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They cast a spell over the most well-meaning dieter, and cause logical people to overeat until their sides hurt.

They occupy your thoughts to the point of obsession as you try to ignore a plate of cookies.

And when it’s all said and done, they accumulate on your body in the most obtrusive way as a result of dozens of unused calories.

Why does food hold such power? And, most importantly, how can you control your eating?

The End of Overeating

David A. Kessler, MD set out to answer these pressing questions in his instant bestseller, The End of Overeating. Despite being a pediatrician, a former FDA commissioner, and former dean of the medical schools at Yale and the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Kessler struggles with his weight.

Observing the current obesity epedemic, he knew that he wasn’t alone.

Dr. Kessler, with the insight of some of the brightest minds in medicine and science, discovered the following three reasons that most of us are compelled to overeat.

1. An Irresistable Combination Rewires Your Brain: Think of your favorite treat - most likely it can be broken down into the basic building blocks of sugar, fat and salt. This combination is known of as the ‘three points of the compass’, a combination that has been shown to literally alter the biological circuitry of your brain.

   Sugar, fat and salt give food a high hedonic value which gives you pleasure. This pleasure reinforces you to return to your favorite foods time and time again.

2. The Food Industry Targets You: Everywhere you go you’ll see the clever work of the food industry, tempting you with highly palatable creations. Food has become a science, and your taste preferences the guiding light.

   The food industry has one goal - to get you hooked. By constructing food items that are high in sugar, fat and salt they know that you will come back time and time again.

3. Conditioned Hypereating Becomes a Way of Life: Humans are conditioned to seek more reward. When readily available, hyper palatable food become our reward a pattern of hypereating quickly emerges. Dr. Kessler describes the cycle:

   “Foods high in sugar, fat, and salt, and the cues that signal them, promote more of everything: more arousal…more thoughts of food…more urge to pursue food…more dopamine-stimulated approach behavior…more consumption…more opioid-driven reward…more overeating to feel better…more delay in feeling fulll…more loss of control…more preoccupation with food…more habit-driven behavior…and ultimately, more and more weight gain.”

Breaking the Cycle

The good news is that you don’t have to remain trapped in a cycle of overeating. The following three tips will put you back in control.

1. Set Your Rules: In order to resist overeating in today’s tempting food environment, you must eat by a set of self-imposed rules. Predetermined rules take away the need to make food decisions in vulnerable moments.

   Dr. Kessler thinks these rules should be, “simple enough to fit with your busy life, but specific enough to remove uncertainty from the food equation.”

   For suggestions as to what rules you should adopt, let’s turn to another authority on eating, bestselling author of ‘In Defense of Food’, Michael Pollan:

   • Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
   • Pay more, eat less. Look for quality of food over quantity.
   • Eat meals. Cut out snacking, stick with structured meals.
   • Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does. Gas stations are great for fueling your car, but the food they sell are not suited to fuel you.
   • Try not to eat alone. Eating can become mindless when alone, leading to overeating.
   • Eat slowly. Eat foods that have been prepared slowly – that means no fast food.
2. Make Negative Associations: When was the last time you peeled a lemon and ate it whole? Probably never. That’s because your taste buds have a negative association with the sour taste.

   Our taste buds have traditionally been our guide when it comes to food selection, but this must change for you to successfully avoid overeating. Since the food industry purposely crafts food items to please your taste buds (not waistline) what tastes good can no longer dictate what you eat.

   It’s up to you to create negative associations with unhealthy food - despite their pleasing taste. Here are some negatives to focus on:

   • Those extra calories will accumulate around your waist.
   • Your health will suffer.
   • You will become more disspointed with your appearance.
   • You’ll feel sluggish.
3. Give Yourself a Real Reward: The bottom line is that we eat unhealthy food as a reward, even though it causes more harm that good. It’s time to give yourself a truly benificial reward – exercise.

   Exercise is a healthy reward that will not only release endorphins into your system, but will also give you the benefit of weight loss and improved health.

I truly believe that you can overcome your pattern of overeating with healthy eating and regular exercise. Call or email today to get started on a program that will truly change your life.

Breakfast is the most influencial meal of the day. If you start your day with sugary pastries or a greasy breakfast sandwich, the rest of your food choices will follow suit. However, when you start your morning with a wholesome and nutritious meal you’ll be more likely to continue with good choices throughout the day. Try the Veggie Power Juice recipe below as a nutritious start to your day.

Remember how Popeye would drain a can of spinach and half a second later his muscles would begin to bulge? Think of this recipe as your own can of spinach. While your muscles may not instantly grow to three times their size, your body will surely experience a nutritious surge.
Yield: 2 servings

Here’s what you need…

• 1 cup packed fresh spinach
• 2 green apples
• 4 large carrots
• 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger
• Juicing machine

1. Wash the vegetables, cut the ends off the carrots and peel the ginger.
2. Run each item through the juicer. Mix until combined, pour into two glasses and enjoy.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 139 calories, .5g fat, 34g carbohydrate, .8g fiber, and 2g protein.

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knisell

721 Opal st

(310) 721-4055

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Over the last five years we have found Kurt to be an invaluable resource. His expansive knowledge of nutrition and understanding of the benefits of physical training allow him to customize personal training programs. He is capable of adapting our programs to accommodate physical injuries and limitations. Reed and Nan H.

Working out with South Bay Fitness has helped me stay on top of my game. I would highly recommend them to everyone. Raju C.

Why do you overeat? Here are a few likely reasons:

1. Habit: Whether you realize it or not, you eat in a learned pattern, rather than out of need. You clean your plate because that’s what your mother taught. You eat what is served without stopping to check if you are full. You butter two pieces of toast for breakfast rather than questioning if one piece would do the job.
2. Absentminded: You forget to pay attention when you eat. Mindless munching while watching a movie, snacking while driving, or picking at food while cooking - these absentminded calories really add up.
3. Something Deeper: Sometimes you use food for recreation or to change your mood. These calories may lend you a temporary sense of comfort or pleasure, but ultimately your body suffers from the indulgence.

Here are 3 Steps To Overcome Overeating - read these, and apply them to your life.

Step #1: Pay Attention

Be aware of what and how much you eat. This simple concept will save you from hundreds upon hundreds of calories each week.

To apply this rule, don’t eat while your attention is distracted by another activity. Only put food in your mouth when you are hungry and conscious of it. This means turn off the T.V., get out of your car,=2 0and no matter what you do, don’t graze in the kitchen while cooking.

Step #2: Practice Balance

Be aware of the types of food that you eat during each meal, and make sure that it’s balanced. When you eat a balanced diet filled with lean protein, whole grains, lots of veggies, a few daily servings of fruit and limited fat and sweets, your body will be satisfied and you’ll lose the urge to overeat.

This means you shouldn’t always eat carb-based meals, and you also shouldn’t always eat high-fat meals. Make a mental checklist of the food groups that you’ve eaten each day. Did you eat lean protein? Did you have plenty of vegetables? Did you refrain from eating more than one or two primarily carb-based meals? This mental checklist will save you from making food decisions that you’d later regret.

Step #3: Be Tuned In

Your body will always tell you when its hunger has been satisfied - you’ve just gotten so good at ignoring the signs that you barrel through your meal only to feel like you’ve been hit by a ton of bricks once all that food hits your stomach. It’s time to take a deep breath and listen to your body.

An important part of being tuned in is to eat slowly. Once you start to pay attention you’ll notice a point when each bite becomes less and less satisfying. That is your body’s way of letting you know that you’ve had enough and that each continued bite is simply overkill (yes, even if you’re only halfway through that plate of pasta).

By learning how to control your eating habits, you’ll find weight loss to come simply and naturally.

Want to speed up your weight loss, make it permanent, and shape your body at the same time? Kurt Knisell Redondo Beach Personal Trainer has what it takes to get you there! No guess work, no fad diets, and no super long workouts.

Call or email today to learn more about my fitness and fat loss programs that will quickly change your life. http://www.southbayfitness.com

knisell

721 Opal st

(310) 721-4055

My Site

Over the last five years we have found Kurt to be an invaluable resource. His expansive knowledge of nutrition and understanding of the benefits of physical training allow him to customize personal training programs. He is capable of adapting our programs to accommodate physical injuries and limitations. Reed and Nan H.

Working out with South Bay Fitness has helped me stay on top of my game. I would highly recommend them to everyone. Raju C.

This one I tell all my personal training clients. An easy way to live healthier: don’t drink calories. Liquid calories are sneaky. You don’t get that full feeling like with solid foods, but you’re still taking in tons of calories. Avoid drinks like: regular sodas, smoothies, juices, sweet coffee drinks, hot chocolate, milk shakes, and alcoholic beverages. Drink plenty of water instead-you’ll lose weight and feel great.

What a delicious way to enjoy soy. Pre-shelled soybeans make this dish easy to prepare - it’s ready in 10 minutes. Serve this as a healthy side dish or a light meal.
Yield: 3 serving

Here’s what you need…

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 1/2 cups shelled soybeans
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• Dash of salt
• Dash of pepper

1. Heat saute pan over medium heat, add oil and onions. When onions begin to soften lower the heat, add the garlic and saute for two minutes.
2. Add soybeans and thyme, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Cook until soybeans are fully heated. Serve warm.
3. You can buy all these item’s at Trader Joes or Whole foods in Redondo Beach or Torrance.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 172 calories, 9g fat, 11g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, and 10g protein.

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