Why am I eating?

I am a big fan of quotes.  It is baffling to me how much motivation and clarity I can find in a few short words spoken by someone I don’t even know.  Take my latest “favorite” for example…

“If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution.”

Duh.  That makes sense, right?  But it touches me on a deeper level, as I imagine it would touch many of you.  More often than not we look to food for reasons that have nothing to do with growling bellies.

When did you last open your fridge or pantry and stare blankly into it, only to grab something, eat it and return a few minutes later to repeat the process?  If you find yourself doing this often, then most likely hunger isn’t the problem. Boredom? Loneliness? Stress? Maybe… but not hunger.

The first important step in creating a healthier lifestyles is tracking what you are eating (which is why it is a wonderful to log your foods!).  The next step is beginning to ask yourself why you are eating.  Breakfast… well I woke up and I was hungry – check! A great way to start the day. Maybe by lunch you knew you’d be hungry soon, so you ate your turkey sandwich, carrots and yogurt- check! That makes sense.  But then you notice after dinner, you begin reaching for food when you aren’t hungry.  Chips, ice cream, graham crackers and peanut butter, leftover pizza… do they all start sounding irresistible around 8:30pm?  Or do you find yourself at a party and can’t seem to leave the snack table, even though you’ve already eaten dinner? Now we’re on to something!

Once you’ve started noticing when your non-hunger eating begins, you can begin to do something about it.  For beginners, acknowledge the times that you are reaching for food and you aren’t hungry.  Really, say it out loud.  Once you hear yourself say it, you will most likely giggle, but then you can begin to explore why you are standing in front of the fridge.  Take a few minutes to evaluate what you are feeling.  Boredom? Loneliness? Stress? Happiness? Nervousness? Exhaustion? Social Anxiety?  If the feeling isn’t hunger, then eating won’t solve it.  Make a note on your food log of the time and what you’re feeling, so you can begin to notice a pattern in your behavior. Then, and this part is important, step away from the fridge.

The next step is to replace the old habit (eating mindlessly when not hungry) with a new behavior.  Here are some suggestions:  write in your journal (a great way to evaluate what you’re really feeling), go for a walk, go for a bike ride, do a work out video, put on music and dance around your living room, get out of the house and run an errand, take up scrapbooking (or other arts and crafts), call a friend, chew some gum, pick up knitting while you watch tv (so your hands stay busy and away from snacks), drink some tea or flavored water, take a long bath, reorganize your closet, read a good book, play a board game with your family, meditate, go to the gym, frame some pictures, paint a room, or… blog about it ;)

Has the blank stare into the fridge ever happened to you? If so, what did you do about it? Or are you still trying to fight the non-hunger eating? Have you found habits that have helped? Please share!

The wonderful problem you never knew you had

The secret is out, and if you haven’t heard it yet, hear it now- You do not have to starve yourself to lose weight!  In fact, if you do, it is going to hinder your success.  I used to see a lot of people that had troubles losing weight because they loved double cheese burgers and chocolate shakes, but now I am seeing a lot more of people having difficulty because they are not eating enough.  When someone hears this, they are sometimes frustrated, but look at it like this, what a great problem to have! Now, you actually get to eat MORE and LOSE weight- wahoo! J

Not eating enough shows up in different ways.  Some people try to restrict too much throughout the day.  They will have a 100 calorie protein shake for breakfast, some deli turkey slices on a low calorie roll for lunch, and a small serving of vegetables and chicken for dinner.  For some people, that is all they have for the day, and for others, they are ravishing by the evening and overdo night time snacking.  Other people eat sensibly, but exercise often and are not compensating for the calories burned during their exercise sessions.  All are frustrated because they feel they have such strong willpower, make healthy choices, and the scale still won’t budge.

If you are constantly coming in significantly under your 411fit goals, or are only at half way to goal by the evening time, then you need to rethink your weight loss strategy.  Many people make dinner their largest meal, but your body needs the bulk of those calories earlier in the day to help you be at the top of your game at work, at play and everything in between.  Start by planning and balancing your calories more evenly throughout the day.  This is especially important for those who exercise in the morning.  You need to make sure your body is properly fueled before your workout and that you eat something afterwards as well.

The idea of eating more often scares people, but if you are eating healthy foods (which I know you are!), it can take a larger quantity to get you at your proper calorie intake level.  We’ve always been told that it’s simple: calories in vs calories out, but unfortunately this is not always the case.  If you cut calories by too much, then your body will begin to conserve energy, which overtime will decrease your resting energy expenditure (your metabolism) and cause a slowdown in weight loss, and eventually even weight gain.

So if you are sticking to your workout routine, and being honest with the facts you tell 411fit, then make sure you are getting in all the calories it tells you to eat.  Spread them throughout the day, and try to make each meal/snack a healthy balance of carb/protein/healthy fat, while staying at your calorie limit.  If you have a story of success from learning to eat more, instead of less, please share it! This is the latest trend I have seen in people’s weight loss struggles and I want everyone to know that being hungry isn’t the way to lose weight… now isn’t that what you’ve always wanted to hear?! J

Sleep it off

It’s not news that your hormones are affected by how many hours of sleep you get.  However, many people still aren’t getting enough sleep and, as a result, are packing on (and keeping on) the pounds. Let’s take a closer look…

Leptin and ghrelin are two hormones in your body that work together to control your appetite.  Ghrelin is produced in your gastrointestinal system and stimulates hunger. Leptin is produced by fat cells and lets you know when you are full.  Lack of sleep creates hormone mayhem, as it causes ghrelin levels to rise (increasing your hunger) and sends leptin levels plummeting (leaving you less satisfied when you do eat).  As a result, you overeat to try and quench your hunger, but are never satiated because your leptin levels aren’t high enough to send your brain the message that you are full.  This troublesome combination leads to an increase in calorie consumption and weight gain.

Here are a few eye opening facts about the link between sleep and weight gain, from Columbia University in New York City:

• People who slept 6 hours a night were 23% more likely to be obese than people who slept between 7 and 9 hours.
• People who slept 5 hours were 50% more likely to be obese than people who slept between 7 and 9 hours.
• People who slept 4 hours or less were 73% more likely to be obese than people who slept between 7 and 9 hours.

What constitutes enough sleep?  In an ideal world, we’d all go to bed, fall asleep immediately, sleep solidly for 8.5 hours and wake up naturally, fresh as a daisy! I know that in today’s world of stressful jobs, busy lives and crazy kids, sleep isn’t always that easy to come by. However, knowing how much it affects your health, it is important to make time for sleep each night (“catching up” by sleeping for 10 hours on the weekends does not work to regulate your hormones).  Try not to fall below 7 hours of sleep each night.  If you are currently only getting 5 hours of sleep each night, try to increase a little at a time to make it manageable.   Try going to bed 30 minutes earlier and you will start to notice the immediate benefits of a longer night’s sleep.  Develop a bed time routine that helps you relax so you can fall asleep quickly.  Use the bedroom for only sleep and sex. Turn off the TV and leave your blackberry on the kitchen table. The world can wait until morning for your reply to an email.  DVR your favorite show that starts at 10:00pm, and watch it tomorrow at 7:00pm instead of staying up late tonight. Your health and your scale will thank you!

Do you have tips for a better night’s sleep? If so, please share them. I know many people struggle with getting enough quality sleep, so the more suggestions, the better!