The Slimming Pool Weight Loss Blog: Hey, I was Eating That!
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Celebrity Diet Advice. Are You Hungry?
Here's something I read yesterday that got my blood boiling. It's supposedly diet advice, but I'd say it's more of the same nonsense we're fed in our daily "Celebrity Advice" diet.
"You eat when you're hungry, and you can eat often," Paula Zahn disclosed, saying she eats five or six small high-protein "meals" a day." Here's the stupid part: "On this plan, my energy levels are so stable ... and I never feel hungry."
Excuse me? First she says you eat when you're hungry, and she eats five or six times a day. In the next instant she says, you'll NEVER feel hungry. No wonder people are so afraid of hunger when celebrities and other so called "experts" claim you can eliminate the pesky hunger problem, just by following their diet.
Hunger is Healthy
For once and for all, hunger is a healthy aspect of daily life. Without hunger we would all whither and die. Have you ever truly lost your appetite? Not a lessened desire or "you're not hungry but you could eat" hunger, but a true loss entirely? Without appetite the thought of food is repulsive; you not only don't want to eat, you probably couldn't eat, unless you were forced. That is the situation faced by those under extreme illness conditions and isn't something I'd wish on anyone.
Since most diet plans are so restrictive, especially compared to what we normally eat, it's no wonder we become fearful of our hunger pangs. (Please note the word is pangs, not pains). Case in point, The TWA Stewardess Diet which allows you half a grapefruit for breakfast. Talk about hungry!
Starting today, let's eliminate the the notion that hunger is the enemy. One thing that helps enormously is to feed yourself well. Eat wholesome food more often - you'd be surprised how well it works!
EFT ideas regarding hunger/fear/loss-of-control etc.
Setup: "Even though I'm afraid of my hunger, I deeply and completely accept myself."
"Even though my hunger is so great I'll consume everything, I deeply and completely accept myself."
"Even though I can't control my hunger, I deeply and completely accept myself."
Round 1: This hunger thing
Round 2: This remaining hunger thing
It only takes a minute, do as many rounds as are necessary to bring your SUD level to a 2 or lower.
What's EFT? What's a SUD level? Read the Intro to EFT materials. It's very easy to learn and even easier to use.
Some people stop using EFT because it seems too easy, or they are actually getting a good result but then something stops them from continuing. What do you think could be the problem? More issues perhaps? Exactly! When you find yourself thinking, "Oh, I don't need to do this," or "This is silly," or "This is a waste of time, I'll never..." that's a perfect opportunity to use EFT on your limiting beliefs.
Do a round of EFT every time you catch yourself in a negative frame of mind.
It's 11:51 AM and so far today I've eaten, a huge bowl of granola cereal with a cup or more of non-fat milk at 7:15 AM. Around 10:00 I had a small banana, which didn't seem to do a lot, so I added a medium apple about 10:20. Now, I've just finished a low-fat yogurt, and it's not yet noon.
Some people haven't eaten a thing yet today, but I'm feeling nicely satisfied (not hungry, or trying not to eat, or trying to wait to eat), just satisfied. Not stuffed, not empty, just satisfied. Later, in an hour or two I'll get hungry again.
Hunger isn't something you should fear, but embrace. It's a sign you are healthy. One of the most harmful effects of serious illness is a lack of appetite, because when you are ill, you need more nutrients, not less. If you don't get adequate nutrients, your ability to fight off illness is reduced, and you can become too weak.
If you seem to be constantly hungry, take a look at what you are eating, and also what you are craving? If you crave nothing but junk, i.e. candy, cookies, treat foods, then you could be hungry because you aren't feeding yourself very well. If you eat a lot but don't provide much in the way of nutrients, your body will still keep asking for food. It wants food, real food. Something with fiber, something for your digestive system to work with.
Junk food might fill you up for the moment, but it won't fool your body, and your body will just ask for more food. That's why you can eat a whole bag of chips and still be hungry, or you can eat a huge dinner and feel hungry less than an hour later. I've noticed this after eating at certain restaurants, despite eating more than enough, I'm hungry again soon after.
Try eating well for a day (or half a day, if it frightens you). Just eat usual foods, homemade, old fashioned foods, like fresh fruit, vegetables, salads, corn on the cob, or baked beans, it doesn't matter, just eat real food for a day, and see how satisfied you'll feel.
For some folks, three meals a day is okay, for others, five or six smaller meals works best. Go with what works for you. I eat multiple times during the day, usually three times before noon, up until my “dinner” usually around 5:00, and I find I rarely feel hungry at night. I'm always hungry early in the day though, so that's when I eat.
I don't know anyone who got fat from eating too many apples, do you?
