Some Help with Eating Too Much….
I don’t want to get into a debate over causes of obesity and all the reasons why people become overweight. I do have some thoughts about helping in terms of weight control. For many years I have been working on doing psychological assessments for people who are thinking of going through gastric bypass or laparoscopic surgery as well as counseling people with eating disorders. So, here are some thoughts.
First, be sure to always check with your physician before proceeding:
1. You don’t need to feel stuffed to know that you’ve eaten enough. It is best to leave the table slightly unsatisfied. If you feel full, you’ve eaten too much.
2. You should chew your food thoroughly and eat slowly. It really does help with weight.
3. You need to think about how your head and your stomach communicate. It takes about fifteen to twenty minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that there’s food inside. If you eat fast, your brain may miss the signal and you will be putting more food in you than you need.
4. Your breakfast is an important meal. Generally speaking–and check with your doctor and nutritionist as to what and how much you should eat–if you don’t eat something for breakfast, your brain will be told that. To compensate, your brain may slow down your metabolism. In that case, you may wind up actually gaining weight because your body is trying to adjust for lack of fuel.
5. Next, and again, check with your doctor–try a palm full of real nuts (not peanuts) about a half hour before eating. Make sure you’re not allergic to nuts before you eat them. The nuts will slow your appetite and they are also good for your heart.
6. You should also be concerned about eating after drinking caffeinated drinks because they cause surges and drops in your energy levels. You may feel energized, and then tired; you may want to eat then.
I’ll have more thoughts soon. Try these and good luck.
