Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat

Mindless Eating - join the Small Plate Movement

Brian Wansink Ph.D., director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell and author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think, says that we make about 200 food decisions each day - but are unaware of most of them. He started the Small Plate Movement to help people re-engineer their environment to make some of those unconscious decisions work in their favor.

I was a psychology major at ASU so I loved reading about all of the ingenious experiments in MIndless Eating. I found the experiments particularly facinating because they put science behind many of the strategies for coping with environmental triggers that we've been teaching in our Am I Hungry? Workshops for the last decade.

Here is one simple example from my own home. We bought a new set of dinnerware last year. I was shocked by the size of the bowls - they looked like mixing bowls! In fact, I rarely used them because they seemed almost obscene. The other day I was browsing around Sur La Table, a gourmet cookware store, and I was drawn to these little square bowls that were on sale. I didn't even bother to buy the rest of the dinner set; I just wanted the bowls. Just look at the huge size difference!

I love eating from them because they're beautiful and dainty, and they help tell my brain what my body knows - I have enough food. Just like they showed in the lab, the same amount of yogurt, cereal, and blueberries just got lost in those troughs but in my new bowls, it is plenty!

Take a look at your own dishes, platters, serving spoons, glasses, and location of your food; share your ideas about re-engineering your environment to reduce your triggers for mindless eating.

Why am I hungry all the time?

I have been hungry constantly today. I've already been through my mental checklist and arrived at an answer (more on that below). Since many of you ask, "Why am I hungry all the time?," I thought this would be a great opportunity to share the questions I asked myself. (If you've read Am I Hungry?, you'll recognize these from the Eating Cycle.)

What to ask yourself when you feel hungry all the time:

1. Am I actually hungry? This is the first and most important question. Often we say we're hungry when we really mean, "I want to eat." So take a moment, close your eyes and do a quick mind-body scan. Look for physical signs of hunger, as well as any other clues about why you might feel like eating (thirst, fatigue, pain, stress, worry, boredom, etc.). If you are not physically hungry then the rest of these questions don't matter as much because it is really not about the food!
2. How hungry am I? You may be responding to very early or mild signs of hunger, causing you to eat more frequently than is really necessary. (Also remember, if you're only a little bit hungry, you only need a little bit of food.)
3. When did I last eat? If it has been several hours since you had a light meal or a snack, your body may simply be ready for more fuel. Why second guess yourself?
4. What did I last eat? Different types of food "last" for different lengths of time. Generally, protein lasts longer than fat which lasts longer than carbs. 
5. How much did I last eat? Pretty obvious: if you ate a small meal or snack, you will be hungry sooner.
6. How active have I been? The more you do, the more fuel your body needs.
7. Are there any other factors to consider? e.g. illness, medications, growth (in the case of children), pregnancy, premenstrual symptoms.

These questions help you figure out whether being hungry "all the time" is really just part of your natural hunger rhythm that day. While many plans recommend eating on a schedule (for example, eat every three hours), in actuality your hunger levels will vary somewhat from day to day due to changes in your activity level, the type and amount of food you ate, and other issues like hormones (ladies, you know what I'm talking about don't you!). You shouldn't need a watch to tell you it's time to eat.

Unfortunately, experts (sometimes expert-mom) teach us to distrust our own instinctive hunger (and fullness) signals. We hear "eat every three hours," "don't eat after 7," "you have to eat breakfast," and "you shouldn't be hungry yet!" - often coming from inside our own heads.

For many years while I struggled with yo-yo dieting, I had a pattern of doing really well on my diet then feeling overwhelmed by the desire to eat all the time. It wasn't until I stopped dieting and learned to listen to and trust my body that I realized that I had a pretty significant increase in hunger (and of course, specific cravings) premenstrually. Turns out that is exactly what is going on today. Even though I've had a hysterectomy (I still have my ovaries) and don't track my cycles like I should, I have other symptoms, that along with my answers to the other questions above, made it clear to me that is what I am dealing with.

So I had pizza for lunch. Just what the doctor ordered!

What are your questions and aha's about your hunger rhythms?

Practice what you preach and preach what you practice

There is something that we don't often talk about but is a real issue for many people in the health and wellness field: many health professionals struggle with their own food, eating, or weight issues--ranging from secret overeating, to chronic restrictive eating, or both.

I know, because I did too.

I tried many times to “change my lifestyle” only to go back to my old patterns when stress or deprivation kicked in. I saw my patients doing the same thing, but somehow, I thought that shouldn't be happening to me because I "knew better." I eventually learned that knowledge just isn't enough.

What I needed—and as it turned out, what my patients needed—was a completely new mindset around food. I literally had to relearn to eat what I loved and love what I ate. This became the basis for not only a life of flexibility, freedom, and joy, but a process that I have now shared with tens of thousands of people.

Heal Thy Self!

This summer, while things are a little slower for those in healthcare, I'm going to work with a group of health and wellness professionals (by telephone) who are willing to take time to focus on their own health for a change. During our time together, they will learn how to eat fearlessly (without deprivation, guilt, or judgment) and mindfully (with intention and attention). We'll explore the issues that are specific to them, and along the way, I’ll also share ideas and resources for helping them work with their patients and clients to apply these principles too.

I'm calling this series "Practice What You Preach and Preach What You Practice."

If this is something you feel might benefit you--and you'd like to earn some continuing education credits too, send me an email and I'll give you the details. But hurry; this teleworkshop starts right away!

Happy Independence Day! Enjoy freedom from dieting and overeating

Today as you celebrate Independence Day with a backyard barbeque or a neighborhood potluck, consider what it feels like to be free of restrictive dieting and overeating:

• I am free from my obsession with food so I am able to enjoy the entire event, not just the buffet
• I am free from endless conversations about weight, diets, and calories
• I am free to eat what I love without worrying about what others will think or say
• I am free from judging others for their weight or food choices
• I am free to choose from all of the foods available to me without guilt, counting, or paying penance
• I am free of mindless eating and instead savor one potato chip at a time
• I am free to skip the boring store-bought macaroni salad
• I am free to get up and get more of what I love (and leave the rest on my plate)
• I am free to stop eating when I am satisfied, remembering that I live in a land of abundance
• I am free to enjoy fireworks without feeling stuffed and uncomfortable

Happy 4th of July!