The thrill of the kill

The thrill of the kill. Hunters understand it. It's that rush when they zero in on their target. Mountain climbers understand it too. It's the anticipation, the false peak, and then the exhilaration when they finally reach the real peak and soak up the panoramic view. It's a rush of adrenaline.

Race car drivers, rescue workers, parachutists, and stunt men all love the adrenaline rush, and strive to repeat it again and again. And nearly all of us have sought the thrill of the roller coaster at one time.

Adrenaline can be addicting. When it's turned toward something good, how could we argue? Adrenaline can help you take a test, brighten your solo voice, or run a good race.

Even if it's risky, it can help us rescue someone from a burning building. But what if you're addicted to a thrill that's disguised as good, but is slowly leading to your demise?

That's what diets do. They give us the thrill of the adrenaline rush, followed by a letdown, followed by a redoubling of our efforts to get that feeling back. It's one reason why dieters who reach their goal weight either continue to lose, becoming underweight, or gain the weight back so they can lose it again. They can't stop reaching for the thrill. They're hooked on adrenaline.

Are you hooked on one of these?:

1. The thrill of the weigh-in
2. The thrill of tightening that belt enough to find the unused hole
3. The thrill of compliments
4. The thrill of counting up your day's calories and seeing that you didn't cheat
5. The thrill of buying new, smaller clothes
6. Even the thrill of feeling a little hungry or deprived at the start of the diet.

This last one is most interesting and insidious. With the gung-ho attitude of a new diet, you misinterpret the rush to mean that your harsh treatment of yourself is healthy and good. But it doesn't last. Eventually, the truth prevails.

Does adrenaline have a place in weight loss? Can you think of one good role that adrenaline can play in learning intuitive eating? I can't think of any.

There are times in our lives, in fact, when we shoo away adrenaline. When we're building a house of cards. When we're tying to beat someone at chess. When we're preparing for a speech, carrying the new baby down the stairs, pulling into the school parking lot to have a heart to heart with the principal.

When we're interviewing for a job, learning to drive, adding up numbers to fill in our tax forms for the IRS.

You can surely think of more. The truth is that we have hundreds of times in our days and weeks when we resist the temptation to get a rush. They always seem to be during tasks that require calm, sustained, concentration.

Why is it, then, that at one of the most focused times in our lives, when we are trying to change how we eat, we abandon all reason and seek a thrill? It doesn't make sense.

Are you addicted to the thrill of dieting? Of weight loss? Of compliments? Of buying smaller sizes? Does that explain your temptation to return to dieting?

If so, stop and think. Can you go on like that forever? Does the adrenaline rush, in fact, cover over your body's appetite signals? While you're thrill-seeking, your body is pleading in quiet desperation:

1. Please don't give me another one of those diet shakes
2. I need more fats, now!
3. Gosh I'd love a balanced meal
4. I can't stand this much longer
5. This diet soda is poisoning me
6. I don't feel well
7. If you feed me one more green soup, I'll explode

Is the thrill of the kill killing you? Your body is desperately awaiting sound reason, while your mind is on the thrill of the ride.

It's time to shoo away the adrenaline. Use calm reason. Use logic and grandmotherly wisdom. Go out of your way to avoid thrills. Sounds dull by comparison, doesn't it? But you've tried the other, and you know where it got you. If the adrenaline way to diet worked, you wouldn't be reading this.

Today, picture one of those "no smoking" signs. You know--the one with the picture of the cigarette that's crossed out with a red diagonal line.

Change it in your mind to "no adrenaline." Then, along your journey to normal eating, every time you're tempted to ride the adrenaline rush, think of that sign.

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Find out more about Linda Moran's book, How to Survive Your Diet.