I’m one of those people that need to ‘schedule’ my eating, or I’ll get ravenous.  Just ask anyone…when I’m hungry watch out!  My blood sugar drops and I get a bit (or a lot) cranky.  So I always have a snack with me, especially when I know I’m going to be out all day and may not be able to eat at my regularly scheduled time.

So being away from home, my schedule is totally off, including my eating times.  I like to eat three square-meals a day.  I’m not a big fan of snacking, but I do so when I feel my tummy getting hungry so I’ll grab something (preferably healthy & with some protein) to hold me over (so I don’t pig out when dinner time rolls around!).

And though I’ve eaten more than my far share of beef these last few weeks (hey, I’m in Texas….they know their beef!), not to mention the hamburgers, chicken tortilla’s, and frozen chocolate bars, my stomach feels lighter.

So what the heck is going on?

I know for a lot of my clients, they’ve heard over and over again that snacking is good for you.  And sure, snacking CAN be a good thing.  But all too often, these ‘snacks’ become as big as regular meals.  And I find too many people eat all day long (but in their head they’re just ‘snacking.’)

We’ve literally become trained to snack all the time.  And we can eat, or drink, almost anywhere, any time of day, and purchase food (even prepared foods) everywhere we turn.

We’ve also become trained NOT to feel our hunger.  We’ve been told over and over again by experts, the media, and food company that we need to snack.

Back to my story — I’ve realized that although I’ve been eating a bit more ‘forbidden’ foods these last few weeks.  I have NOT been snacking.   AND…I’ve been eating when I’m hungry, and yes, stopping when I’m full.  When my body says, “Okay Dinneen, it’s time to fill me up with some food so I can have energy and feel better,” I sit down and eat a real meal.  I’m not picking all day at food.   I’ve been listening, really listening, to my hunger signals.

Here are some other tidbits I’ve noticed over the last few weeks that will help YOU not to fall into the snack-trap that can unknowingly pack on some unwanted extra pounds:

1)  Eat Enough Protein.  After just a few weeks working with my clients, I often find they’re not eating enough.  Yup, that’s right….they’re not eating enough.  When trying to lose weight, this can surprisingly be an issue.   Sure it’s great to cut-down on the chips, soda, ice cream, and apple pie a la mode when trying to shed some pounds.  But what dieters do is fill up mostly on veggies, fruits, and so-called ‘diet’ foods.  Now at face value that might seem okay.

But what often happens is you’re eating too many fruits & vegetables, and not enough protein….and not leaving room for some special treats from time to time.  So our bodies use up the fruits and veggies pretty quickly — especially as we often kick our exercise up-a-notch when losing weight — and our bodies get depleted.  We also need to remember to get enough protein.  Sure, healthy protein is better, but even eating beef can really do your body good.  I’ve been getting my fair share of protein lately, but squaring it off with enough vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Now before you freak out, I’m not advocating the Atkins diet — but I do often find that we (especially Americans) eat too little protein, or not the right kind.  So be sure you’re meals have a good portion of healthy protein.

And for you vegetarians, vegans, or raw foodies out there — yes, eating lots of fruits and vegetables IS a good thing.  But we also need to be sure to get enough protein, even if it’s in the form of whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds or other non-meat sources.

2)  Filler Up by eating Three Square Meals.  Don’t go skipping breakfast or not eating lunch simply because you want to save calories.  Yes, you do need to make sure you’re not eating too many calories, but don’t get caught in the feast or famine thinking.

In addition, it’s been recently shown that trying to spread out your calories for the day — rather than sitting down to regular meals — may throw off your body’s internal clock.  Which just makes it more difficult for your body to recognize hunger and satiety cues — to the point that you no longer ‘feel’ or understand what it’s like to be hungry, but you also never feel quite full. (More on that on tip #4).

3)  Have a Purpose.  aka, keep busy.  Don’t you ever notice when you’re bored, or not really enjoying what you’re doing, all you want to do is eat?  Sure, you might think you’re hungry, but many times it’s just because the food ‘is there’ or we’re bored…so we eat.  While I’ve been in Texas I’ve had a purpose: helping take care of my brother.  This has included doing errands, driving him to doctor appointments, physical therapy, or to the supermarket.  I’ve been busy.  But not just busy as in ‘things to take up my time’…I’ve been busy doing things that make me feel useful, and give me a sense of purpose.

Ever notice when you’re really involved in a project that you really enjoy, time just goes by and look at the clock and realize you haven’t eaten in hours?  Or you’ve missed lunch?  (okay, maybe that doesn’t happen to you…).  This is often because we eat when we’re not really physically hungry.  But when you’re involved in something you really like, you don’t have time to get bored.

You stop and realize your stomach is growling or you’re body needs some food for energy.  It’s kind of a way of ‘training’ your body to speak for you….and not your mind.  Because all too often we think we’re hungry and getting signals from our body, when in reality it’s our mind telling us it’s hungry .  Our mind isn’t hungry, it’s that we’re bored, angry, frustrated, or just looking for something to keep it busy.

Which brings me to…

4)  Listen to your BODY.  Do you find yourself eating, simply because the clock says 12 noon, or it’s time for your favorite tv show, or because the kids are home from school so ‘it’s time to eat’?  Now there’s nothing wrong with keeping a regular eating schedule.  I do.  But on days when I just don’t feel hungry at 12 noon, I stop and ask myself “am I really hungry?”, and think about my plans for the next few hours.  If I’m not hungry, and have the time to eat 30 minutes or an hour later, I’ll wait.  However, if I’m at my office and know in an hour I have a call with a client, I’ll have some lunch even if I’m not quite fully hungry.  But I’ll eat accordingly.  I’ll eat just enough to fill me up and keep my body running, and if I need a snack later on I’ll grab one.  But I don’t kid myself that my ‘snack’ is a meal replacement.  It’s not.  It’s merely something small to keep my energy levels up.

5)  Grazing is for animals.  Okay, now there’s nothing wrong with grazing.  But grazing can turn into ‘eating a whole meal’ without even realizing it.

So if you DO snack, yes, it’s okay.  But sit down at a table, even use a small plate, and pay attention to what you’re eating so you’re focused on the food.  Don’t go grab a granola bar and eat it while walking around the house or sitting at your office desk.  Okay, I realize that’s not always feasible.  But back in the day when I worked in the corporate world, when I did have a snack I would sit at my desk, away from my computer, and take 5 minutes to sit and focus on my food.  Even if it’s just an apple.  But really paying attention to that apple (instead of reading emails) can make a big difference.

And like I mentioned earlier, it has been suggested that eating regular meals is better than grazing all day long.  And if you think about many other cultures where the obesity rate is lower than here in the U.S., oftentimes they don’t snack.  Or they only snack from time to time.  It’s not a daily thing.

6)  It’s OKAY to feel hunger.  We’re often afraid to get hungry, thinking that if we do we’ll devour the whole plate of chocolate chip cookies.  But that’s not the case.  Unless you allow yourself to get too hungry or ravenous, those are the times when you want to eat everything in site.  But having some hunger is a good thing.  Yes, it’s a good thing.  It’s your body’s internal cue of when it’s time to eat.   So don’t fear hunger — honor it.  Sure, it can take some time to realize the point when hunger turns to ravenousness, but over time you’ll start to interpret the signals better.  But in order to do that, you need to FEEL hunger.

Now this doesn’t mean you need to be really hungry every time you eat, whether it be a meal or a snack, but give your body enough time to get hungry so you can know what it feels like.   I’ve had many clients admit to me that they’ve never  felt hungry.  They’re so afraid of hunger that they’re constantly eating and snacking all day to ward it off.  So learn to listen to your hunger, honor it, and you’ll learn how to read it’s signals better and better.

So though snacking can be a good thing, just be aware that’s it’s something to hold you over until your next meal.  Eat three square meals a day, eat balanced meals, get enough exercise, have a sense of purpose in life, listen to your body — the ingredients to ANY happy life, whether you want to lose weight or not — and you’ll feel better, look better, and wonder why you didn’t do this all along.

So what are you’re thoughts on Snacking?  Do you do it regularly, sometimes, or never at all?  Do you feel it helps you keep your weight in-check, or do you think it could be a trap allowing you to eat too much and not really feel your hunger signals?

©2010 Eat Without Guilt. All Rights Reserved.

But they often (excuse my French)…..piss me off.

Why?

Because it seems at least once a week (actually, it’s usually a few times a week) they have a story about weight-loss.  And the “right” foods to eat.  And the right diet.  And how to be slim and happy.  Yadda, yadda, yadda…

“Lose 10 pounds by eating superfoods!” “Sugar is bad (no wait, good) for your heart!” “Lose belly fat for good!”  ”How to walk off the weight!”  ”Celebrity diet secrets!” they scream.  It’s like I’m watching the cover of the latest diet magazine.

Anyway, on Monday they had Jason Alexander (aka George Constanza on “Seinfeld”) who is the new Jenny Craig spokesperson.  (The last company he was a spokesperson for was KFC.  Go figure).  Now, nothing against Jason, he was funny as hell on Seinfeld.  But what he was saying about his weight-loss just irked me.

Why?

Because he talked about how he was “fat” and how his eating had “gotten out of control the last 20 years.”  Now I wouldn’t really consider him fat — sure, he could have lost a few pounds but he didn’t seem so overweight that it was a health issue.  But I get it.  He wanted to look and be slimmer.  I get it.

But it seems (actually, it’s clear) that Jenny Craig is now going after the male population.  Now they too have to be slimmer, sexier, and wear a smaller pants size to be a better person.  There is “Jenny Craig for Men.”   Now men are the target of the diet industry, which I guess really shouldn’t come as a shocker.

But then Jason went on to say how it’s all about “calories in vs. calories out.”  Which is something we hear all of the time.  But I gotta tell you… weight loss is NOT just about that.  Because 1000 calories of fruits and vegetables does NOT equal 1000 of burgers and fries.  And just eating the “right” amount of calories and burning off the “right” amount of calories does not equal a good diet.

He then went on to talk about how he had “no willpower” and “if it (the diet) is hard, I’m not a good candidate.”   “If this was really difficult, I’d be a dismal failure,” he continued.  Then he went on to say — which is what really irked me — that they, Jenny Craig “do all the work for you.”

So basically, what he was saying was — I don’t want to work for it, I don’t want to think about it, just give me what I need to eat and I’ll be thin.” Which I guess it what a lot of people want — fast, easy, quick, no-brainer.

Here’s the problem: losing weight shouldn’t be, and isn’t, about willpower, doing the ‘right’ things, and it’s definitely not about someone giving you a meal to microwave (which Jenny Craig does) and telling you to eat it.  Jenny Craig’s system is set up that you buy and eat their prepared foods.  Sure, they say you also need to incorporate some healthy fruits and vegetables….hello?  Not rocket-science.  But if you don’t even have to think about what the heck you’re eating, how are you going to keep the weight off?

On top of it, but if Jason (and everyone else wanting to lose weight) doesn’t look into the deeper reasons as to WHY you overeat, you’ll never keep the weight off.  You’ll be constantly struggling with food.  Even if you don’t think it’s a struggle, let me tell you it will be.

Back to his comment that “they” do all of the work for you.  If you really want to lose weight — I mean REALLY — then YOU have to do the work.  And I’m not just talking about the cooking, eating right, and exercising.  I’m talking about the inner work. Because the majority of people who are overweight didn’t get there simply because they ate the wrong foods, or didn’t exercise, or because they ‘love’ food.

It’s because they weren’t willing to look deeper into themselves to get to the root of the issue. (read that again).

And no, it’s not about going back to your childhood and solving your ‘problems’….it’s about becoming real with who you are, what you want out of life, and what’s going on inside.  Once you understand why you eat, what you’re really hungry for, how to love yourself (and your body), and to feel true fulfillment in life you won’t need the false security that food provides.

Even Valerie Bertinelli, the female spokesperson for Jenny Craig, talked about in her second book Losing It, that “dieting fixes one problem, but to maintain that weight loss, you have to work on everything else.”   Let’s hope Jason Alexander soon realizes the same.

©2010 Eat Without Guilt. All Rights Reserved.

A few weeks ago I had a bit on an epiphany.  It was after lunch.  I had eaten a small lunch so a few hours later was hungry and decided to have some of the nuts my husband had bought.

But these weren’t a can or container of nuts.  These were “real” nuts.  You know, the kind with the shell still on them?  There were Brazil nuts, almonds, and walnuts.

So I took a handful and started opening them one-by-one with a nutcracker (let me remind you I haven’t done this in years).  As I was doing this I realized I was putting effort into eating.

In other words, I had to WORK to get my food.  And anyone who has opened nuts with a nutcracker knows that it takes time.  With the time and effort it took, after about five minutes I had eaten about only 7 or 8 nuts.  But it was just enough time for my body to tell me it was full.  I wasn’t hungry anymore so I put the unopened nuts away.

Just then I realized that if, instead, I had opened a can of nuts – the ones with the shell already taken off – I would have eaten about 40 of them (or even more) in the five minutes!  Think about how easy it is to just munch on nuts and before you know it half the container is gone!

So by working for my food, I ate less.

The same for dinner that night.  I had an orange after my salad and pizza (yes, I DO eat pizza!).  As it’s winter and I don’t get much Vitamin C, I decided to have an orange.  Again, same story.  I had to peel that orange to eat it.

Okay, I know that’s not a lot of work.  But I could have easily just poured myself a glass of orange juice and within 10 seconds be done with it.  But by peeling the orange, I had to do a little work.   In addition, by eating the fruit itself, I get all of the fiber and nutrients that get lost when processed into juice.

By having to do some “work,” I had time to actually focus on my food, enjoy it, and think about where it came from (as it was still in it’s natural state).

We just eat so mindlessly today.  We need to put little (if any) energy into getting or eating our food.  Today most of us just open a box or put something in the microwave.  Much of our food is “convenient” so we put almost no effort into it.

Now I don’t think you should go out and hunt for your food like the cavemen did.  However, I do want to make you aware of how EASY it is today to just pop something in the microwave, open a box, or call for take-out.  (Yes, I do each of these myself sometimes, but not all the time).

We need to take a step back and realize that our environment is affecting our weight.

Losing or maintaining weight is not just about eating the right foods at the right times.  It’s also about being aware of your environment and how it affects not only your food choices, but your efforts to lose weight.

Like I often say:  Losing weight is not just about the food.  And no, it’s not nuts.  But I, for one, will ‘work’ for my food.

© Dinneen Diette.  All Rights Reserved.

©2010 Eat Without Guilt. All Rights Reserved.

Good advice, but often people tell me that they don’t even know what hungry feels like.  They either feel hungry all to time, or can’t decipher if their “hunger” is true hunger or emotional hunger.  Many people on their weight-loss journey have lost their ability to even know what real (ie biological) hunger feels like.

And it’s more common than you think.

The Clock Strikes 12

For some people it’s simply because they’ve never allowed themselves to be hungry.  They eat all the time.  Or they eat simply because it’s meal-time.  The clock say’s 12 noon so they just eat.  They’re not really hungry, but they’ve been eating at this time for so long they actually think they’re hungry.  But their body isn’t giving them the signals.  They have just been on autopilot for so long, that they believe they are hungry but in reality their body is not.

Food, Food Everywhere

We live in a society today where food is around all of the time.  Any time of day, any day of the week, you can easily get food.  So we can eat at all hours of the day.  And there’s no longer eating ‘hours’ for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  It is completely acceptable to “eat” at all hours of the day.

This was something different I experienced living in France.  If I wanted to eat lunch, whether it be in my office at work, or on the weekends while strolling around town – cafeteria’s, restaurants, canteens, etc where only open during lunch hours.  And I would be hard pressed to find a vending machine anywhere.

Other Voices

There are other ‘voices’ of hunger like eating to fill emotions.  And emotional eating is one of the top reasons diets fail.  But when you divert your attention from whatever is causing you angst (like a bad day at the office) by eating, you’re often just making the problem even worse.

And the food can act like a drug. Eating can take the edge off what ever is going on, similar to the way a drink does for alcoholics, but unfortunately this tactic is a temporary fix at best.  After you’re done eating, you still have to deal with the original problem.

Tuning In

But know that the first step to “finding your biological hunger” is to listen to it.

Now it sounds/feels different for different people.  Remember, we are all unique so just like eating patterns, biological hunger varies for everyone.

In the beginning, you might be able to recognize ravenous hunger (when you’re so hungry you could literally eat anything), but have difficulty recognizing gentle hunger pains.

So here are some tips to help you recognize when you are hungry:

-      mild (or loud!) rumbling in the stomach

-      light-headedness

-      headache

-      very low energy, feel a bit faint

-      uncomfortable stomach pain. It feels really empty

-      irritability

-      difficulty concentrating

Another tool to use is the Hunger Scale.  It’s a way to help you identify your hunger and get in touch you’re your body’s inner signals.

If you’re not familiar with the hunger scale, it a scale of 1 to 10.  With 1 being extreme hunger (you feel so hungry you could literally pass out) to 10 being beyond full (like after eating Thanksgiving Dinner). The neutral point is five.  At 5, your body has enough fuel to keep it going and you’re more or less satisfied.  You could eat a bit more, but physically your body is fine.

Every time you eat, check your hunger level.  Ideally, for you to be truly hungry, you should be at a 3 or 4.  If you’re 5 or above, you’re not biologically hungry.

So begin to really listen to your stomach, and not what the clock says, not what your ‘head’ is telling you, and not because you’re feeling some type of emotion.

It’s all a part of what’s called intuitive eating. Eating when you’re really hungry, stopping when you are full, and listening to your body.  If you can start listening to your true hunger signals and eat because you are physically hungry, then you are slowly on your way to honoring your hunger and

Part of eating intuitively is knowing what hunger feels like, honoring it, and giving it (and your body) the proper nutrition it needs.

Want to learn more about listening and honoring your hunger, how to stop when you’re full, and how the heck to really listen to your body and give it what it needs? Want more insight into knowing when you’re truly hungry? Then be sure to register for my upcoming f.r.e.e. call where I’ll be covering this and MORE.  Learn how YOU can listen to your hunger and your body and lose weight in the process.  Get all the details here.

©2010 Eat Without Guilt. All Rights Reserved.

Many of us at one time or another have eaten for comfort.  It’s common to reach for food when we are bored, stressed, unhappy with life, upset, or depressed.  So we eat in an attempt to feel better, get rid of the boredom, de-stress, or cheer up.

©2010 Eat Without Guilt. All Rights Reserved.

©2010 Eat Without Guilt. All Rights Reserved.

It received such amazing feedback that we decided to post it here.  We hope it will help inspire you too:

“Dinneen’s main focus is helping women make peace with food and, if they lose weight in the process, then it’s the full fat icing on the proverbial protein cake (get it? everything in moderation? treats are good? no? oh, ok.)

As this week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week**, I asked Dinneen to stop by and tell us what that means to her.” –MizFit

(**Note: Eating Disorders Awareness Week was last week, but the information & insight here is valuable any week of the year!)

As a weight loss coach and mentor, I help many women lose weight, look better AND feel better, and I’m constantly meeting women who struggle with food and their weight.  And I get it, as I’ve been there myself.

For years I struggled to lose weight, and even when I was finally  “thin,” I spent many more years eating low-fat, low-calorie, and low-tasting foods.  Food and eating was not an enjoyment for me.  Any food I ate that was remotely decadent or a “bad” food, left me feeling guilty and eventually lead me to overeat.  And so started a vicious cycle of dieting, losing weight, putting it back on, dieting again, and on and on.

What I ate either helped me lose weight, or gain weight, or so I thought.  It wasn’t until a trip to Italy, and then a few years later living & working in France, did I learn that I could enjoy foods without guilt, lose weight and stay slim.

My world was literally turned upside down.   And so was my life.

And so began a journey of education, self-awareness, and self-growth that led me to the extraordinary life I live today.  I can eat the foods I love, and still stay healthy, and yes, slim.

As a weight-loss coach and mentor I help women and men lose weight, get healthy, and feel good about themselves.  And part of that is helping them with their relationship with food. 

You see, it wasn’t’ until I changed my relationship with food was I able to lose weight and keep if off, and without deprivation.

Even Oprah Winfrey has had ups & downs with her weight and, in my opinion, she will not keep it off until she has a healthy relationship with food. (for more about my thoughts about Oprah and her weight, visit my blog post from earlier this year).

In my business I’ve come across women (and young girls) who suffer from an eating disorder.  Eating disorders arise from a variety of physical, emotional, and social issues, all of which need to be addressed for effective prevention and treatment. 

This week, February 22-28, 2009, is the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.  If you suspect, or know, someone suffering from the disease please visit the website of the National Eating Disorders Association.  There you will find an abundance of information and resources to help support those affected by eating disorders.  It is there to help a friend, family member, colleague, or loved one get help.

In the United States alone, over 11 million people suffer from an eating disorder, and millions more suffer with a binge eating disorder.  More people die every year from an eating disorder than any other mental illness.  Yes, it’s that bad and that prevalent.

Also, statistics say that more than one in three ‘normal’ dieters progress to pathological dieting (that is, it becomes a very unhealthy obsession with food & weight).

So help spread the word.

I see too many women, of all ages, obsessed with their weight and their bodies – and they look fine!   In my mission to help women lose weight and be HEALTHY, it is also my mission help women feel good in their body, no matter what the scale says.  Now that is something to be proud of.  I sure am.

©2010 Eat Without Guilt. All Rights Reserved.

The children on the show show took part in a day-long intervention, just like what is often needed when children (or adults) abuse drugs or alcohol.  But for these kids their drug of choice was food.  

The intervention was to get to the real reason why these kids ate.  And like Oprah said on the show, the reason they got overweight “goes way beyond junk food.” 

On the show we got an inside look of these children’s lives.  They spend their days in shame, guilt, depression, discomfort, stress or pain.  In one way or another, they were hurting inside and ate for comfort, in search of acceptance, or to cover up emotions. 

These kids also have to deal with the pressures and mistreatment from society.  As one of the children said,

“People look at my outer layers and not my inner beauty, and don’t recognize what’s on my inside and automatically judge me because of my weight.”

People talk behind these kid’s backs, treat them differently than other “normal” children, and judge them by what’s on the outside instead of what’s on the inside.

The intervention was a way to look beyond the food, and for the parents (and society) to understand what is really going on.  It’s not just about eating right and exercising.  And it’s not just about food.  Food is only a part of the issue. 

The real issue is the emptiness many people feel inside.  

As one of the leaders of the intervention said:

“Today what we are intentionally doing is inviting a conversation around food, around weight, about the emotions behind the weight — because it’s not about our weight.  It’s ‘What is the hunger for?  What are we hungry for?’”

As I watched the show I couldn’t help think of the parallel with adults.  So many adults are hungry for more than just food, they’re hungry for something more in their lives —  they’re hungry for acceptance, love, comfort, a satisfying job, or a caring relationship.

The counselors on the show then explained that before anyone (children OR adults) can begin to work on the larger issue – health – they need to tap inside and find the place where they hide feelings they cannot express or don’t express: 

“If anger is not expressed, it goes inside the body and we start to eat or numb it out,” they said.

So many people today have built-up emotions, anger, or feelings inside that they’re not letting out.  We also have many stresses.  We’re juggling work, career, family, social life, and other everyday pressures.  But instead of expressing our feelings, we’re keeping them inside and many of us turn to food to make us feel better.

On Oprah’s website, the counselors give tips for overweight teens, but  they are just as useful for adults, and most of them I use with my own clients. The counselors stress the importance of getting support and being proactive about your health.  They suggest seeing a nutrition specialist, and taking fitness or nutrition classes, as they are “great ways to empower yourself, keep you motivated, and change your life.”

I suggest you read the tips and while doing so, think about your own situation:  Why do you sometimes overeat or not eat healthy?  What feelings are you not expressing and using food to treat instead?  What’s holding you back from empowering yourself and your family?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please comment below.

©2010 Eat Without Guilt. All Rights Reserved.