Book: The End of Overeating
In his 2009 book The End of Overeating, Dr. David Kessler posits that overeating is a habit that many of us have been conditioned to perform. Like Pavlov’s rats, once we’re conditioned to eat certain foods, it’s very hard to break free of that behavior - the behavior of eating certain foods is the addiction, as much as the food itself. Many times we may not know why we’re eating or how to break the addiction to eating salty, sweet, or fattening foods. The book also goes on to explain the brain chemistry that makes some of us addicted to fat, sweets, or salt. It's a great book written from a researcher's point of view at a relatively high level. If you feel skeptical of most of the "diet" books out there, you might like this one.
Are there eating behaviors that you are addicted to? Are there certain times or
events that trigger overeating? Keep a food log for a couple weeks and note when you eat (or when you overeat) and what’s going on at those times: what are you feeling? What are you doing? What is going on around you? Then take concrete steps to break those addictions. Some ideas:
Mindlessly snacking in front of the TV or computer? Eat only at the kitchen table (or eat certain
foods only at the kitchen table).
Chew gum during activities that typically trigger you to eat unhealthy foods (like watching TV, using the computer, or driving).
Switch foods: if you normally enjoy a donut with your morning coffee, start off by simply delaying the donut until after the coffee’s gone. Normally eat ice cream during True Blood? Start waiting until it’s over.
Are there eating behaviors that you are addicted to? Are there certain times or
events that trigger overeating? Keep a food log for a couple weeks and note when you eat (or when you overeat) and what’s going on at those times: what are you feeling? What are you doing? What is going on around you? Then take concrete steps to break those addictions. Some ideas:
Mindlessly snacking in front of the TV or computer? Eat only at the kitchen table (or eat certain
foods only at the kitchen table).
Chew gum during activities that typically trigger you to eat unhealthy foods (like watching TV, using the computer, or driving).
Switch foods: if you normally enjoy a donut with your morning coffee, start off by simply delaying the donut until after the coffee’s gone. Normally eat ice cream during True Blood? Start waiting until it’s over.