Are You FAT Because You’re FAMISHED? (Part 2)

I used to weigh 270 pounds. No one is “hungry” enough to justify weighing that much. “Need” for food is not the reason you and I gain large amounts of weight. It’s all about DESIRE.

• DESIRE for a huge steak because it makes you feel important … king of the hill.
• DESIRE for ice cream because it means celebration and happiness … a reward, like “You got an A! Let’s get ice cream.”
• DESIRE for big steaming baked potato, because it makes you feel like home … warm and comfortable.

These foods are not bad. And if they are occasionally used for more than nutrition, what’s the harm? It’s a quantity issue. If you have increased to an unhealthy weight, then it’s time to change. First, look at what you’re eating.



What have you eaten in the past 24 hours that nutritionally you didn’t need?

• I had a latte between appointments this morning. At 100 calories, it’s better than the 400-calorie mochas that I love, but I still didn’t NEED it.
• About 3 this afternoon, I’m going to break into my stash of 100-calorie packs. It’s better than the Snickers bar (M-m-m) I would have had in 2007. Even better than yesterday, when someone left half a bag of chocolate chip cookies in the break room. Every time I filled up my water bottle, I snagged a few. Amazing how thirsty I was yesterday.
• And there’s the TV time snack. Clicking through the DVR burns 1 … maybe 2 calories. You don’t need to refuel. Yet we all do it. Last night at about 9, I had a sliced banana mixed with a 100-calories caramel pudding cup. You can make a case for the banana, but pudding is not a food group.
• A note on meat: You do not NEED a 12 to 16 ounce steak. 3-ounces of lean hamburger is plenty, if all you are considering is nutrition.

Secondly, it’s time for a little introspection. WHY are you eating? If it’s just a bad habit, it can be changed. Create a new one. Every habit had a starting point. Or is it more than habit? Are you using food to make yourself feel better?



Change 1: I don’t think I can eliminate all non-nutritional eating. That’s just not reality. But I can change the frequency, choices and serving size of the DESIRED foods.


Change 2: Change whatever it is in your life that makes you turn to food to address those desires. Either find other ways to handle it or think about why you have the need in the first place. Food is not there to solve your (or my) problems.

Are You FAT Because You’re FAMISHED? Part One

Diet gurus from TV to the Internet promise that with their special plan you can loose weight and not be hungry. Adkins says that fat is more filling. The Full Plate Diet pushes fiber for the same reason. In the United States over the past month, 671,000 web pages have addressed hunger and dieting. I’ve lost 75 pounds over the last year and a half. I have a few thoughts on the subject.



If you buy your 2-year-old a toy every time you’re at the store, guess what? He’ll expect you to keep doing it. If you regularly overeat, the 2-year-old in your body will throw a tantrum, when you stop. So what? Drink a glass of water, iced tea, coffee or diet pop. Wait awhile. If that doesn’t work, eat a piece of fruit, carrot sticks or some kind of 100-calorie snack. Get busy. Do something else. Don’t be a drama queen and fixate on it. Move on.



What makes you lose weight is eating fewer calories than you need, so your body burns the stored calories. A little hunger means you’re succeeding. I don’t recommend radical diets. Most people (including me) can’t stick to them. Starving yourself for a week solves nothing. Cut back enough so you loose a pound a week or 5 a month. When it quits working, you’ve reached the even point. Then, cut a little more. The idea that you won’t occasionally be hungry is just silly.



I’m pretty disgusted by the diet industry’s empty promises, but why do they get away with it? Because we want something for nothing! We want to lose weight without sweat and without hunger. Talk about spoiled 2-year-olds.