Re: finding the off switch

[Guest guest]

I was just reading about this in Overcoming Overeating by Hirschmann and Munter. They say that wanting something sweet after a meal is common in many cultures (like ours) because we historically, typically offered deserts. According to them, the urge for sweets after dinner usually doesn't have much to do with real, physiological "stomach hunger". It's evidently more about mouth hunger and habit/addiction, which I agree with, for me anyway.

Once you have really and truly legalized all those sweet treats, and though you may still have a craving for sweetness on those occasions, a bite or two of exactly what you want will usually do the job. Make sure it's really what you want, and not just any old thing to feed the craving, because you won't be satisfied, and you'll probably want to keep grazing on stuff until you have well and truly scratched the itch.

I have the same issue with sweets after a meal, and I find that eating when I'm truly hungry and recognizing when I've had enough, combined with legalizing the taboo foods really helps. I can usually satisfy the urge with just a nibble.

I hope that helps!

-- finding the off switch

:

I too have a severe sweet tooth. I seem to eat fine all day and then after dinner I'm like a crack addict only with sugar.....looking for my fix.

[Guest guest]

I too can eat a filling, even satisfying meal and still get up and eat

a sweet too. What I feel makes sense for me is that the sugar 'hit'

seems to put a final 'end' to the meal. I have read about waiting for

20 minutes to make sure you are 'full' or satisfied, but that's hard

to do when my mind is still egging me on to 'eat something'. A small

mint chocolate not only 'settles' my stomach, it seems to provide the

'ahhh' to finalize the eating too. Besides, a mint or two really isn't

that much 'more' really! And if I don't allow myself to do this, then

I end up cruising the kitchen in nibble mode - yikes!

>

> I was just reading about this in Overcoming Overeating by

Hirschmann and

> Munter. They say that wanting something sweet after a meal is common

in many

> cultures (like ours) because we historically, typically offered deserts.

> According to them, the urge for sweets after dinner usually doesn't have

> much to do with real, physiological " stomach hunger " . It's evidently

more

> about mouth hunger and habit/addiction, which I agree with, for me

anyway.

>

> Once you have really and truly legalized all those sweet treats, and

though

> you may still have a craving for sweetness on those occasions, a

bite or two

> of exactly what you want will usually do the job. Make sure it's

really what

> you want, and not just any old thing to feed the craving, because

you won't

> be satisfied, and you'll probably want to keep grazing on stuff

until you

> have well and truly scratched the itch.

>

> I have the same issue with sweets after a meal, and I find that

eating when

> I'm truly hungry and recognizing when I've had enough, combined with

> legalizing the taboo foods really helps. I can usually satisfy the

urge with

> just a nibble.

>

> I hope that helps!

>

>

> -- finding the off switch

>

> :

>

> I too have a severe sweet tooth. I seem to eat fine all day and

then after

> dinner I'm like a crack addict only with sugar.....looking for my fix.

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks , that is very helpful. I was thinking the reverse is also true- like when I fix myself something very healthy that actually tastes awful (and I can make some very healthy but nasty tasting concoctions)- I should stop and ask myself "do I really want this or would something else be more satisfying?" because often times I'll just end up eating something else anyway but I noticed if I eat something that actually tastes good and I enjoy I"ll stay full longer.

finding the off switch

One of the things I'm finding is that it's a whole lot easier to not eat something I don't want if I don't start. Somehow, once I've begun, it seems I can't get enough. This is especially true if I wasn't physically hungry in the first place. Starting each eating adventure with a moment of 'do I really want this?" and trying to stay in tune with how I feel as I eat seems to help me avoid the 'crack addict' approach to eating!Hope that helps someone. Still feels shaky for me, but it's interesting ground to travel! What was that blessing -- may you live in interesting times.....hmmmm!Alison Begeman wrote:

I too have a severe sweet tooth. I seem to eat fine all day and then after dinner I'm like a crack addict only with sugar.....looking for my fix. I haven't figured out how to handle it yet but I keep trying new things....one of them is going to work! Journaling seems to help sometimes but other times I'm too lazy to bother and just go directly for the candy. sigh.

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[Guest guest]

the nasty food image made me wrinkle my nose and laugh all at once!

Thanks. :-)

wish bunches or all of us could get together over a cup of tea and

whatever else...

hugs,

Alison

Begeman wrote:

Thanks

, that is very helpful. I was thinking the reverse is also

true- like when I fix myself something very healthy that actually

tastes awful (and I can make some very healthy but nasty tasting

concoctions)- I should stop and ask myself "do I really want this

or would something else be more satisfying?" because often times I'll

just end up eating something else anyway but I noticed if I eat

something that actually tastes good and I enjoy I"ll stay full longer.

-----

Original Message ----

From: Eads123 <eads123comcast (DOT) net>

To: IntuitiveEating_Support

Sent: Friday, January 4, 2008 1:11:55 PM

Subject: finding the off switch

One of the things I'm finding is that it's a whole lot easier to

not eat something I don't want if I don't start. Somehow, once I've

begun, it seems I can't get enough. This is especially true if I wasn't

physically hungry in the first place. Starting each eating adventure

with a moment of 'do I really want this?" and trying to stay in tune

with how I feel as I eat seems to help me avoid the 'crack addict'

approach to eating!

Hope that helps someone. Still feels shaky for me, but it's interesting

ground to travel! What was that blessing -- may you live in interesting

times.....hmmmm!

Alison

Begeman wrote:

I

too have a severe sweet tooth. I seem to eat fine all day and then

after dinner I'm like a crack addict only with sugar.....looking for my

fix. I haven't figured out how to handle it yet but I keep trying new

things....one of them is going to work! Journaling seems to help

sometimes but other times I'm too lazy to bother and just go directly

for the candy. sigh.

Never miss a thing.

Make Yahoo your homepage.