Sunday, July 26, 2009
What clients are saying about me...
"Laura Foresta, you have solved the weight loss puzzle of my adult life with intuitive eating! First you taught me what my body needs to be nourished and then you suggested I investigate this new way of thinking about food and eating. Little did I know all that would happen.....in three weeks I lost 5 lbs., my blood sugar is better than it has been in 3 years, I am waking up early and full of energy and truly feel like I have a new lease on life. Since I have been paying attention to what I eat, I now know what being hungry feels like. I have discovered that sometimes I mistake "hunger' for thirst, fatigue or boredom. This new lifestyle for me is affecting other areas of my life as well....I am now mindful of each moment and find myself feeling calmer and enjoying things. I almost feel a spiritual change because of this new philosophy. Most of all I feel healthier and so much more hopeful about the future. I have been trying to lose weight for the last seven years unsuccessfully and now quite abruptly you seem to be helping me to reset my metabolism. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me so much on this fascinating journey. My life is richer for all that you are teaching me and I feel in control, revitalized and on the cusp of something great, I can't wait to see what will happen next. - EN"
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Stop this thing I want to get off (getting off the diet roller coaster)! - part 2
When you are hungry, you deserve to eat.
Yup, that’s right. When you feel hungry your body is telling you it’s low on fuel. When your car’s gas tank is empty, do you continue to drive it or do you stop at a gas station to fill it up? Eventually it will stop going without fuel. When your body’s tank is empty, do you stop to refuel? The reality is, if we ignore our hunger, our body responds by slowing down and conserving energy. When we ignore hunger cues long enough, we don’t get them anymore and stay in energy conservation mode. That means we are burning fewer calories throughout the day, making weight loss even more difficult. Eating when hungry helps your body stay in calorie-burning mode.
Some people feel anxious when they feel hungry. It might help to know hunger is a normal physiologic signal that your body needs fuel. Some people don’t feel hunger - especially chronic dieters. The good news is you can reset your hunger thermostat by eating regular meals. Eating breakfast is a great way to get your metabolism revved up. Breakfast skippers might notice they can go all day without eating, but then feel hungry in the evening and night. If you experiment with eating breakfast, you might notice you are hungry for a midmorning snack and for lunch, but end up eating fewer total calories for the day.
What does hunger feel like in your body? Does your stomach growl? Do you get a headache or get cranky if you wait too long to eat? What do full and overfull feel like? Do you feel uncomfortable or sick if you’ve eaten too much? If you wait until you are extremely hungry to eat do you tend to eat beyond comfortable fullness?
I invite you to experiment with eating when you are hungry (whatever time of day or night that is), and stopping when you are comfortably full (could go for 3 or 4 hours without eating again). Consider tracking your hunger level before you eat anything and your fullness level when you are finished eating. Do you notice any patterns? Get curious about what is behind your eating patterns, and use nonjudgmental language when thinking about them.
These experiments will help you on the path to the land of the non-dieter. Welcome!
If you would like to attend a group class in Boston discussing this approach to healthy eating, please post a comment indicating so with your contact information.
Yup, that’s right. When you feel hungry your body is telling you it’s low on fuel. When your car’s gas tank is empty, do you continue to drive it or do you stop at a gas station to fill it up? Eventually it will stop going without fuel. When your body’s tank is empty, do you stop to refuel? The reality is, if we ignore our hunger, our body responds by slowing down and conserving energy. When we ignore hunger cues long enough, we don’t get them anymore and stay in energy conservation mode. That means we are burning fewer calories throughout the day, making weight loss even more difficult. Eating when hungry helps your body stay in calorie-burning mode.
Some people feel anxious when they feel hungry. It might help to know hunger is a normal physiologic signal that your body needs fuel. Some people don’t feel hunger - especially chronic dieters. The good news is you can reset your hunger thermostat by eating regular meals. Eating breakfast is a great way to get your metabolism revved up. Breakfast skippers might notice they can go all day without eating, but then feel hungry in the evening and night. If you experiment with eating breakfast, you might notice you are hungry for a midmorning snack and for lunch, but end up eating fewer total calories for the day.
What does hunger feel like in your body? Does your stomach growl? Do you get a headache or get cranky if you wait too long to eat? What do full and overfull feel like? Do you feel uncomfortable or sick if you’ve eaten too much? If you wait until you are extremely hungry to eat do you tend to eat beyond comfortable fullness?
I invite you to experiment with eating when you are hungry (whatever time of day or night that is), and stopping when you are comfortably full (could go for 3 or 4 hours without eating again). Consider tracking your hunger level before you eat anything and your fullness level when you are finished eating. Do you notice any patterns? Get curious about what is behind your eating patterns, and use nonjudgmental language when thinking about them.
These experiments will help you on the path to the land of the non-dieter. Welcome!
If you would like to attend a group class in Boston discussing this approach to healthy eating, please post a comment indicating so with your contact information.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Controlling the American Appetite
Check out this great segment from NPR's On Point today featuring Dr. David Kessler. It is an eye-opening discussion of how foods are engineered to keep us wanting more.
http://www.onpointradio.org/2009/07/controlling-the-american-appetite#comments
http://www.onpointradio.org/2009/07/controlling-the-american-appetite#comments
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