Think-Feel-Eat Episode #29: Over-Hunger vs. Over-Desire Part I (of II)

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #29: Over-Hunger vs. Over-Desire Part I (of II)

Hi! I’m Donna Reish, IF teacher, weight loss coach, blogger, and half of “The Minus 220 Pound Pair” as my husband and I have lost over 220 pounds together (160 of that in the past couple of years through the Weight Loss Lifestyle habits and strategies I teach!).

In this episode, I present the first of two episodes about Over-Hunger and Over-Desire.

Most of us who have battled with excess weight our entire lives understand that eating too much leads to being overweight. What we often do not fully understand is what causes us to overeat. (I’ve described many aspects of what causes us to overeat in TFE episodes found at donnareish.com/perfectstorm)

There are two over-arching causes of over-eating: over-hunger and over-desire. We often get the two confused, and we often think they are one in the same.

In this two part series, I explain the differences and similarities of the two—and how we can take some steps to counteract both of them.

In this episode, I focus primarily on over-hunger (after a brief introduction to both of them).

Over-hunger is any time we experience hunger that causes us to exceed the amount of food our bodies need at our current weight. (Or when we can’t control our hunger while we are attempting to eat at a lower weight/goal weight.)

Hunger is controlled, in large part, by a hormone called ghrelin. I describe what ghrelin is, how is released, its part in our hunger (and somewhat in satiety), and more.

Then I move into ways we can counteract hunger. There is a long list of these, but one of these is Intermittent Fasting. I describe how we can actually train hunger through a daily time of no food at all and a shorter time in which we eat.

Join me next week as we look at over-desire—and then we learn the things that affect both of these (since there are some overlapping elements).

Think Feel Eat #29: Over-Hunger vs. Over-Desire (I of II)

I.  Over-hunger vs Over-desire

 A. Differences

1. Over-hunger is when we have true stomach hunger—the “growling ghrelin gremlins” are telling us our food is low. (See later.)

a. At end of our fast

b. When we eat a small amount when we open our eating window and then have hunger soon after.

c. When we haven’t regulated hunger during the fast yet.

d. When we haven’t figured out our best fasting time and we can’t sleep at night because of hunger.

2. Over-desire is when we desire food, often without hunger and usually certain types of food.

a. Has nothing to do with hunger.

b. Can eat these desired foods even if we are full.

c. Usually created by giving in to cravings so frequently or by not controlling seductive foods.

d. Not as affected by fasting as hunger is.

3.  Each one affects a different part

a. Over-hunger is affected by satiation—when we are not sated or satiated (i.e. full), we can have more hunger

b. Over-desire is affected by satisfaction—when we are not satisfied with our food choices, we have more desire for certain foods

B. Similarities

1. They both cause the same final outcome: over-eating resulting in weight gain.

2. They can both be controlled quite a bit through strategic actions. (See The Perfect Storm of Weight Loss!)

II. Over-Hunger

A. Growling Ghrelin Gremlins

1. What is Ghrelin?

a. Hormone produced in/released from the gut (and also in smaller amounts from the pancreas and brain)

b. It controls appetite!

c. When stomach is empty, ghrelin is released to tell you that you are hungry

d. Stomach growling is associated with ghrelin

e. Also has roles in growth hormones, insulin secretion, GI motility, blood pressure, and more

2. When is it released?

a. Low blood sugar, low weight (i.e. needing to gain weight), and fasting (or long time since last meal) all cause ghrelin to be released

b. Stomach distension—or food in the stomach—can cause ghrelin to NOT be released

c. Sometimes ghrelin overrides stomach distension!

d. Rises before meals and falls after meals

e. Very sensitive to food intake, so it is increased with dieting

f. Also released in response to stress—which is why people overeat when stressed (and can become a vicious cycle that is hard to stop)

g. Released at typical meal times—clock hunger

h. Released about three hours after last meal (waves of hunger)

i. Not released more and more as time goes on

j. Ghrelin is low in the mornings, so fasting will likely be easier in the mornings than the evenings

B. How can we control hunger?

1. Water—fill that stomach up!

2. Sparkling water/carbonation—bubbles trick ghrelin into thinking we are putting food in it (some have opposite effect with sparkling water)

3. Stomach distensibility—as we shrink our stomach, it will be smaller and less ghrelin will be released

4. Fill stomach with the recommended 6 cups of veggies at or near the beginning of eating window! 3 F’s—fluidy, fluffy, and fibrous

5. Don’t overly restrict calories (increases ghrelin automatically)

6. Eat more fiber (again, filling up the stomach)

7. Eat more protein—research shows it is a satiating macro, empties from stomach over longer period of time, and prolongs feelings of fullness

8. HIIT exercises help manage it

9. Exercise fasted—shown to regulate appetite more than later in the day

10. Sleep—seriously, it helps all hormones level out! 7-9 hours is a good number to shoot for

11. Reduce or control stress (mediation, prayer, journaling, yoga)

12. Eat more real foods—feedback to ghrelin doesn’t work as well with processed foods

13. Since it comes in waves that last about ten minutes, you can time them and watch them disappear with the time!

14. Fast!

i. Eventually, you will solve the hunger problem for at least 15-18 hours a day!

ii. You won’t need to use willpower for hunger!

15. Over-hunger and macro-nutrients+

i. Protein most satiating macronutrient

ii. Fat next to the most

iii. Carbs least—but quick energy

 C. Steps

1. Intermittent Fasting Course—first Monday of each month; use code SAVE20 to get $20 off– see you in September!

2. Private online coaching

3. Perfect Storm of Weight Loss

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #26: “Self-Sabotage”—Practical Tips (Part II of III)

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #26: “Self-Sabotage”—Practical Tips (Part II of III)

Hi! I’m Donna Reish, IF teacher, weight loss coach, blogger, and half of “The Minus 220 Pound Pair” as my husband and I have lost over 220 pounds together (160 of that in the past couple of years through the Weight Loss Lifestyle habits and strategies I teach!).

In this episode, I bring you more information about “self-sabotage.” In the previous episode (TFE 25), I gave the “thinking and feeling” aspects of “self-sabotgage.” Now in this episode, I dig into practical tips for “self-sabotage.”

How can we avoid “shooting ourselves in the foot”? What can we do practically to help ourselves not go off and on our plan and then start again and again?

Of course, the teacher in me (language arts lady) had to do a quick review of episode 25—Pick-a-Protocol so you have a food protocol firmly in place (TFE 21—One BIG Decision to Make Ahead of Time); work on/prepare thoughts ahead of time so that you are ready with more helpful thoughts when the “quitting” or “giving in” thoughts come; plan your food each day (TFE 22—The Daily Decision to Make Ahead); and more “thought-related” topics.

Then we dug right into half of the practical tips (other half coming next week!). These include working on stress management AND with tools that are unrelated to food or alcohol. Use stress management, pre-planned self-care, and sleep to help cortisol levels stay low so that you won’t “stress quit.”

Next came some practical, “do these” tips for sitting with urges. We have to get away from relying on willpower and white knuckling our way through urges to quit or eat off plan and instead use in-the-moment techniques that work even when willpower is waning as the evening draws near. Some of these include counting backwards from ninety, setting a timer for ten minutes, journaling, writing what you want to eat in your plan for tomorrow rather than eating it today, and more.

Finally, I did it again—talked about Dr. Stephan Guyenet’s The Hungry Brain and how we have to create barriers to hyper-palatable foods. I gave several practical tips here while also cautioning against using the barrier method exclusively. (See Motivating Monday’s e-article August 10, 2020.)

Think Feel Eat Outline 26 Self-Sabotage Part II (of III)

A. Review from Episode 25: Ways to End Self-Sabotage (or Ways to End Giving Up!)

1. Have firm protocol in place so you know when you are going off and what that will look like (Use my Pick-a-Protocol Packet to determine what protocol you will most likely be successful on!) TFE Episodes: 16, 17, and 18

a. People who are successful at weight loss/maintenance aren’t perfect; they’re just on way more than they are off!

b. 80/20 works—it’s 70/30 or 60/40 that doesn’t work

c. When protocol is firmly in place, it is obvious “I’m going off for this wedding”—or “I’m staying on protocol completely even when we got out for dinner this week”

d. You don’t “fall off a wagon”—there will be no wagon to fall off of…this is your way of life 80% of the time…more often than not…how you live.

e. Call it what it is: little quits, giving up, giving in, choosing, deciding, going off plan….use the pronoun I…

2. Work on Thoughts ahead of time

a. What is that Thought right before you obstruct your progress?

 i. This won’t matter

ii. A bite won’t hurt

iii. I’ll start tomorrow

iv. I’ll start Monday

v. I’m not losing now anyway

vi. Doesn’t matter what I eat—you can lose weight eating anything (true….but can you STOP eating just anything?)

Get a Thought or two ready!

b.  New Thought

i. Every bite DOES matter

ii. I can choose to do something different tomorrow; today is already planned

iii. “This is my new/future size six life!” (or X weight life…or whatever your most motivating final goal is)

 2. Make decisions ahead of time with your “adult brain”—pre-frontal cortex

a. This keeps you from having to use willpower to so much (WLL 60 and WLL 61)

b. This allows you to plan the day ahead of time (Get your freebie journal sheet here!)

i. TFE 21: The One BIG Decision to Make Ahead of Time 

ii. TFE 22: The Daily Decision to Make for Weight Loss

c. This allows you to decide something different on another day. “There’s always tomorrow!” is a helpful thought when you have already decided ahead of time.

d. Plan foods for their satiation, caloric intake, etc.

e. Plan down to the time and number of times you will eat (3 minute exercise!)

 B. Practical Tips to Avoid “Self-Sabotage” (or obstructing your own progress)

 1. Work on stress management ahead of time and with tools unrelated to food

a.  Self-care is something you decide ahead of time—not in the moment

b.  Plan Delights of the Day for yourself to give yourself practical, fun, purposeful things to look forward to without involving food or alcohol

c.  Use breathing techniques, walks, novels, talking books, podcasts, favorite shows (without food), yoga, journaling, prayer, self-coaching, talking with a friend, games, etc. ALL PLANNED

d. Create your day to purposely reduce stress as stress raises cortisol, which causes cravings and potential weight loss disruption/increase fat storage

e. SLEEP! WLL 31

 2. Use a tip from Sitting With Urges (TFE #9)

a. Counting backwards from 90

b. Setting a timer for ten minutes, telling yourself you can have it if you still want it in ten minutes

c. Journaling instead of eating

d. Writing it on tomorrow’s plan right at that moment

 3. Create barriers to hyper-palatable foods

a. See Motivating Monday from August 10th for why JUST creating barriers doesn’t work on its own

b. Try not to have hyper-palatable foods

c. If kids need snacks, choose either things you don’t like or less enticing foods in general like graham crackers, saltines, etc. over pastries, cakes, cookies, etc.

d. When you do decide to have something seductive, you will have to drive to get it

e. Buy individual servings of snack type foods

f. More practical tips next week!

 C.  Next Steps

1. Intermittent Fasting Course—first Monday of each month; use code SAVE20 to get $20 off!

2. Private online coaching

3. Perfect Storm of Weight Loss

 

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #24: Our Goal Weight Identity Part II (of II)

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #24: Our Goal Weight Identity Part II (of II)

Hi! I’m Donna Reish, IF teacher, weight loss coach, blogger, and half of “The Minus 220 Pound Pair” as my husband and I have lost over 220 pounds together (160 of that in the past couple of years through the Weight Loss Lifestyle habits and strategies I teach!).

In this episode, I take us from who we are now to who we will be!

A big part of becoming (anything!) is to head to that place emotionally (thoughts, feelings, identity) as soon as possible to help us move there physically more quickly.

I am continuing last week’s intro to Goal Weight Identity (TFE 23), taking listeners and viewers through my freebie packet (Goal Weight Identity Packet) to change current, less-serving Thoughts to the new Thoughts we will have once we are at our goal weight.

But how do we do that? We can’t believe we are a size six, only eat sugar on pre-determined very special occasions, weigh our goal weight, and wear sleeveless dresses anytime we want right now—we can’t simply say those things and make them be so.

And that is where “Monkey Bar Thoughts” (i.e. Ladder thoughts) help us. In the Goal Weight Identity Packet, I teach how to use future thoughts with some modifiers/degree words to make you believe them right now! (How Language Arts Lady of me, huh?)

We might not be ready to go completely across the monkey bars to the Thought we will have when we are at our goal weight—but we can go across the Monkey Bars with helping words.

Remember, our Thoughts lead to our Feelings. Our Feelings lead to our Actions. If we Think our new identity—the identity we will have when we are at our goal weight—we will start Acting like that new person!

Think-Feel-Eat…Think-Feel-Act….words, thoughts, feelings….they all matter in our weight loss journey!

Find all of my episodes, outlines, and articles for my two weekly broadcasts:

(1)  Weight Loss Lifestyle broadcast (formerly Donna’s Intermittent Fasting Broadcast)

(2)  Think-Feel-Eat broadcast 

Sign up for my free webinar: https://intermittentfastingwebinar.com

 

 

Think Feel Eat 24 Outline Our Goal Weight Identity Part II (of II)

A. Introduction

1. What we are doing at the end of our journey is what we will do to stay there…

2. Think-Feel-Act

a. We act on what we feel

b. We feel from what we think

c. Last week’s example of how we treat someone who is late based on what we think (She ruins the meetings by coming late; she is late again because her husband is terminally ill.)

3. New Identity

a. We take on a new identity when we become something we previously were not (i.e. just got married; just had a baby; just got a different job—we become that new identity—we think like it, feel like it, and act like it)

b. Goal Weight Identity Thoughts

4. Previous episodes

a. Think-Feel-Eat 21

b. Think-Feel-Eat 22

B. Goal Weight Identity Packet—Get Yours Here!  

1. Walk through it

2. Thoughts that we have at our weight now—what thoughts keep us at this weight

3. Thoughts we will have at our new weight

4. Monkey bar thoughts

5. Let yourself dream a little—Sophi and her “tada” potty training

 C. Get More Help!

1. Intermittent Fasting Course—first Monday of each month; use code SAVE20 to get $20 off

2. Private online coaching 

3. Perfect Storm of Weight Loss

 

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #14: Foundations of Your Food Protocol Part II

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #14: Foundations of Your Food Protocol Part II

Hi! I’m Donna Reish, IF teacher, weight loss coach, blogger, and half of “The Minus 220 Pound Pair” as my husband and I have lost over 220 pounds together (160 of that in the past couple of years through the Weight Loss Lifestyle habits and strategies I teach!). In this episode, I present the introduction to the Perfect Storm of Weight Loss.

The Perfect Storm of Weight Loss has three components. They are not steps. They are interrelated aspects. They each affect the other.

We start with Food—in this Foundations of My Food Protocol Part I—because our weight loss will be heavily influenced by FOOD—1) Time we eat food; 2) Type of food we eat; 3) Amount of food we eat.

But, again, the three aspects are related to each other—the Food we choose affects our dopamine, our cravings, our willpower, and our amounts.

The Time we choose to eat in affects our hormones, our hunger, and our satiety.

The Amounts we choose to eat will affect our ability to keep our Time in check—and which foods we choose. (My husband likes larger amounts of food, so his food choices have to be more narrow than mine!)

All interrelated. All creating the Perfect Storm of Weight Loss.

In today’s episode, I continue laying the foundation for your food protocol. YOU will choose your protocol. You decide all three aspects of your Eating Protocol (time, type, amount).
I will help you do this as we examine the three interrelated aspects of The Perfect Storm. You want your Eating Protocol (your time, types, and amounts) to get you the intake needed for your right sized body:

1. Without creating over hunger
2. Without creating over desire
3. Without increasing cortisol
4. Without decreasing serotonin/joy
5. Without eating foods you don’t like
6. Without eating over 20% Fun Foods
7. Without taxing your energy
8. Without having an empty stomach too much during eating window
9. Without increasing dopamine spikes around hyper palatable foods
10. Without disrupting sleep

Find all of my episodes, outlines, and articles for my two weekly broadcasts:

(1) Weight Loss Lifestyle broadcast (formerly Donna’s Intermittent Fasting Broadcast) and

(2) Think-Feel-Eat broadcast at donnareish.com

Sign up for my free webinar: intermittentfastingwebinar.com

Think Feel Eat Episode 14 Outline: Foundations of Your Protocol, Part II

A. Perfect Storm Review

  1. What does it take to create an eating protocol that leads to the Perfect Storm of Weight Loss? All three aspects of the triangle
    • Number one—Eating Protocol (time, types of food, amounts of food
    • Number two—Hunger, Cravings, Hormones, and Chemicals
    • Thoughts and Emotions Management

 

  1. All three aspects are interrelated; they each affect the other.

B. Goal for the Perfect Storm Eating Protocol

1. Without creating over hunger

2. Without creating over desire

3. Without increasing cortisol

4. Without decreasing serotonin/joy

5. Without eating foods you don’t like

6. Without eating over 20% Fun Foods

7. Without taxing your energy

8. Without having an empty stomach too much during eating window

9. Without increasing dopamine spikes around hyper palatable foods

10. Without disrupting sleep

 

C. What Will Get Us to Goal?

 

1. We can lose weight at first (when we have quite a bit to lose) with a smaller deficit—this is why nearly EVERYTHING works when we first start a diet.

2. There are those protocols that are less likely to get you to goal because they don’t consider dopamine spikes, stomach fullness, hunger, cravings, etc.

3. Other protocols that consider overall calories along with considering types of foods, amounts of food, times, etc., will likely get you to goal better.

D. Productivity, Weight, Life Coaching Now Open!

 1. Founding Members Half Price Special Until June 15th

2. https://donnareish.com/coachingpackages/

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #13: Foundations of Your Food Protocol Part I

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #13: Foundations of Your Food Protocol Part I

Hi! I’m Donna Reish, IF teacher, weight loss coach, blogger, and half of “The Minus 220 Pound Pair” as my husband and I have lost over 200 pounds together (160 of that in the past couple of years through the Weight Loss Lifestyle habits and strategies I teach!).

In this episode, I present the introduction to the Perfect Storm of Weight Loss.

The Perfect Storm of Weight Loss has three components. They are not steps. They are interrelated aspects. They each affect the other.

We start with Food—in this Foundations of My Food Protocol Part I—because our weight loss will be heavily influenced by FOOD—

1) Time we eat food;

2) Type of food we eat;

3) Amount of food we eat.

But, again, the three aspects are related to each other—the Food we choose affects our dopamine, our cravings, our willpower, and our amounts.

The Time we choose to eat in affects our hormones, our hunger, and our satiety.

The Amounts we choose to eat will affect our ability to keep our Time in check—and which foods we choose. (My husband likes larger amounts of food, so his food choices have to be more narrow than mine!)

All interrelated. All creating the Perfect Storm of Weight Loss.

In today’s episode, I start laying the foundation for your food protocol. YOU will choose your protocol. You decide all three aspects of your Eating Protocol (time, type, amount).

But you need to consider several things before you do that. So I am starting to dig in on this episode to how the three parts of the Perfect Storm of Weight Loss are connected—and what all we need to consider in developing your Food Protocol.

This will be different than joining a diet.

You are going to choose what works for you—based on the three pillars of the Perfect Storm of Weight Loss.

Thanks for joining me!

This “Perfect Storm” is the same method I use with my weight loss coaching clients! Set up a consult to see if weight loss/life coaching with me is a good move for you at donnareish.com/coach

Find all of my episodes, outlines, and articles for my two weekly broadcasts:

(1) Weight Loss Lifestyle broadcast (formerly Donna’s Intermittent Fasting Broadcast) and

(2) Think-Feel-Eat broadcast at donnareish.com

Sign up for my free webinar: intermittentfastingwebinar.com

Think Feel Eat Episode 13 Outline: Foundations of Your Protocol, Part I

A. Perfect Storm Review

B. Foundations of Your Protocol

1. Has to be something that brings all three aspects of the Perfect Storm Triangle together
2. We PROPEL what we PLAN; we MOVE what we MEASURE.

3. My story of having the FEELING of Curiosity—THOUGHT: I can find something that works for me; FEELING: CURIOSITY.

C. Choosing Food Protocol to Create the Perfect Storm of Weight Loss

1. Can you stay on it?
2. Do you lose on it?
3. Do you like the food?
4. Don’t sign up for the program because it worked for someone else or you lost on it before (even though you didn’t like the food).
5. Effects of fasting on weight loss

D. Closing: I Can Help You!

1. Perfect Storm of Weight Loss Page: donnareish.com/perfectstorm
2. Weight loss coaching: donnareish.com

Pin It on Pinterest