Everyday Systems: nosdiet: message 827 of 3212

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Dear Group

In the book "Intuitive Eating" by Evelyn Tribole, she recommends going no 

longer than 5 hours without food. Apparently, when we eat a meal, the liver 

stores up the glucose for slow release into the blood, but can only do it 

for around that length of time. I know I just couldn't go on two meals a 

day, I'd be famished!

Sounds like torture.

Love, Brian


----Original Message Follows----
From: Reinhard Engels <beautiful_idiot@...>
Reply-To: 
To: 
Subject: Re: [nosdiet] emotional eating -- Me too
Date: Sat, 22 May 2004 05:39:33 -0700 (PDT)

Hi Risa,

I'm sorry to hear about your joint problem. As far as
exercise goes, I don't know how to begin to advise
you.

It seems to me the psychology of emotional eating goes
something like this: "Food is a reward. It's the
simplest, most basic kind of reward. The good kid gets
the cookie. So now I'm stressed and depressed. I feel
lousy about myself. But if I give myself a reward,
then I must have done something good, right? If I give
myself the effect, then maybe the cause will follow."

This is irrational, of course, but you can see how
your subconscious might be wired to believe this.
What's the trick to getting around it? I don't think
mere conscious awareness will do it for most people
(though it's a start). I think you need a replacement
reward. If you can walk or exercise, that's best. If
not, a healthy or harmless food/drink reward seems
like the best alternative. I think you're on track
with the carrot and lemon water. It may take some
experimenting to come up with just the right reward
for you.

I would strongly consider 3 vs. 2 meals. I think two
meals is overly ambitious and perhaps not even a good
in itself. Giving yourself the full 3 means no "well
I've only had 2" excuses for emotional eating. It
might nip it in the bud, before it becomes a problem.

Less isn't necessarily better. Consider the following
quote from that Harvard article I linked to regarding
the Amish:

"The French explanation for why Americans are so big
is simple," said Jody Adams, chef/partner of Rialto, a
restaurant in Harvard Square, speaking at the Oldways
conference. "We eat lots of sugar, and we eat between
meals. In France, no one gets so fat as to sue the
restaurant!" Indeed, the national response to our glut
of comestibles is apparently to eat only one meal a
day—all day long. We eat everywhere and at all times:
at work, at play, and in transit. "Japanese cars—the
ones sold in Japan—don't have drink holders," New York
Times health columnist Jane Brody said at the Oldways
conference. "The Japanese don't eat and drink in their
cars."

http://www.harvard-magazine.com/on-line/050465.html

Best of luck, and keep bugging us if you're having
trouble,

Reinhard

--- lupa <lupa@...> wrote:
> um
> *embarrassed face*
> actually, walking is part of the problem.
>
> i've been trying to get steady exercise but i have a
> serious structural problem with most of my joints -
> hips being the worst. therefore, any kind of
> physical activity can cause shooting pains (meaning
> i don't know when or where or how it'll happen, but
> when it does happen it's bad), and if the intensity
> of the shooting pains is high enough it causes a
> corresponding intense emotional trigger that can
> last for hours, subsequently causing grinding of
> teeth yadda yadda. the joint problem/pain is its
> own thing i've been going to multiple drs and
> allopaths for several years now to fix; it's the
> emotional response i'm trying to damp down, since
> that lasts so much longer than the pain does.
> physical therapy exercises aren't too intensive, so
> i need *something* to help.
>
> i've been trying the carrots option offered here -
> it helps a little. i'm also trying to drink a lot
> more water. i sometimes put lime or lemon juice in
> it. i'm also buying mass amt's of pickles, since
> they have a minimal calorie load. debating going to
> three meals, at 12:45 / 6 / random needed pm time
> instead of my original 12:30 / 8:30 plan.
>
> still working on it - was sort of hoping someone had
> a better idea than i'd had ;)
>
> ~risa
>
>
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
>
> On 5/20/2004 at 6:53 AM Reinhard Engels wrote:
>
> >Emotional eating (eating because you're stressed or
> >depressed) is a little like emotional marksmanship
> --
> >not a good idea. Try this instead: emotional
> exercise.
> >Nothing fancy, necessarily, just a little walk will
> >do. Doesn't have to be a safari, around the block a
> >few times is sufficient. Don't groan and ignore me
> >just yet. Consider:
> >
> >1) how the eating just makes you more depressed and
> >stressed (and fat).
> >
> >2) how a little walk does the opposite. And this
> isn't
> >the only benefit: you have leisure to *think* about
> >whatever is stressing or depressing you. Because
> >walking irrationally makes you happy (both because
> of
> >the sense that you are moving towards a destination
> >and because of the endorphins or whatever) you are
> >more likely to find a solution or pep yourself up
> than
> >you would be with mere stationary thinking.
> >
> >Don't plead lack of time. Just get yourself out of
> the
> >house. As for how long your walk should be, make
> that
> >decision once your feet are in motion. You're in no
> >condition to think properly, even about as little a
> >thing as this, cooped up inside next to the
> >refrigerator.
> >
> >Reinhard
>
>
>
>
>

>
>
>
>
>
> 
>
>
>

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