WATER FOR WEIGHT LOSS, EMOTIONAL EATING TURNED TO HEALTHY HYDRATION (REJOICE IF YOU HAVE AN ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY) (ISSUE 61)

By Diane Gold

Everyone knows that water is great for weight loss. And this would be helpful because there is so much emotional eating going on. Why? It helps hydrate our skin, our membranes, our very cells so that we can get the food (oxygen) to the blood effectively and the nutrients we ingest to absorb into our intestines. And it curbs food cravings.

Did you know that a huge amount of our world population does not have enough water or has to walk to get it? According to Kathleen Parker’s article, quoting Charles Fishman’s The Big Thirst (on my pending reading list), we, Westerners, use 18.5 gallons a day flushing our toilets while there is only 1/100th of 2.5 percent fresh water on the planet or, if the oceans were broken down into mass, 2.5% of the Earth’s mass. Not a lot.

So, the first thing to do is to hail the Universe if you have enough water to drink and to consider being frugal with it so that we can make money with it and fund sending workers to third-world countries to create water infrastructures so that everyone can live more easily with water.

Next thing we need to do is to consider this simple concept: drinking 2 cups of water before every meal has been clinically proven to reduce calorie intake by 75-90 calories per meal and to increase actual weight loss by 33 or so %, according to Brenda Davy’s study in the clinical trial reported to the 240th Meeting of the American Chemical Society (August, 2010) by Davy of Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.

PRELUDE TO HABIT

Let’s look at what happens when we start to feel the twinges of hunger. These urges might be immediately after eating, 10 minutes after eating, an hour after, 3 hours apart or more. The amount of time between cravings is a non-judgmental number. The craving begins as an itch, which shows up when it shows up. If we don’t judge ourselves, we won’t be judged! Its intensity determines the level of self-control we need to master it.

Of course, different proteins (histamines and newly found proteins) cause the nerve fibers that control itching (apparently, there are itch grids on our skin where these fibers connect) to be stimulated. But, I was speaking about itching as an analogous to cravings. As we sometimes, automatically scratch, often times, we automatically eat to satisfy our hunger.

ACTION STEPS: THE ANSWER

As soon as we feel that twinge of hunger, we have to continue to notice it exists so that there are fewer and fewer times we are already eating food before we realize we have had a craving.

Once we start to notice the urge, it will be easier and easier to pick it out of our urge line-up. We won’t push it away, thinking it will go away as we quietly walk to the kitchen. We will acknowledge and embrace it.

1) And go get water, 16 oz. worth.

2) Drink it (2 cups of 8 oz. each) at a gentle speed. If we slow the process down, we can maximize the effect the drinking process will have on our appetite.

3) Taste the water as it is going down. Since water has no taste, we will have to be mindful of its subtle flavor, created by the minerals that accompany the water, itself.

4) Take a moment to realize that we can single-handedly change our actions to our food craving, by ourselves, with the power of our minds. The sensation that goes with food can be directed. How is different for everyone, but we can alter our actions. By the act of noticing, drinking and tasting!

5) Take a moment to jump up and down with happiness that we can be instrumental in changing our hormones so that they work for our health, not to put us in a position of weakness.

EPILOGUE AND FUTURE CRAVINGS

After we begin, it will be get much easier for us to recognize and acknowledge it when we have a food urge. Whereas before, we might have felt we had to sneak to eat, we will no longer have to sneak, since our first line of food defense can be healthy, wonderful water. Whereas before, we might have felt guilty for eating mindlessly, we can feel pride because we are eating as part of a technique.

We can take a giant step toward hydrating our body, being the master of our urges and setting our bodies up to lose weight, in the process.

CONCLUSION

The act of making change takes time and effort. That includes water for weight loss. The biggest effort is in training the mind (changing a habit) that when we have a food craving, we need to embrace it. We need to drink 16 oz. of water, slowly. This is great in theory, but…

What if we consistently find ourselves eating before we remember to drink?

We will work to remember the next time and be twice as grateful for the opportunity.

What happens if it’s not possible for us to drink 2 cups of water at one time right from the start?
We can drink what we can drink. The more we drink, the more we will be able to drink more. The more food cravings turn away from emotional eating and towards drinking water before eating, the happier and more self-confidence we will be. The more weight loss becomes our personal reality, the more we will become iron-clad believers.

What if we don’t have a supply of water to our home?

We can walk to get it and get happy exercise along the way.

For those of us in the United States and some other countries, we can be extra thankful that we do have water readily available. 2/3 of world families do not (National Geographic Society Geography Awareness Week, 2010). They have to walk to get their water; they have to transport it on shoulders, backs or holding buckets.

No need to feel bad that we have it; let’s use the water that is right in front of us: for weight loss, for hydration, for detoxification, for balance. And let’s be thankful for every sip.

FEEDBACK

Please leave a comment and LIKE.

DIANE GOLD, AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Moms For Healthy Daughters, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert and a dedicated mom.
She feels fortunate for having grown up with an adequate water supply. She says,

“Feeling a food craving is something we’ve felt from childhood, since we have to eat to sustain. Emotional eating shows up after that. What’s new for us now is that we have the ability to change what we do with those cravings.

“We can tell ourselves to take an action. We can adjust the command we give ourselves. Even if it is as small as immediately taking a sip or two glasses of water. Any 1 step is monumental toward changing a habit. When we take a first step, as when we are babies, it is foreign, scary, difficult. Step 2, as Jaren, 1 of the big connections in my life used to say, may be scarier because we know what lies ahead.

“Step 3 and beyond are more and more familiar and possible to achieve with less difficulty. We are swaying our emotional eating into healthy drinking, 1 step at a time. This is how we change an ineffective habit to 1 that is beneficial to us.

“We have learned determination in life and in satisfying our food cravings. We are able since we have made to here. Now, we have to begin.”
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Dedicated to the memory of Gertrude Gold, whose birthday would have been January 16. Once retired from entrepreneurship, she supported theater, music and arts, many international causes, worked at Planned Parenthood, typed Braille books for the Library of Congress. Mostly she was the great family giver who taught me always to stand up for myself and forgive. Miss you, Ma.

FOOD CRAVINGS: HOW TO MAXIMIZE THEM FOR OUR GOOD HEALTH (ISSUE 60)

By Diane Gold

Before we talk about food cravings and how to maximize them for health, I’d like to say that this article is about FAITH, not faith in someone or something else, but faith in ourselves that we may not be able to see yet. It is similar to that faith that many people attribute to a supreme entity; yet, we are going to use faith in ourselves for this lesson.

I want to mention a video clip I saw this morning. It pictures a just-turned 4-year-old girl pumping herself up by speaking positive statements to herself in the mirror. Many call these daily affirmations, you know, the kind where we tell ourselves we are amazing, happy, talented as we watch our mouth in the mirror as we say the words. This act, many have demonstrated, solidifies our belief in how amazing, happy and talented we actually are.

So, here’s a little girl, Jessica, standing on the bathroom counter, looking into her bathroom mirror, saying, with enthusiasm and self-assuredness,

“I can do anything good. I like my school; I like my dad; I like my cousins; I like my aunt; … I like my mom; I like my sister; I like my haircut… I can do anything good; I can do anything.”

DEFINING CRAVINGS

Let’s define cravings, since we all have them. A craving is a strong desire, which we all have. Synonyms for cravings are appetite, which we all need to self-sustain, and yearning or yen. If we all used our appetite for health, we would all be in good shape. But, when we talk about food cravings, we are generally speaking about following our urges without using self-control.

CHARACTER TRAITS

Like any other habit, we can change the way we act once we get our cue, which, in this case, is the food craving. So, let’s examine what we cravers have in common, for the most part.

Here are the traits that usually accompany a food craving person.

1)  Our food craving is a special cue that demands immediate attention on our part.

2)  We enjoy pleasurable sensations. We may also be experiencing what used to be pleasurable and just going through the motions.

3)  We consider the pleasure from food more important than our own health, so we are strong- willed in that we do what we decide.

4)  We are risk takers, and, like the casino gambler, we bet that eating healthier foods and amounts tomorrow is reason enough for us to gamble with our health and maintain our same habits now.

5)  We believe that eating what we currently believe to be the best pleasurable food at the moment is not such a big thing.

What we don’t count on is that, if we do this for day after day, month after month, we will seriously impair our health. But, we were willing to create a habit in the first place, so we have the ability to create another 1 or change the original one.

These traits shows we are seekers of good times, able to live for the present. They also lead to adventure and following our hearts. All of these traits are usually present in people who have not adjusted their urges to parallel how they want to look and feel. They are strong qualities that can be easily used to maximize what we do with our urges for health.

WHAT RESULTS FROM OUR CURRENT ROUTINE

When we have food cravings, and we are in the habit of acting only 1 way to them, we end up causing 1 or more of the following things to happen: we gain weight; we don’t like the fact that we gained weight; we don’t like how we look; we are replacing our sad/angry/lonely/frustrated with food; we get sick as a result of not eating well resolution.

Understanding why we act on our cravings in a way that ends up unhealthy for us is not necessary in order to add a new act to our repertoire of what routine we go through when we get the food craving cue. The important thing is what we do with the cue.

Think of a band member who is playing the wrong note because she has gotten used to playing that particular note and even enjoys how it sounds. When her band leader corrects her, she will have to change her habit to balance the group. In order to keep her job and continue playing the music that she loves, she will make the change.

It’s a little different with food, although not very. The biggest difference is that we are both the band leader and the player.

So, let’s say we have just experienced 1 of the results from our eating current routine, listed above. Let’s say we have gained weight and don’t like it. The easiest way (and 1 of the only ways) to change a habit is to tweak the routine. We have to keep at the front of our mind our weight loss goal.

ACTION STEPS

It’s time to use the character traits listed above to change our habit of bolting to eat when a craving arrives.

We have established that most of us, in some ways, are attentive to cues, pleasure lovers, strong-willed, risk takers and willing to create habits. All we have to do is immediately react to our urge cue with a new action. Much in the same way we must combat our fear when being attacked, we must automatically, whether we want to or not, get up and do something new upon feeling our craving. We have the will, and we’ve automatically done something before which is what created the habit to begin with.

1) We need to act with NO THOUGHT. Our mind will trip us into thinking. When we are thinking, we are not doing. We must be doing.

2) What we will do for our craving is go to our refrigerator and get a cup of already made steamed vegetables that we cooked at the beginning of the week to have available for snacks.

3) We can add a few drops of sesame oil and a little liquid amino acid soy-sauce alternative, for flavor. If the blandness of steamed veggies is screaming out, stir-fried veggies cooked in a drop of olive oil work, too.

4) Eating with chop sticks and chewing at least 20 times per bite, preferably 45, slows the eating process.

5) Always take a container of these veggies to work or school for 2 planned snacks, am and pm. The veggies can also be used to curb a craving at any time during the day. If we find that we need 3 cups, 2 for snacks and 1 for a craving, we will have them available.

CONCLUSION

Be confident that change is possible as long as there is a start-to-finish method in place. Even if this is the first time we ever exhibited self-control, we have a specific method with a specific action step: a systematic approach. Therefore, we all will be able to take charge and maximize our health.

Maybe we won’t succeed on day one, but day two brings another opportunity. An attempt must be made each time we have a craving so that we can get our current routine to match our current goals. What’s the worst that will happen? We will eat healthy veggies for snack. In having these veggies nearby, we will create a new habit. Our success might start off slowly, but our results will be positive, with the patience we will establish.

We will find new, exciting flavors in our veggies, too. That is something to look forward to.

Make sure not to warm our veggies, even if we think there is time. This is food kung fu. Get used to cold veggies since there is no time to spare between the food craving, our cue, and our satisfaction of that craving with a healthy action.

Microwave ovens rob nutrients from our food, and stoves take longer than our craving will wait. Eventually, when we have changed our habit from “cue to instant eating” to “cue to patience to eating healthily,” warming our veggies may be an option.

And, finally, rejoice, this is a food adventure and the next chapter in our self-mastery.

FEEDBACK

Please leave  a comment and LIKE.

DIANE GOLD, AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Moms For Healthy Daughters, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert and a dedicated mom.

She believes we can change a habit but changing our routine, as long as there is a system in place in which to do it. She says,

“We always create habits, so we are practiced at this aspect of behavior. We are also not new at changing the ways that we act. We do it all the time, based on how we feel, how we must act in social settings and how we consider others who might be affected by our actions. So, we are experienced.

“All we need do is prepare what we are going to do, smile or frown and do it. The next time, it will be easier, and the next time, even easier. Pretty soon, we will be accomplished and moderately comfortable at the new action step, so much so that it will become our new habit.

“To succeed, we must have faith in ourselves and begin!”

PREPARING TO THRIVE WITH FOOD ADDICTION: HOW TAI CHI MIND READIES US FOR CHANGE (Issue 29)

by Diane Gold

As someone who enjoys teaching, my main focus in passing on self-help is to teach people that it is easier and more effective to create smooth, one-step transitions in our lives than heart-wrenching, deprivation-based pathways. I am not saying that we don’t have to work hard to achieve change. I am saying that our attitude about the work can come from a place of endowment and not of hardship.

Tai chi is a way of thinking, moving, emoting and living where it is easier to ripple like water in a pond than it is to navigate through a raging ocean storm. (All mind/body training has similar goals.) Many hundreds of students I have taught and I, personally, use this way to navigate life. With this in mind, I believe that all the programs each of us chooses for personal development give us a foundation in how to be happy, healthy and wise and not sad, repressed and stressed out. These programs teach us to apply the knowledge to our every day lives.

So let’s say we study tai chi, based upon circles and the lack of angles. When we apply the balanced movement of tai chi to our lives, we panic less, walk more confidently, breathe more evenly, are more productive and more motivated. When we ignore or forget these principles of balance; we become pinballs, maneuvering obstacles and have no roots to hold on to. When we apply tai chi mind, including the slow movement of tai chi, to other areas of our daily existence, we end up understanding Aesop’s Tortoise Philosophy, that is,

“Slow and steady wins the race.”

Meaning we have to be prepared, persistent and positive when embarking on an undertaking, no matter what it is. But how many programs forget to include preparation?

Let’s say we want to lose weight. We must start at step 1: GET READY, as in,

“Ready, set, go.”

Instead of focusing on the flood of thoughts in our head about how we couldn’t stop eating a minute ago or an hour ago or yesterday or for the last 10 years through 16 weight loss programs; let’s prepare now for this goal of weight loss.

Most program guides leave out the part about preparing the mind. This one secret will affect our journey’s outcome.

CONCLUSION – WITH ACTION STEPS TO FOLLOW

With a relaxed and focused mind, we begin a quest with the best conditions for victory. When we first learn to surf, we don’t go out on a raging ocean; we opt for a calm sea when the waves are more predictable. When we go out on the most important date of our lives, most of us won’t wear a sweatshirt (although I did; we dress up. As simple as it sounds, when we spill certain substances on our clothes, we prepare them with certain cleaning helpers before putting them in a washing machine.

These help techniques are what we must provide for our mind. We might as well grab every advantage we can so that we can reach our goal with as little effort as possible. We must take steps to reduce our anxiety, understand what is ahead of us, perceive our situation and be our own cheerleaders. Even if we don’t believe in ourselves today, if we

“Fake it to make it,”

we have the best chance of becoming what we  act we believe.

Another important quote, this, said by Ben Affleck in Boiler Room,

“Act as if.”

It’s not that we will immediately transform and believe in ourselves, with stability and nerves of steel, devoid of personal challenges; but we will have taken a moment to examine where we are and where we are going. This act of preparation gives us the presence of mind and the awareness upon which success is built.

(This article is the result of my considering the many food help programs that exist today. I included the word “addiction” because it is a buzz word. It is not a helpful word for the consumer; it brings a weight all its own and carries with it stigma and prejudice. Labels help researchers; they usually do not help the people who are labeled until the labels do not obviously apply.?

ACTION STEPS

The truth is everyone can stop eating one specific food for a small part of one hour on a regular basis. After all, we breathe in between bites and do not consume our food while breathing in. So, if we break down our eating schedule, we already do what we wish to achieve. We already do not eat all the time.

Let’s say we eat 15 times a day, when we only want to eat 5 small meals a day. During those 15 times, though, there are always breaks between these meals. We will use those to our advantage.

We need to have a conversation with ourselves before we start out on our program, during one of those times we are not eating.

1)    This is what we should tell ourselves at the start of every day. (We can do so look in the mirror if we have one.)
a.    I am hopeful.
b.    I already know how to take breaks from eating.
c.    I am more likely to succeed by preparing my mind for my task.
d.    I have control over my actions, even if for a short time.
e.    I have the power to take a tiny step.
f.     I do not deserve to suffer over food.
g.    Making change can be my fun adventure.

2)    This step can be done once or continually.
Watch this You Can Do It movie clip

After taking these steps in (1) and (2), we can go about our day with a renewed attitude and our new food plan in mind.

If you would like help with a step-by-step food advocate, go to Food Advocate.

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FEEDBACK

Your feedback is very important to us, and we appreciate your time in leaving it in the comment section below.
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DIANE GOLD, AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight.com, Moms For Healthy Daughters, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert and a dedicated mom. She loves to be an advocate for people, whether it be with weight issues, in personal or corporate wellness. She says, “We all need someone to lean on . That’s why we she has begun Food Advocate.”

WARRIORSOFWEIGHT.COM PRESENTS A GROOVY FOOD ADDICTION SEMINAR, May 15, 2012, 8 pm

Two friends of WarriorsOfWeight.com are giving a one-hour presentation on food cravings. Check it out below, and sign up for May 15 at 8 pm.

Do you struggle with food addiction?

Do you crave processed foods loaded with salt, oil, flour and sugar?

Do you find it hard to resist foods like pizza, pasta, baked goods, chips, crackers, ice cream, candy or chocolate?

Are your cravings getting in the way of making sassy food choices, reaching your ideal weight, optimal health or looking like your sexy self in your swim suit?

If so, we’ve got a groovy guide in store for you!

Join us for a captivating class on Tuesday May 15th at 8-9pm EST as we tackle the tough topics underlying food addiction.

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a 45-minute informative session online with Ronni and Elisa.

a 15-minute follow up discussion, including Q & A

handouts summarizing key points

We’ll examine the two major types of food addiction, strategies to overcome food addiction and we’ll share resources to support you moving forward.

We anticipate this class to fill up quickly…

There are only 200 spots available, so be sure to reserve your seat TODAY!

We look forward to helping you benefit your body and satisfy your soul with this Groovy Guide to Food Addiction!

Elisa Rodriguez is a registered and licensed dietitian who has worked with many self proclaimed “food addicts.” She understands the deep-rooted struggles faced when dealing with food addiction, and has successfully empowered individuals with the knowledge that enables freedom from the bonds of addictive food. Read more about Elisa.

Ronni Arno Blaisdell is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor who has battled food and weight challenges throughout her life, which has motivated her to seek real and sustainable solutions. She combines two key concepts into a simple summary that makes conquering food addiction understandable and feasible. Read more about Ronni.

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