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We know very little about our body, its needs and elementary physiological patterns that lead to weight gain. Food addiction specialist Mikhail Gavrilov talks about the facts that are important to consider if we want to normalize our weight.
We are programmed by nature to gain weight.
Evolutionarily, we are “programmed” to gain weight – in order to survive in conditions of famine, drought, wars. In a small amount of fat, the energy necessary for survival in extreme conditions is stored. Today, this pattern is distorted: most of us have constant access to food, while we experience high psychological stress – stress that we try to fight not through physical activity (implementing the “fight or flight” program), but through food. As a result, more and more food is consumed, less energy is consumed, and we gain excess weight.
We use food to solve our emotional problems.
Many of us have a peculiar relationship with food. We do not always perceive food only as a source of energy. We either use it as a source of positive emotions (or rather, a substitute), or we perceive it as an insidious enemy, with whom we must always be on the alert, whose manipulations cannot be succumbed to. As a result, we move away from our own body, do not know how to read its signals, and – the most important change – do not know how to distinguish hunger from appetite. And the difference is fundamental.
Hunger is the physiological need of the body for nutrients. It feels discomfort in the body: rumbling, feeling of sucking, nausea, and can also be accompanied by headache, dizziness, tremors, etc. When we are really hungry, we want nutritious food – meat, rich hot soup, not sweets and buns.
The main culprit for overeating is appetite. It occurs in our head. External — visual, auditory stimuli, as well as the smell and taste of food, food advertising, the habit of eating in front of the TV, etc. can cause appetite. Hunger intensifies: at first we are a little hungry, then more and more. Appetite usually occurs suddenly and does not increase over time. Some events in our life can also stimulate it.
If we are bored, scared, offended, or something seriously worries us, we want to console ourselves with something “delicious”. Interestingly, sweets, fatty foods and baked goods fall into the category of tasty – in a word, fast carbohydrates, sugar and fats. Emotional hunger we try to satisfy with food. And as a result, we run the risk of falling into a vicious circle of food addiction.
Sports do not guarantee results
Trying to lose weight, we naturally try to return physical activity to our lives. Which, of course, is true, but it is important to take into account some nuances. With heavy physical exertion, in many people, fat mass turns into muscle. At the same time, the body is tightened, and the weight remains almost unchanged. In order for sports to help you lose weight, you need moderate cardio loads – and “moderate” is the key word here. In fact, walking more (at least 30 minutes a day at a brisk pace) is enough to normalize weight, swimming and cardio exercises are also shown. With a well-organized diet and exercise regimen, self-torture in fitness clubs is optional.
Diets and fasting are ineffective
When fasting, the body does not receive energy, due to this, weight is reduced. But metabolic processes slow down and go into accumulation mode. After fasting or stopping a strict diet, the energy coming from food is deposited in the fat depot. And there is a rapid weight gain, which returns in excess. Diet does not guarantee weight loss. A sustainable result is possible only with an integrated approach to the problem of weight, taking into account both physiological (health status) and psychological (stress level, attitude towards oneself, food and the world around) factors. Only that diet is relevant for weight loss and maintaining the result, which can be followed all the time, while following other recommendations for a proper lifestyle.
How to change your eating behavior
Eat more often, but less
Fractional nutrition allows you to quickly lose extra pounds. Divide your daily diet into 4-5 meals. So the feeling of hunger will torment you less and it will be easier to resist the temptations to have another bun or tartlet to eat.
Don’t be afraid of hearty food
Everything is logical here: hearty food satisfies our hunger (not appetite) and the body’s need for nutrients. Every day you need to eat 200 g of food containing complex carbohydrates (whole grain cereals), 7-11 servings of vegetables and fruits and 250-350 g of proteins (meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs). And necessarily healthy fats – olive oil, avocados, unroasted nuts and seeds.
Do not forget to drink water
We have forgotten how to drink plain water, we drown out the natural feeling of thirst with juices, tea or coffee, which do not satisfy our body’s needs for water. Water is necessary to maintain metabolic processes, remove toxins from the body, it prevents the formation of stones in the kidneys and gallbladder and prevents overeating. Train yourself to drink a glass of warm water immediately after waking up. Keep a bottle of still water on your desk and sip every time you take a break.
Do not forbid yourself anything
Prohibitions are a sure way to relapse. Do you want to eat a coveted piece of prosciutto until your knees tremble? Don’t torture yourself. Eat a little. The best way to overcome temptation is to give in to it. It is important to deprive the object of your desire of the halo of inaccessibility and exclusivity. At the same time, concentrate on your feelings – enjoy the taste. Paradoxically, this will help you return to your bodily sensations, return to the physiological sensation of food and move away from emotional overeating.
Photo gallery of Dr. Gavrilov’s successful clients
About the expert: Mikhail Gavrilov, psychotherapist, food addiction recovery specialist, member of the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM, USA), supervisor 65 .