Lose weight by listening

by Corina Loftin

research

Christine is my best friend. She is the kind of person anyone would love to know. She has the most wonderful personality. She is always there for me and knows just the right things to say. She is giving and caring to anyone she comes in contact with. She is helpful, understanding, and overweight. Like most women who struggle with their weight, she has tried every diet available and none have worked successfully. I see her fight this constant battle and feel her disappointment when she doesn't get anywhere.

Food is a consuming factor in her life and that is where her problem lies. To lose her weight and keep it off, she must learn to listen to her body's cues and eat when, what, and how much it asks for. Most weight problems start in early childhood. Babies are not capable of overeating. They want to eat when their bodies are hungry and they eat until their hunger is gone. Parents don't realize that they start creating bad habits in their children when they limit their baby's food intake or constantly shove bottles at them whenever they cry. As a child grows, emphasis is put on timed meals, accentuating the importance of eating. This practice teaches children at a young age to eat by the clock, not by listening to their own body. Christine has a wonderful mother, but she taught Christine these bad eating habits as a child.

Letting children eat when and what they want, putting limits on junk food, is a simple solution to this potential problem. If they are not hungry at six o'clock for dinner, don't make them eat. If they want four pancakes for breakfast, that's okay, too. Teaching children to prepare healthy simple meals for themselves enables them to eat on demand instead of waiting for Mom or Dad to fix them something. Practicing good eating habits with children will help prevent a weight problem later in their lives. As adults, when the damage is already done, differentiating hunger cues from hunger habits is a lot harder to do. Christine can't be sure when she is hungry.

It takes a lot of practice to learn how to listen and know when your body is really hungry. Asking questions to make this determination is helpful, such as, "Do I feel empty?" or "Can I go another hour without eating?" If the answer to both of these questions is "yes," then wait a little while before settling down for a meal. Eating only when her body is asking for food has been a difficult adjustment for Christine and may be for others due to many people's lives are on strict schedules. For example, Christine's lunch is usually between twelve and one, and if she isn't hungry, she sometimes doesn't get another chance to eat again until hours later. A light snack will solve this problem. Being flexible helps when learning how to listen to when your body wants to be fed. The end result of listening to your body is weight loss.

Christine also finds herself eating more than her body is asking for at one sitting. This habit adds to weight gain. Children are often taught to clear their plate before they are allowed to get up from a meal, causing them to stuff themselves instead of stopping when their body tells them they are full. Such programing can lead to guilty feelings about throwing away uneaten portions or the uncontrollable urge to finish everything in front of them in adulthood. A way to stop stuffing is to eat slowly, concentrating on cues that are sent out by the body. As the food reaches the stomach at a slower rate, the body has time to signal when it is full. That is the time to stop, no matter how good the food might taste. Doing so will mean eating less and losing weight.

Food is given too much priority in our society. People need to remember food is for nourishment and energy, occasionally for pleasure. If we abuse our bodies by not listening to what they need, we end up overweight. Christine is slowly regaining control of her body and eating habits, but these habits die hard. By listening to your body's cues you will lose weight and keep it off. Along with exercise, this technique and learning to live by it will result in a happy, healthier you.

Reference:
1. Lake, Rikki, "Lose Weight Or I'm Leaving" The Rikki Lake Show, November 98
2. Personal interview: Christine Tarleton, February 99

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