A new episode of A Mind For Fitness Podcast is now up. In this episode, Eian talks about how he lost 90 pounds. He discusses what diets he used as well as where he stalled out and how he got past it. In addition, he talks about what workouts he did and what he is doing with diet and exercise now. Enjoy!
A new episode of A Mind For Fitness Podcast is now available. In this interview Eian interviews Sean Madigan from the podcast Dudes of Kung Fu. They talk about Martial Arts and health and how Sean lost 100 pounds. Enjoy.
In the last blog, we began to talk about why we overeat. In that article, we addressed one major reason why, namely we do not let our stomach regulate our intake of food. In this article, we will address three more reason why we overeat.
Toxins That Interfere With Our Appetite
One reason we overeat has to do with the fact that we consume “foods” that interfere with the hormones that regulate our appetite. These are toxins like MSG and Aspartame. Most processed snack food has MSG. And most diet drinks have Aspartame. This is why its easy to eat a whole bag of Doritos and a diet Coke and still be hungry for a meal.
Contrast this with the the effects of real food. I may be able to eat a whole can of Pringles and still want to eat more. However, if I ate the same amount of potatoes that it takes to make a whole can of Pringles, I would probably not want much else.
Drinking Sugar
Still another problem in over consumption is what we drink. This is particularly true regarding soda and fruit juice. This stuff is bad for your health for many reason. Also, it is just not filling. Someone can easily drink a days worth of calories in soda or fruit juice and still eat a days worth of calories in solid food.
The other problem is smoothies. It is important to keep in mind that not all smoothies are created equal. Some are almost identical to soda or fruit juice in their content. But even the best of smoothies can pose a problem if you are trying to lose weight. A smoothie can be a great way to get your vitamins and minerals. In many diets, it is used as a meal replacement. But because a smoothie can be healthy people see it as a “free” food. Meaning that you can have them whenever you want. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen people eat their meal and have a smoothie to drink. People think they are doing something healthy, but In reality they are just having two meals.
Should be Sleeping
The last problem, at least for this blog, is that people eat when they should be sleeping. When you do not get sleep, your body craves energy. And even though you may not actually need food, your body will trick you into thinking that you are hungry.
The sad news is not only will you be falsely hungry, you will be hungry for all the wrong food. You body is saying, “We need energy quick. Grab the closest high-carb item.” The good news is there is a simple answer to this problem–sleep!
Conclusion
We overeat as a culture. But you do not have to be part of that. Let your stomach regulate your intake of food. Avoid foods that suppress the hormones that tell you you are full. Don’t drink your meals. And don’t eat when you should be sleeping. Follow these guidelines and it is nearly impossible to overeat.
A new episode of A Mind For Fitness Podcast is up. On this episode, we talk about how to avoid and recover from injuries. Enjoy.
First off, I want to say that this is not a blog vindicating the calorie myth. That said, the truth is we in western culture simply consume too much food. This over consumption is resulting in weight gain. It is awesome to be on a low-carb diet and not have to starve in order to lose weight. However, this does not mean that every meal should be a carb-free version of thanks giving.
What I want to talk about over the next two blog posts is why we overeat. In this blog, I will talk about one of the major reasons. What is that reason? Simply put, we let other things other than our stomach regulate when we are done eating.
So if we are not letting our stomach regulate our consumption of food, then what do we let regulate it?
What’s Left on The Plate
Often we let the plate tell us whether or not we are finished eating. Or to put it another way, when our plate is empty, we are done eating.
Paul McKenna has done experiments where he takes people out to breakfast. At breakfast he lets them order what ever they want and eat as much as they want. Most of the time the participants finish their plates. Then he takes the same subjects out on a different day and has them repeat the experience with one major edition–he blindfolds them.
The result is that most of the subjects only finish half of their food. Why? They are forced to listen to their stomach instead of their eyes in order to determine if they are full. The lesson here is to consciously check in with your stomach to see if you are actually full. If you are, stop eating.
Eating Too Fast
Another way we do not listen to our stomach is that we eat too fast. To my shame, I have gone to an all you can eat buffet and finished two plates in under 10 min. While I was working on my third plate, I discovered that I was not only that I was full but stuffed.
It takes a while for satiety signal from our food to set it. If we eat too fast we can over ride this signal.
Eating At Meal Times
There is also eating because it is meal time. That is to say we do not eat because we are hungry but we eat because it is “time” to eat. Most often this happens in the morning or at lunch.
In the morning, we are told that we should eat because we are suppose to eat breakfast even if we are not hungry. And personally speaking, I am not that hungry in the morning.
Then there is lunch. We are at work and the lunch break begins and we are suppose to eat even if we are not hungry. I cannot tell you how many times I have eaten lunch because it was “lunch time” even though I really did not want to eat.
Even though this happens mostly at breakfast and lunch, dinner can play into this too. If you have had a late or a substantial lunch, you may not be hungry at dinner time. But we eat anyway because it’s dinner time.
But why do we do this? There is no law that says you have to eat at meal times. You should eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full.
Other Distractions
Finally, there are other distractions. People can be distracted by conversation, TV, Internet, children…. Before you know it you are eating more than you should.
There is nothing inherently wrong with doing these things while you eat. However, check in with yourself to find out whether or not you are full. You may be surprised to find out that you are no longer hungry sooner than you think.
Final Thoughts
In closing, the only thing that should really dictate whether or not you should eat is your stomach. If truly listen to your stomach and eat only when you are hungry and stop when you full you will find that you will eat much less.
A new episode of A Mind For Fitness Podcast is now Available. In this episode, we talk about why it can be difficult to lose weight even though we are doing all the right things. Hope you enjoy.
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