Hard Wired to Eat

I may have discussed this before, but it has become such an issue for me as of late, that I am blogging about it again.    Over the last few months I have stared to put weight back on.  This is to be expected.  All gastric by-pass patients begin to increase their weight after the first 1 1/2 years.  It has to due with the fact that the pouch has stretched out. thus accommodating more food, combined with the fact that most people begin to feel sensations of hunger again.  In my case, it has to do with the fact that I have also developed a "grazing" style of eating.  Basically I eat really small portions and I eat all day long.  The end result of this behaviour it that I am consuming way to many calories.

I began to do some research into the proper amounts of food intake.  My research reminded me, yet again, of how ridiculous the Canadian Food Guide is.  It asks people to consume way to much food in a day.  My research also lead me to understand the importance of creating muscle when exercising.  So, with this information in hand, I have tried to reduce the number of times I graze in my fridge and  increase the number to times I go to the gym with my modified routine which now incorporates weight training.  "So what is the problem?" you may ask.

The problem is that, in spite of the gastric by-pass, my increased knowledge and my desire to maintain my weight loss, I just can't stop eating!  I am not saying that I am binge eating again, rather I am just eating really small amounts of food every couple of hours and the accumulation of all that food results in my overeating!  I am so frustrated!  

I recognize that my  brain is not set up for our 20 century constant access to food.  (I would thrive as a Neanderthal!) I understand that I am hard wired to eat.  But even armed with this knowledge, I just can't seem to control my food intake.  I cannot believe how angry, frustrated and scared I am right now. I idea of gaining my weight back is terrifying.

So, yet another day goes by, where I resolve to do better, acknowledge each small success and try not to beat myself up with each failure.

Insight into "The Science of Appetite"

No kidding, there I was, in Dr. Hagen's office when I run across the June 11, 2007 edition of Time Magazine with a fantastic health article called The Science of Appetite by Jeffry Kluger. Anybody who has every experienced Mouth Hunger or just plain out of place hunger pangs has got to read this article. I have never run across such an in-depth article that delves into how we decide to eat and how our bodies trick us into feeling hungry even when we are not.

If you don't take a look at the article itself, let me break down the part that I thought was most helpful; "four ways to curb your appetite".

1) Eat fiber - Unrefined foods, especially those that are high in fiber, stimulate appetite-suppressing hormones and make you feel full.

2) Brush you teeth - Take a break from eating to brush. The flavour change helps you resist eating more.

3) Be consistent - Eating breakfast and regularly scheduled meals keeps hormone levels steady and quashes hunger pangs.

4) Slow down - It takes awhile for the brain to realize that the stomach is stretching. Eating slowly gives the brain time to catch up.

These are just four small points from the article. There is much more in it and it is brilliantly fascinating!