Re: Re: controlling hunger with distractions

[Guest guest]

I know this is true for many. In my case when I'm distraught or upset, I stop eating. When I have (for example) lost a loved one and grieved, this has happened and resulted in weight loss (sometimes too much, too fast).

on 1/11/2004 2:35 PM, Andy at endofthedream@... wrote:

> People often use food to " medicate " themselves.

[Guest guest]

For me, certain known distractions will often work phenomenally to delay

my drive to eat & will override true hunger signals. Conversely, there

are also known activities that tend to " encourage " a desire to eat...

without regard to hunger. The activities that encourage hunger are

those I would rather not do, but must do for differing reasons.

Recognition that the real issue is the undesired activity (the stressor)

rather than hunger, doesn't alleviate the desire to eat (self-medicate).

In my study of this, it appears that one can develop, strengthen new

thought pathways that will override the existing thought pathways during

the undesirable activities.

Andy wrote:

> Going even further, one might not only consider " controlling hunger

> with distractions " but that hunger, *itself*, is often a distraction -

> - from something we don't wont to deal with or feel an irrepressible

> need to avoid.

>

> People often use food to " medicate " themselves. Since the original

> issue isn't about hunger, but about something else, they ultimately

> find that such an approach doesn't work. Then they try even harder,

> eat more, gain more weight, and never realize that the tactic they

> employed (eating food) was not " answering " the original question

> (i.e., " what am I upset about " or " what is it I don't want to see or

> feel a need to avoid confronting? " ). It can become a vicious cycle

> until it is seen, since the eating more produces more weight gain and

> that usually only adds to the upset. Sometimes I'm amazed at what we

> humans do to ourselves! :-)))

>

>

[Guest guest]

Good points you both bring up, Apricot and Andy.

There are certain activities and situations that tend to " encourage "

a desire to eat... without regard to hunger.

Recognition that the real issue is the adverse situation

(the stressor) rather than the hunger, doesn't alleviate the

desire to eat (self-medicate).

One recognizes the situation for what it is. One then strengthens

and conditions the new thought pathways that will override the

old negative habits and conquer the old food addictions.

With practice, unhealthy habit (bad thinking) is replaced with

healthy habit (good thinking). A reprogramming process that

takes months (or years) has gradually occurred.

-- Warren

Hint: Read the acclaimed book " The Solution " by Laurel Mellin.

This text gives the best clinical explanation in layman terms

of how to overcome life's various problems to find a permanent

and lasting solution.

Then after reading it, questions about living the CR lifestyle

look like they all have their solution in " The Solution " .

===============================

On 12 Jan 2004, apricot85 wrote:

>

> For me, certain known distractions will often work phenomenally to delay

> my drive to eat & will override true hunger signals. Conversely, there

> are also known activities that tend to " encourage " a desire to eat...

> without regard to hunger. The activities that encourage hunger are

> those I would rather not do, but must do for differing reasons.

>

> Recognition that the real issue is the undesired activity (the stressor)

> rather than hunger, doesn't alleviate the desire to eat (self-medicate).

> In my study of this, it appears that one can develop, strengthen new

> thought pathways that will override the existing thought pathways during

> the undesirable activities.

============================

> On 11 Jan 2004, Andy wrote:

>

> > Going even further, one might not only consider " controlling hunger

> > with distractions " but that hunger, *itself*, is often a distraction -

> > - from something we don't wont to deal with or feel an irrepressible

> > need to avoid.

> >

> > People often use food to " medicate " themselves. Since the original

> > issue isn't about hunger, but about something else, they ultimately

> > find that such an approach doesn't work. Then they try even harder,

> > eat more, gain more weight, and never realize that the tactic they

> > employed (eating food) was not " answering " the original question

> > (i.e., " what am I upset about " or " what is it I don't want to see or

> > feel a need to avoid confronting? " ). It can become a vicious cycle

> > until it is seen, since the eating more produces more weight gain and

> > that usually only adds to the upset. Sometimes I'm amazed at what we

> > humans do to ourselves! :-)))

/