It’s amazing how robotically we’ll slaughter a tray of lasagna or polish off a pint of ice cream when we feel frustrated, angry, lonely or sad.  After all, we were rewarded with sweets and treats, not only for  our accomplishments and good behavior, but also to soothe the bumps and bruises, both physical and mental, incurred on the playgrounds and in the classrooms of our childhood.  No wonder we now rush home to our comfort foods, unconsciously shoveling them in as a salve for our “big boy/big girl” worries and responsibilities.

Fortunately, we can overcome emotional eating by becoming aware that we are doing it in the first place. Unfortunately, we are often oblivious to our behavior because we are disconnected from our feelings and emotions. Strong feelings, especially repressed ones, often lead to knee-jerk reactions, like gobbling up a bag of chips, before we even have a chance to question our judgment. We must stop a moment, take a few deep breaths, and tune into our feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, disappointment or whatever. Then  examine their origin and notice how they drive our self-defeating behaviors. Instead of berating ourselves, let’s honor our feelings, and be open to the possibility of releasing them. It is in that moment of self reflection, or higher consciousness, that we may decide to delay eating until later when we are calm and relaxed. It is within that framework of awareness that we are also more likely to reach for something because of its nutritive value rather than its ability to provide us with a moment of fleeting pleasure.

Losing weight is not just about what you eat and don’t eat; it’s about your emotional state at the time you eat. Don’t let your mood choose your food and sabotage you best intentions. Be aware of your feelings and the emotions they generate. Free yourself from the knee-jerk reactions of your lower self and come instead from your higher self, the self that will support and guide you towards the attainment of all your goals, weight loss or otherwise.

Not that there was anything wrong with the old you! It’s just that the first of the year always presents us with an opportunity to take things to the next level. It’s so tempting to take on a huge resolution, like “I will give up sugar for all time,” or “I will exercise every day from here on in,” but for most of us, these are just not plausible. For a goal to be achievable, it must be realistic. But what’s more, it has to be exciting! For instance, if you say you will brush your teeth after every meal, while conceivable, might be a tad dull for a flawless follow-through. That is, unless you had a bunch of cavities and no dental insurance last year. Then your goal might warrant your utmost motivation and commitment!

Your goal, regardless of what it is, has to get your juices flowing, whether physical or mental. And it has to inherently promise some kind of reward. For example, “I will go ten days without white sugar or flour” may sound  insurmountable or dull to you, but to me, the promise of dropping those few extra holiday pounds real quick is downright compelling! And I know the reward of fitting into my tightest jeans is a delightfully tangible one. So give it some thought and come up with one single goal that follows these basic goal setting rules:

• Make it simple, specific and realistic (I will not eat bread or pasta for a week)
• Make it measurable. Once attained, will you be able to see its practical application in your life? (I went a week without bread or pasta and survived!)
• Make it compelling (If I can do this, I can successfully embark on a healthy weight loss program, duh!)
• Determine the reward and if it is in your best interest. (Losing a couple of unwanted pounds? Definitely in my best interest!)
• Set a date for its attainment (A week, but it I am not freaking out about it, possibly two!)

Suddenly you have created a New Year’s resolution you can actually attain. Once you experience your amazing self-discipline, your confidence will soar, and you will be ready to set another small reasonable goal. Can you imagine if you kept this up all through the year? Setting one reasonable yet exciting goal after another? Who would you be next New Year’s Eve? What might you feel like? How would you look? What would you be doing, and with whom would you be doing it with?

Okay, you’re excited and getting ahead of yourself! Just take a deep breath and focus. Write down one goal, or better yet, email it to me along with your action steps for getting it done. I will gift you a 15 minute life coaching session as my way of wishing you a happy, healthy New Year, and for achieving my goal to reach out and make new connections with other fabulous women. Stop reading, get going!

www.alisajoy61@hotmail.com

Part 1: Food is a Drug

Everyone is aging! I don?t know a single person getting any younger, well at least not chronologically, and yet some age more gracefully than others. Even with a few gray hairs and a couple of laugh lines, they still have that sparkle in their eye, that spring in their step, and that fit physique that appears to defy gravity. How do they do it? Good genetics? Couldn?t hurt. A secret diet? Not likely. Two hours at the gym each day? Now who has time for that? What they do have, that you can also have, is a fat-fighting lifestyle. How do I know? I study these people. I interview them, I coach them, and I might even BE one of them! In this series of blogs, you will learn how to overcome your weight issues once and for all!

Food is the most powerful drug you will ever encounter. I learned that from Dr. Barry Sears, PhD. over two decades ago when The Zone was first introduced. Sadly, twenty-two years later we are still thinking of food in terms of calories, and weight loss in terms of caloric restriction. If we are going to get lean and stay lean, we must re-examine and re-dedicate ourselves to the concepts set forth by that brilliant, nerdy, genius of a man! Weight loss and optimal health are based on the complex hormonal responses that are generated every time you open your mouth to eat!

The story begins with carbohydrates. We all need carbohydrates in our diet to refuel our brains since the brain uses glucose (a form of sugar derived from carbohydrates) as its primary energy source. How your body responds to carbohydrate intake depends a great deal on your genetic make-up. Approximately 25% of the population cannot tolerate carbs well at all. These people get fat just looking at starchy foods. Another 25% of the population have no problem whatsoever with carbs. They can eat and eat them and not gain an ounce. We all know people like that and we generally tend to hate them! The remaining 50% of us are not overly sensitive to carbohydrates but we will gain weight if we eat too many of them. In all, 75% of us have to be careful about overeating carbs! Get it? You are in good company!

So what actually happens when you overeat carbohydrates? Basically, excess carbs are converted to body fat, but you knew that! There’s more to the story, however, and it gets worse. Any meal or snack high in carbs will raise blood sugar levels. The body responds quickly to high blood sugar by signaling the pancreas to release insulin, the hormone responsible for driving those elevated sugar levels back down. You see, as important as it is for the body to regulate core temperature and to regulate the pH of the blood, it works diligently to regulate blood sugar levels too. Well, that?s fine except that insulin is a fat-storage hormone. Worse yet, it also tells the fat cells to keep that fat locked up making it virtually impossible for you to use your own fat stores for energy. So? excess carbohydrates in your diet not only make you fat, they keep you fat!
Next week: The Glycemic Index in a Nutshell. Y’all come back now, y’hear?

Not All Carbohydrates Are Created Equally

Some carbohydrates are more favorable than others. What distinguishes one from the other is the rate at which it enters the bloodstream. Those that enter the bloodstream quickly are considered high-glycemic carbs, while those that enter more slowly are lower on the glycemic index. High-glycemic carbs cause glucose levels to spike and therefore signal the release of insulin. Low glycemic carbs have a more moderate effect on glucose levels and subsequent insulin release. Eating too many high-glycemic carbs will not only ultimately rob you of your health; they will invariably make you fat and keep you that way! (Refer back to my blog entitled Fighting Fat As We Age).

Basically all fruits, except bananas and dried fruit, and all vegetables, except carrots, corn and potatoes are low-glycemic carbohydrates. Virtually all grains, starches, and pasta are high-glycemic. For a complete list you can go to www.glycemicindex.com.

As we have learned, carbohydrates and the hormone insulin play a formidable role in the overall hormonal effect of food, but they are only part of the story. Hormones very rarely act alone, rather, they work in pairs; pairs that have equally important yet opposite physiological effects. The hormone that works opposite insulin is also produced in the pancreas, but is not nearly as famous. This hormone is called glucagon. While insulin is the ?fat-storage hormone,? glucagon is the ?fat-burning hormone.? The delicate dance these two hormones perform helps us to maintain normal blood sugar levels thereby allowing the brain and body to function optimally.

So, if insulin is released in response to eating carbohydrates, guess what stimulates the release of glucagon? If you guessed PROTEIN, you’re spot on!