RULES RULE

I know a lot of people hate rules.  I happen to be okay with rules.  I like knowing what is expected of me in social situations (etiquette) and having an understanding of what to do at a flashing red light (rules of the road) and having little ditties to remind myself of things (righty tighty-lefty loosey).

So I am okay with the idea when the author of The End of Overeating said to make rules for myself to help navigate past the foods that are all around me which are speaking directly to the depths of my brain.  Studies show that there is a  cycle of "cue-urge-reward-habit" which is imprinted on the brain.   It is highly automated and below the level of conscious awareness.  We must rely on other levels of the brain, the frontal cortex which makes conscious decisions, to override the strong emotional/repetitive behavior.  They say the frontal cortex has  Executive Control over our actions and that is where the rules come in.

So one of my rules is Whole Grains only.  I am eating low carb because I am a carb lover - love the bread and pasta.  So when I am dining out, this rule saves me.  For instance, the other night, I got out the door to go to work without my dinner.  When the staff was putting together an order at about 7 pm and I was hungry, I was tempted.  They were going to the Mexican place.  I looked at the menu and thought I could order a chicken quesadilla with just a little cheese.  But they didn't have whole wheat tortillas (I don't like corn) so I did not order.  I was hungry, but I ate a snack when I got home.

I was saved by my rules.  The other part of this, according to author David Kessler, is that the response must be automatic.  The minute you start bargaining or thinking about it you lose the upper hand.  It must be a rigid response to "rewire" the brain. 

There are more "food rehab" tips I will write about lateer in the week.  What are your rules that help your "rehab"?

SOME LIGHTBULB MOMENTS

A follow-up to my post yesterday...

I did go to the library and checked out "The End of Overeating."  I started reading it this morning.  Already two things popped out at me relating to what I wrote yesterday.  I mentioned that I was anxious about my daughter and I was wanting to eat, even though I wasn't actually hungry. 

Dr. Kessler writes about the power of opiods within the body to calm us and give us pleasure.  The neurons of the brain that are stimulated by taste and other properties of highly desirable foods are part of the body's primary pleasure system.  Studies have shown that there are changes in the circuits of the brain after exposure opiods which cause a desire to keep eating beyond fullness or even being interested in the taste. That the drive, in fact, becomes just slightly less than that for heroin.

Reading that makes me feel pretty good that I only ate a peach!

The second thing was about my dislike for the focus on mocking up foods - like making "mock" mashed potatoes. Or tying to mimic the taste of a candy bar with a bunch of artificial flavors in a protein drink.

I have only read one chapter so far about the food industry, but it is very damning.  the amount of effort that is made to layer fat on fat and add salt and sugar into everything is just disgusting.  And Dr. Kessler names names - Cheesecake Factory, Chili's, Outback and more.  Foods have been manipulated, people have been manipulated - so it is no wonder they are trying to re-create what their brains have been taught to crave.

I will be reading on...