So, how did it go?
Do I feel self-righteous yet? No. Hungry? Yes. Glad I started? Of course. What's more I feel slightly more vindicated in my choice of strategy. I've always been a fan of the common sense approach to anything and in this respect, my approach to losing weight is that I need to change my lifestyle slightly. Do things differently, eat different foods at different times. Break habits.
Imagine my surprise when I saw The Independent earlier. It had an article on a new book, currently ranked 14th at Amazon but of which I was completely unaware until today, called "The No Diet Diet" and it provides a surprisingly close variation to my own philosophy. Briefly, I understand the premise behind the book is that conventional "eat less calorie" diets don't work because, like all animals, we have the hunger relflex. Hunger makes us want to eat and eventually we'll succumb to it. Animals in the wild don't pass up food easily as they never know where their next meal will come from. They expend energy in looking for the next meal so remain at a healthy weight. We don't. We graze and then lounge around watching telly, safe in the knowledge that our next meal isn't strolling around the Serengeti, it's already dead and in the fridge. Psychologists (don't ask me which ones, they never say in these articles) have estimated we spend up to 85% of our time stuck in a web of habits so breaking habits that lock in detrimental behaviour such as grazing can only be good for our health. Or so the theory goes.
I must admit, it sounds a good premise. I've never been one for routines though but it has given me pause for thought. Maybe there are things I do which can break the need to eat at certain times. It certainly worked for me when I gave up smoking; there I'd very consciously decided I wasn't going to smoke first thing or after certain meals. I never let my new habit set itself and constantly refined the times at which I would allow myself to smoke. Eventually I set a date and time to stop and I've never looked back. Now I feel good!
Imagine my surprise when I saw The Independent earlier. It had an article on a new book, currently ranked 14th at Amazon but of which I was completely unaware until today, called "The No Diet Diet" and it provides a surprisingly close variation to my own philosophy. Briefly, I understand the premise behind the book is that conventional "eat less calorie" diets don't work because, like all animals, we have the hunger relflex. Hunger makes us want to eat and eventually we'll succumb to it. Animals in the wild don't pass up food easily as they never know where their next meal will come from. They expend energy in looking for the next meal so remain at a healthy weight. We don't. We graze and then lounge around watching telly, safe in the knowledge that our next meal isn't strolling around the Serengeti, it's already dead and in the fridge. Psychologists (don't ask me which ones, they never say in these articles) have estimated we spend up to 85% of our time stuck in a web of habits so breaking habits that lock in detrimental behaviour such as grazing can only be good for our health. Or so the theory goes.
I must admit, it sounds a good premise. I've never been one for routines though but it has given me pause for thought. Maybe there are things I do which can break the need to eat at certain times. It certainly worked for me when I gave up smoking; there I'd very consciously decided I wasn't going to smoke first thing or after certain meals. I never let my new habit set itself and constantly refined the times at which I would allow myself to smoke. Eventually I set a date and time to stop and I've never looked back. Now I feel good!
posted by Richard at 3:18 PM
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