Tag: overeating

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What if feeling hungry, feeling uncomfortable, is the answer?

We avoid feeling hungry because it feels uncomfortable.

Feeling uncomfortable, feeling hungry

Feeling discomfort is hard.

We avoid it at all costs.

At its essence, it is an instinctive reaction.  If we feel the heat of the fire, we instinctively remove our hand. This is our brain and the nervous system working as we want them to. To protect our body from physical harm.

What happens when the danger is perceived rather than real? Public speaking? Asking for a promotion?

Our physical reaction is very similar. It is equally dramatic. It feels like you could die. The brain thinks the danger is real and creates what it thinks it is an appropriate reaction.

Except, we are only speaking. In front of people, yes, but only speaking.

What do we do? It feels so bad that we prefer to avoid doing the thing we know it could help us, the thing we want to do. Just to avoid experiencing that physical reaction, that negative emotion.

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Drinking and weight, one change at a time

For faster results, line-up changes, do not attempt them all at once

One at a time, stop overeating and then decide if you also want to stop drinking, or vice versa – Photo by iorni.com on Unsplash

I suggest you do not attempt all behavioural changes, drinking and weight, at once and here is why.

Alcohol contributes to the energy intake.

If you stop or decrease the amount of alochol you drink it will help you to lose weight.

However, if you decide to decrease alcohol in order to lose weight you might be setting yourself for a more difficult journey than necessary.

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Counting calories: not useful, you do not need it

It is complicated and it stops you from listening to your body

Counting calories gives you and exact number but that is unlikely to be true and it stops you from listening to your body. Photo by Sumudu Mohottige on Unsplash

If counting calories works for you (i.e. it helps you to maintain the weight you want to have) and you are committed to continue doing it long-term, by all means, count calories.

This actually applies to everything I recommend or not in this blog. If you are doing something different that works for you, it is healthy and feasible long-term, just keep doing that.

For those of you who count calories but are not seeing the result you want, I suggest you stop.

This is why.

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Deconditioning the urge to eat something you do not want to eat

More on processing urges: track success, analyse failures

Track 100 processed cravings/urges to snack, you are done! Photo by Marcel Eberle on Unsplash

Have you been processing urges?

Fantastic, it will have given you lots of practice. It will have prepared you for the recommendations I will give you in this post. You do not need to have succeed with every urge. It is the practice that matters.

As long as you are:

  1. Committed to continue (100% committed)
  2. Understand why you’ve given in to the urge: ask yourself lots of questions, what were you thinking just before you eat? What ‘excuse’ did you use to allow yourself to eat that snack?
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How to process a craving. No willpower needed.

Initially, processing the urge to snack is hard

Stop using will power, process the craving instead – Photo by Gaby Fishman Fosbery on Unsplash

Why should you process a craving?

Are you following through with your plan to stop snacking? If you are I am sure you have experienced cravings.

Willpower?

No, thank you.

Are you using willpower to stop you from snacking?

It works. Initially.

Unfortunately, it only works for a while.

That is why we get mixed up. We use willpower; it works for a bit. We think it is the solution.

However, we cannot keep it for long. We give up. We think there is something wrong with us.

What about trying something different?

Continue reading “How to process a craving. No willpower needed.”
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Do you want lose weight? Stop overeating

Weight is just the symptom, long term weight loss needs to address the cause and help to stop overeating

You want to lose weight.

You’ve tried many ‘diets’. 

You have plenty of knowledge of what healthy eating looks like. 

You like to be guided by research and follow good practice. Although you have tried some, you don’t get along with those strange ‘only eat crackers and apples for a week’ diets. You’ve tried them because, well, what else is there to try?

Despite all this, it just doesn’t work. You achieve some weight loss but can’t keep it off. You are tired of yo-yo dieting and weight cycling.

Unfortunately, knowledge is not enough, otherwise, we would all be the weight we desire and wouldn’t struggle with food and eating habits.

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