Appetite Control

I was listening to an ad yesterday for appetite control pills. I don't know whether these pills are healthy or not, (my guess is-not) but I wonder whether hunger is the issue when most people overeat. There are so many reasons we overeat. We eat more at social gatherings, on vacations, to reward ourselves, to fill an emotional hole, even in some cases, to punish ourselves. Hunger is rarely the reason when I eat too much. I think it is a habit during certain times of the day and other times, it is out of boredom.

I think we should examine the reasons for our overeating before we determine how we are going to change our behavior. We might need to show more restraint when eating out or when we are at parties or on vacations. We can do this by ordering less, and spending more time in conversation than actually eating. If we are going to reward ourselves, a nice bubble-bath, a trip to the salon, a walk through the park, a new accessory or journal or book, would be better than a piece of cake. Well, healthier, anyway. If we are sad, lonely, or having a pity party, it might work to get out of the house and visit a friend or see a funny movie or go window shopping. My reasons for overeating- habit during certain times of the day and out of boredom- are easily fixed if I take the time to think about what I am doing. New habits are not too difficult to pick up and surely I can find something better to do than eat!

I have a list for my children called the "Mom, I'm bored" list. It lists every game in the house; the outside toys, bikes, balls, etc. we have to play with; suggestions of things to do, like reading a book, playing with the dogs, etc. I need to make one for myself, I think, because my to-do list isn't much incentive not run to the pantry when I have time to myself.

Another time I do eat when I'm not hungry is during our movie nights. I finally settled this by putting a pair of 2 pound weights by the tv. If my arms are busy lifting, they can't be shoveling food. Now that's not to say that I lift weights for 2 hours while I watch a movie, but I do pick them up when I have the urge to eat when I am full.

I don't believe in appetite control pills is because I don't think too many overeat because of hunger. I think that taking these pills, or eating anything that claims to "fill us up" only messes with our natural ability to feel hungry when we need food and to be able to tell when we are full. Maybe, for some of us, we have lost the ability to recognize when we are hungry or full and we need to pay close attention to our bodies and re-learn the natural cues that tell us when to eat and when to stop.

I read about a situation in the book "Body Clutter" that made me cry. Apparently, a woman observed a mom and her little children ordering at McDonald's. The children were little- six and under. They wanted cheeseburgers. The mom told them that the double cheeseburger was only a few cents more and, therefore, the better value. The kids replied that they were not hungry enough for the double cheeseburger (what six year old needs a double cheeseburger, anyway) and they just wanted the regular cheeseburger. The mother argued, and, in the end, bought all the children double cheeseburgers because it was the better deal. Well, as you might expect, the children could not finish the sandwiches. (Great value, right?) The mother then proceeds to tell the children not to waste food and informs them that if they do not finish their sandwiches, they will not be getting ice cream cones. So, these precious little children crammed the rest of their sandwiches down their throats and then got their ice cream. Is it any wonder that so many children are obese? And is it any wonder that we, ourselves, have learned to ignore our own body's cues in favor of cleaning our plates and getting the better deal?

Today, think about what triggers your eating when you are not hungry. Think about the times of day when you have the most trouble avoiding unneeded food. Try to create strategies to use during these times. Write them in your journal and see if they don't help over the next week or two.