A common story: at work or school, after a meal, your hand still reaches for something tasty, and life without cakes or chips no longer seems complete? The expert tells Wday.ru about how to recognize and neutralize all types of appetite: a person should be controlled by the brain, not the stomach.
As you know, appetite comes with meals, but sometimes it catches up with us between meals. You, of course, understand that just an hour ago you had a hearty lunch, but you still cannot resist the temptation to eat a fresh bun or allow something sweet for tea. Mikhail Gavrilov, a psychotherapist, Ph.D., author of a patented technique for correcting eating behavior and weight loss, a member of the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM, USA), tells about how to recognize the causes of untimely appetite.
– First, let’s understand the concepts. Hunger and appetite cannot be equated. Hunger is a signal that you need to eat. This condition is accompanied by certain body reactions (sucking in the stomach, rumbling, slight weakness) and directly depends on when you ate the last time. Appetite is the desire to get pleasure from food, and not from any kind, but from a very specific one. You will want a donut, cake, kebab or chips … But a plate of borscht or a slice of black bread in your eyes will not be appetizing at all. There is nothing criminal about wanting to enjoy food. But if you regularly indulge your appetite, then problems with excess weight will not keep you waiting long. That is why it is important to understand what are the reasons for the irrepressible appetite, and eliminate them in time.
Reflex appetite
Can’t resist the smell of freshly baked bread, and the appearance of the complex cake prompts you to try it right away? This means that your appetite arises reflexively. The desire to enjoy food arises when you feel the aroma of cooked food, see a beautifully served dish. Alas, it is useless to fight this type of appetite by an effort of will. We need to look for ways to overcome it.
What can be done?
You will have to learn to break the patterns – learn to block the behavior you do not want by any means. For example, you know that the pleasant smell of food drives you crazy. Keep alternative scents on hand that will allow you to erase the memories of the previous scent. These include coffee. A small pouch with a few coffee beans won’t take up much space in your purse. Another example: Does an aesthetically pleasing dish whet your appetite? We’ll have to break it. Mash a small piece with a fork and start eating it. You will be surprised, but this amount will be enough for you to get pleasure and not eat too much.
Emotional appetite
It occurs when you have emotions that you, for some reason, cannot cope with. It can be boredom, fear, anger, resentment, irritation … When you eat, the level of emotional stress decreases simply because you are chewing: all chewing and sucking reflexes automatically reduce the degree of negative sensations. In addition, food improves your mood. This is one of the few ways to quickly get pleasure, which is accompanied by the release of happiness hormones – endorphins into the bloodstream.
What can be done?
Every time your hand reaches for another portion of something tasty, stop and ask yourself the question: how do you feel physically, what emotions do you experience? Overcoming emotional appetite begins with recognizing your true feelings. This is where the 50% success in overcoming this habit lies. Next, you need to master the skill of switching emotions and learn to choose the right ways to change your emotional state. For example, to switch your attention away from an emotion that is unpleasant for you, you can start performing an action. It should not take long – 15 minutes maximum, for example, try reading a few pages of a book, ironing clothes, cleaning some part of the room, doing a few squats, watering flowers. Expand your range of pleasures to change your emotional state. Think about five to seven activities now that you have never done, but which could give you a number of positive emotions. It can be pleasures for the body, any actions related to obtaining and discussing new information for you, handicrafts, cooking, sports activities, and so on.
Social appetite
It is essentially a habit of overeating in places where other people eat as well. It can be provoked by any feast on the occasion and without, picnics, vacation trips. In all of the above cases, you may be offered an excess of food – “let me put in another piece”, manipulate you – “I tried so hard, cooked”, scoff at your attempts to lose weight – “well, well, let’s see how long you can hold out.” The desire to be like everyone else, the inability to refuse is sometimes higher than the need to maintain your usual diet.
What can be done?
Learn to say the word “no” clearly. Practice in front of a mirror, take a confident posture, and practice your facial expression and tone of voice. In this case, it will be easier for you to refuse any food that is not useful for you in the company. It may be easier for you to come up with an explanation in advance of why you are not eating this or that. Refer to your doctor, who recommended that you temporarily stop using any products to improve your complexion. If you still want to try certain dishes, choose from the whole variety 2-3 that you like best.