Hunger and fullness: July 2007 Archives

Fries, coke, big mac. Fries coke big mac. Every day. Why?

Not on purpose. If you've read my book you know I encourage my readers to consider including whole grains in their diet, and to see if they can reduce their trans-fats a bit.

That's just about the only nutritional advice I offer, because the bent of my book is that if you don't stop overeating you'll have worse problems than high cholesterol.

I think for many diet addicts, learning to eat normal amounts comes first and is initially more important than the content of your food.

I'm not black and white about that, but if you're reading this, you're probably one of those people who hears any food restriction as the loud trumpet call of diet, which catapults you right back into the diet mentality. It's that much of an addiction.

As you may know, I like sticking to whole grains and healthy food myself, although I do think sugar has its psychological benefits.

But something happened recently.

I stopped craving all that healthy food. And instead, I craved McDonald's. Day after day after day. Week after week after week.

I surrendered, knowing that if I tried too hard to stick with the healthy foods, I'd rebel anyway. It was time to keep my focus on hunger and fullness.

Now, I'm not promoting unhealthy eating. But there is merit to the normal eating gurus who say "save your life...think hunger and fullness only." Too much restriction at once will backfire.

But does it work to eat all that junk? Can thin folks really stay thin that way?

I guess I can't speak for other people for sure. We do vary a bit in our metabolisms.

But I can tell you this. It wasn't hard to stick with hunger and fullness because I didn't feel deprived. I was eating exactly what I wanted. Besides, a Big Mac tastes mighty good when you're really really hungry. And pretty awful when you're full.

It's been a few months now since it all started, and I haven't gained an ounce.

Do you have your priorities straight? Are you trying to tackle too many issues at once?

You might be someone who is best off just concentrating on your hunger and fullness. No, I don't mean eating Snickers bars all day. But three balanced meals with one or two snacks, even if they consist of too much junk food, isn't half bad if you're succeeding at hunger and fullness.

You'll lose the weight, and some of your troubles will go away. For some of you, it may be best to leave the fine-tuning for later.

Click on the book cover for more information