This got me thinking about the certain food cues that can sabotage our weight loss efforts. I recently had a chat with David A. Kessler, M.D., author of the book, The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite.
In his book, he talks about the things that have “hijacked our brain circuitry,” driving us to eat for reward rather than hunger. One of those things is food cues:
- Visual cues--the sight of food, the sight of a restaurant
where we once ate that food, the street corner we pass en route, or
a billboard advertising that restaurant.
- Certain sounds (ice cream truck, anyone?) and smells (Um,
Cinnabon?)
- Attributes such as time of day and location
- People and the moods they evoke in us, both positive and
negative. “The aroma of a cherry pie can evoke your grandmother’s
home-cooked meals, driving desire,” he says.
See our tips: The 10 Questions You Need to Ask Before Joining a Gym
So we are constantly being cued to eat when we’re not hungry. But what can we do about it? Dr. Kessler says that once we recognize we're constantly being stimulated, we can take steps to stop it from sabotaging our weight loss efforts. His advice?:
- Get rid of the stimuli in your environment: Move the bread
plate; don't drive a certain route if you're going to be
tempted.
- Keep a food journal: “Who wants to pull out a journal every time
one eats?” asks Dr. Kessler. Yes, it can be a total pain, but
journaling “interrupts the stimulus and makes you aware of it,” he
says. It helps you to not respond to cues.
- Eat in a structured manner: Plan what you're going to eat
reduce the constant bombardment of food cues to the brain.
What do you think? Have you noticed that a T.V. commercial, a billboard on the road, or your favorite blog often stimulates you to eat when you’re not hungry? Or is it smell or an emotional response to someone or something? And do you live somewhere (like a big city) where the food cues abound?
PS - Check out the 9 things Sarah has identified that could also be sabotaging your weight loss efforts.
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