry' feeling vs a 'head desire for food' feeling, we usually only need a small amount to settle that growling, empty feeling. The portions of food in our country have grown so much that one plate of food at a restaurant is more than likely enough to feed two people (and it's not as if we just finished a three hour workout; usually we have been sitting at our desks all day).
So, my question to you is: if you are 'hungry' how much do you need to fill the void? Not much, I guarantee you. Anatomically the stomach is not very large, although it can be stretched. Try eating more slowly; attempt at times to eat off a luncheon plate (slowly) and just stop. Stop before you are 'full'. Eat to satisfaction but not to fullness. Wait 20 minutes, and if you are truly still "stomach hungry” then eat a bit more.
In the evening, while watching TV, are you truly hungry? Or, are you nibbling out of habit? Learn, or attempt to change the habit of evening snacking. Have water, tea, nibble on raw veggies, or remove yourself from the environment that you associate with snacking.
With all the food availability and all the diets we have tried, we reach a state of helplessness. We become uncertain if we will ever lose weight and keep it off. So, try always to decrease your appetite. This is a conscious matter. WE MUST override our emotional brain that simply desires food. Like exercise we must just 'do it' until it becomes the norm; until we realize that smaller amounts of food are enough; until we learn that we can actually avoid evening snacking and be happier.
So, by consciously working on decreasing your appetite, you will have more energy, will feel empowered, and then weight loss will occur.
Challenge yourself today to eat a little bit less, and see how easy or hard it is. Can you go to a restaurant and NOT eat everything given to you? Can you eat more slowly and be happier with the same, but less, food?
You can do it. It is never easy and it takes daily fortitude; just never give up trying.
Dr. Doug