HUNGER IS THE BEST SEASONING
By Michelle May, M.D.
You were born knowing exactly how much to eat. Hunger is
your body's way of telling you that you need fuel. By
reconnecting with your instinctive signals, you can reach
and maintain a healthier weight without restrictive dieting
and obsessing over every bite of food you put in your
mouth.
Perhaps you've ignored hunger for so long that you've
forgotten how to recognize it. Maybe you even blame it for
your weight problem so you see hunger as the enemy. Perhaps
you confuse hunger with all the other reasons you eat, like
mealtime, boredom, stress or tasty food.
At the same time, you may have learned to ignore the
feeling of satisfaction so you eat until you are stuffed
and uncomfortable. Perhaps you "clean your plate," "never
waste food," and "eat all your dinner if you want dessert,"
instead of stopping when you've had enough. And you'll
perpetuate this cycle if you teach your children the same
things.
HUNGER IS YOUR INSTINCTIVE GUIDE TO
EFFORTLESS (well almost) WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
Reconnecting with your hunger signals helps you lose
weight. Here's how:
* If you eat food your body didn't tell you it needed, it
has no choice but to store it until later.
* You'll eat less food when you're eating to satisfy
physical hunger than if you eat to satisfy other needs.
Think about it. If you aren't hungry when you start eating,
how do you know when to stop? When the food is gone of
course!
* You're more likely to choose foods that nourish you. If
you aren't hungry but you're eating because you are sad,
mad or glad, what kinds of foods do you want? That's when I
want chocolate, cookies and salty snacks.
* Food actually tastes better when you're truly hungry.
Hunger really is the best seasoning so you eat less but
enjoy it more.
* You'll feel more satisfied because food is great for
reducing hunger but not so great for reducing boredom,
stress or other triggers.
TRUST YOUR GUT INSTINCTS
To break out of the pattern of eating on autopilot, get in
the habit of asking yourself, "Am I hungry?" every time you
feel like eating. This simple but powerful question will
help you recognize the difference between an urge to eat
caused by the physical need for food from an urge to eat
caused by head hunger.
I know from personal experience that it's not as easy as it
sounds. The first step is to recognize that hunger is
physical. It's not a craving, a thought or a temptation. By
focusing on hunger as your guide, you can become your own
internal expert about when, what and how much to eat.
It's really pretty simple - if you're not sure you're
hungry, you're probably not.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
* What specific signs of hunger do you usually have?
* What other thoughts and feelings do you confuse with
hunger at times?
* Do you know what to do when you feel like eating even
though you're not hungry?
Don't live to eat--love to eat. Use hunger to let you know
when food will be most enjoyable and satisfying.
Hi Everyone! I know I haven't been around much lately. As always, I am extremely busy with work.
That was a very thought-provoking article, Carol. But I have to say I disagree with the part of it that says that hunger is not a craving, thought, or temptation.
I know that in my case (and I doubt that I am alone), it is possible to have food cravings even if I am stuffed past the point of satiety. Therefore, there is a distinct difference between food cravings and hunger. Most of my weight loss battle has focused on defining the difference between cravings and hunger, and figuring out ways to eliminate the cravings while properly feeding the hunger.
I have found it is easier for me to lose weight if I eat a whole foods diet, because my body seems to get confused by preservatives, chemicals, and non-food additives and then I can't rely on it to give me the correct signals about what to eat and when to stop.
I know on the surface that's not pure "Intuitive Eating." But if you take some of the foods you think you like to eat (for example, I used to be a sucker for frozen lasagna) and break them down into their components as labelled, ask yourself when was the last time you were really jonesing for some guar gum, powered cellulose, or anti-caking agent?
I have stopped wanting a lot of those foods I used to crave because once I had stopped eating them for a while, I began to notice that the additives have a distinct (unpleasant) taste that I never noticed when I was eating them all the time.
I haven't stopped eating lasagna; I just make it from scratch now
Gotta go to work now. I hope you guys all have a great day!
Just great to see you again Fiddler! I don't have a problem with that because my mom always cooked from scratch so I do, too. We have a big garden so that helps. I have so many peppers, both green and red that I chop them up and freeze them. I've even put them in salads straight from the jar and no one noticed that they had been frozen. I guess my biggest problem would be sweets. My mom was always thin and always had dessert.....every day!
He eats it in a manner unknown to most of you, which will be described a little further on, and so far from being a half-starved anchorite, he is a well-fed, properly nourished enjoyer of the feast, for he has possessed himself of that most piquant of all sauces-Hunger.
When it says, "a little further on" is there more to this article? Thanks.
Carol -
If you go to the article and click on "Back to Index" you will see a list of all the chapters in this book. Some of them are kind of "out there" but I find it interesting, especially considering it was written in 1904. But the part about the manner of eating described later is all about the chewing thoroughly and taking time with each bite of food, which the author calls "masticating" the food. Interesting term. It is interesting to note some of the different word choices that were used then.
If you go through the whole book you might think some of it is crazy, and so do I but there are some bits of wisdom in there also. I won't throw the baby out with the bath water. Even though there might be a good bit of bath water!
Here is my favorite chapter, which I will copy here. Again this is from 1904!! - dig that last paragraph!
XI. About Food - Yogi Ramacharaka
We intend to leave the matter of the choice of food an open question with our students. While, person*ally, we prefer certain kinds of food, believing that the best results are obtained from the use thereof, we recognize the fact that it is impossible to change the habits of a lifetime (yes, of many generations) in a day, and man must be guided by his own experience and his growing knowledge, rather than by dogmatic utterances of others. The Yogis prefer a non-animal diet, both from hygienic reasons and the Oriental aversion to eating the flesh of animals. The more ad*vanced of the Yogi students prefer a diet of fruit, nuts, olive oil, etc., together with a form of unleavened bread made from the entire wheat. But when they travel among those who follow different dietary rules from themselves they do not hesitate to adapt themselves to the changed conditions, to a greater or less extent, and do not render themselves a burden to their hosts, know*ing that if they follow the Yogi plan of masticating their food slowly their stomachs will take good care of what they eat. In fact, some of the most indigesti*ble things in the modern menu may be safely eaten if the above mentioned system is adopted.
And we write this chapter in the spirit of the travel*ing Yogi. We have no wish to force arbitrary rules upon our students. Man must grow into a more ra*tional method of eating, rather than have it forced upon him suddenly. It is hard for one to adopt a nonmeat diet, if he has been used to animal flesh all his life, and it is equally difficult for one to take up an uncooked dietary list, if he has been eating cooked dishes all his life. All we ask of you is to think a little on the subject and to trust your own instinct regarding the choice of food, giving yourself as great a variety as possible. The instinct, if trusted, will usually cause you to select that which you need for that particular meal, and we would prefer to trust the instinct rather than to bind ourselves to any fixed, unchangeable dietary. Eat pretty much what you feel like, providing you masticate it thoroughly and slowly, and give yourself a wide range of choice. We will speak, in this chapter, of a few things which the ra*tional man will avoid, but will do so merely in the way of general advice. In the matter of non-meat eat*ing, we believe that mankind will gradually grow to feel that meat is not its proper diet, but we believe that one must outgrow that feeling, rather than to have it beaten out of him, for if he "longs" for the flesh-pots of Egypt, it is about as bad as if he really participated in the feast. Man will cease to desire meat, as he grows, but until that time comes, any forced restraint of the meat habit will not do him much good. We are aware that this will be considered heterodox by many of our readers, but we cannot help that fact-our statements will stand the test of experience.
If our students are interested in the question of the relative advantages of particular kinds of foods, let them read some of the very good works which have been written upon the subject of recent years. But let them read upon the several sides of the question, and avoid being carried away by the particular fad of the writer whose book is before them. It is instructive and inter*esting to read of the comparative food values of the various articles upon our tables, and such knowledge will gradually tend to a more rational dietary. But such changes must be the result of thought and expe*rience, rather than upon the mere say so of some per*son riding a hobby. We suggest that our students consider whether or not they are eating too much meat; whether they are living upon too much fat and grease; whether they are eating enough fruit; whether whole wheat bread would not be a good addition to their bill of fare; whether they are not indulging in too much pastry and "made dishes." If we were asked to give them a gen*eral rule regarding eating we would be apt to say "eat a variety of foods; avoid 'rich' dishes; do not eat too much fat; beware of the frying-pan; do not eat too much meat; avoid, especially, pig meat and veal; let your genera] habit of eating tend toward the simple, plain fare, rather than towards the elaborate dishes; go slow on pastry; cut out hot cakes from your list; mas*ticate thoroughly and slowly, according to the plan we have given you; don't be afraid of food, if you eat it properly it will not hurt you, providing you do not fear it."
We think it better to make the first meal of the day a light one, as there is very little waste to repair in the morning, as the body has been at rest all night. If possible, take a little exercise before breakfast.
If you once return to the natural habit of proper mastication, and experience the sensation that comes from proper eating, the abnormal appetites which have been acquired, will fall from you, and natural hunger will return. When natural hunger is with you, the in*stinct will be very keen in picking out nutritious food for you, and you will feel inclined toward that which will give you just the nourishment you need at any particular time. Man's instinct is a good guide, pro*viding it has not been spoiled by the indulgence in the absurd dishes so common in these days, which create false appetite.
If you feel "out of sorts," do not be afraid to "cut out" a meal, and give the stomach a chance to get rid of what it has on hand. One can go without eating for a number of days without danger, although we do not advise prolonged fasts. We feel, however, that in sick*ness it is wise to give the stomach a rest, in order that the recuperative energy may be directed toward the casting out of the waste matter which has been causing the trouble. You will notice that the animals stop eat*ing while they are sick, and lie around until health is restored, when they return to their meals. We may take this lesson from them with considerable profit.
We do not wish students to become "food cranks" who weigh, measure and analyze every mouthful of food. We consider this an abnormal method and be*lieve that such a course generates fear-thought and fills the Instinctive mind with all sorts of erroneous ideas. We think it a much better plan to use ordinary precautions and judgment in the selection of one's food, and then to bother no more about the matter, but eat with the thought of nourishment and strength in your minds, masticating the food as we have stated, and knowing that nature will do its work well. Keep as close to nature as possible, and let her plans be your standard of measurement. The strong, healthy man it not afraid of his food, and neither should be the man who wishes to be healthy, Keep cheerful, breathe properly, eat properly, live properly, and you will not have occasion to make a chemical analysis of every mouthful of food. Do not be afraid to trust to your instinct, for that is the natural man's guide, after all.
I spent a very pleasant afternoon with Fiddler, and at the end of the day over dinner and drinks, we were discussing weight loss motivation, or the lack thereof.
We agreed that although health is our primary concern, sometimes it just goes out the window as a motivating factor because it turns into fear-motivation (stroke! heart-attack! etc) rather than a positive motivational factor, and we agreed that fear is not always a good motivator.
Sometimes I can be motivated by philosophical and idealistic principles, but during times of just getting bummed and not thinking along those lines, those motivating factors go out the window too.
So we decided we needed superficial non-noble backup motivation.
I hereby announce that Fiddler and I are competing to fit into size 12 jeans or other type of form fitting pants by Christmas. Not a tight squeeze but a generally recognized "fit." Not into an outrageously oversized 12 but a standard 12, generally recognized as a size 12 by the general clothing manufacturers of known size standards. We are both about two sizes above that right now. We agreed to be able to taunt each other mercilessly during the time of competition to add to the non-noble motivation. If there is one winner, that winner will be treated by the loser to a New Year's Eve celebration, (dinner, drinks, motel room so that we don't have to worry about driving.) If there are two winners, (we both accomplish it) so much the better! We'll go dutch, and go nuts! We'll buy new clothes and go out and do the New Year's thing.
I hope it will be that we both "win."
But, (throwing idealism out the window) I'm going to kick her size 16 butt. Hear that, Fid???
Hi all! I am just starting to read the Intuitive Eating book... I finished reading Change One and started with another intuitive eating book called Fit from Within. I am totally out of touch with my "hunger" vs my head. I wish I could find a dietician in my area that does this kind of work!! I already emailed Elyse, one of the authors of IE.
So, I am curious... how much have each of you lost, (if you know) and how long have you been doing IE?
Well, Jo and Fiddler, That is a pretty interesting contest. I'm on another site in a similar situation so I won't join you for now but hope the results are the same. ha! I haven't been feeling the best lately but I haven't checked my blood calcium lately so should probably have my DH do that. I hate to think about going on more prednisone. I read about a thing called the Marshall Protocol. I've been trying to get my DH to read it, too, cause it is kind of techincal in a medical sense and he'd understand it better. It's by some dr. who has had sarcoidosis like me and cured himself with some antibiotic if I'm reading it right.
I will be exercising more, and cutting down on my consumption of alcoholic beverages. I don't have a problem with solids, just liquids. I already eat like a....
mouse.....
