On HUNGER!

 
As many of you know if you've been following my blog, I believe very strongly in the power of Addictive Voice Recognition Technique (AVRT) to CHANGE my eating habits and lose weight.  

AVRT, combined with the Medifast meals program, is UNBEATABLE in my book, because it gives you a 'one-two punch' combination of fighting what's going on in your HEAD....controlling those impulses to eat eat eat....with the RIGHT nutrition!  If you have the right nutrition, your body can run better and have more energy, and STILL lose weight.  And if your head is in the right place, it becomes....EASY!  (REALLY!)

If you're struggling with hunger issues, here's an excerpt from "Taming the Feast Beast"  by Jack and Lois Trimpey:

BELIEFS:  "Uh-oh, I'm hungry.  I NEED something to eat.  But it's not time to eat!  But I've GOT to have something.  I feel miserable.  I can't STAND this feeling.  I can't put up with it.  What is there to eat?  Something little.  Anything.  Soup.  No.  Too much trouble.  Just something little.  Quick.  A nibble.  Ah!  Crackers!  Yes!  Where are they?  On the counter.  No.  The cupboard.  There they are.  Ugh.  Dry.  Put something good on them.  What? Cheese spread!  Where is it?  Fridge.  There it is.  Still good?  Yep, most of it.  Knife.  There.  Now see if it's good.  Hmmm.....not bad.  That'll hold me until my next meal."

Now,  contrary to what a lot of overeaters SAY, this wasn't something that couldn't be controlled, it wasn't a 'trance' that overcame us, it was a DECISION...in fact, a series of decisions!

There is LOTS of thinking here, and the decision to eat was very consciously made.  The idea that one is MYSTERIOUSLY 'driven' to eat irresponsibly is an illusion that is perpetuated by overeaters themselves.  Some dependency programs for overeaters even require members to confess that they are powerless over their impulses to eat incorrecty and therefore must rely on something other than or greater than themselves to eat correctly. From a rational standpoint, that is about the WORST thing to tell someone who is already having trouble with impulse control.

Instead, DISPUTE the reasoning of Fat Brain by INTERRUPTING the thought process when you first have that 'I'm hungry and I NEED to eat' feeling, this way:

DISPUTE IT:  "If I'm hungry, does that mean I NEED to eat something now?  Or do I merely WANT to eat something?  MUST I eat right now, really?  Of course I don't absolutely have to eat right now.  I wouldn't die for over a month if I started a total fast right now.  Is this feeling of hunger really miserable?  Is this feeling of emptiness INTOLERABLE, so that I CAN'T STAND IT?  If I can't stand this feeling, then what am I doing right now at this very second?  I'm standing it!  And I'm not miserable in the least.  I'm just a tad hungry, that's all!  It's NOT the end of the world.  Why can't I be hungry for a few hours?  Am I an infant who can't wait for the bottle?  Am I really so deficient that I can't be hungry for a few minutes or even a few hours? Of course not.
Being hungry is what I've been waiting for, because that means I'm using up my fat reserves.
Therefore, I'll choose to VALUE my hunger feelings instead of hating them.  I can desire hunger the same way athletes desire fatigue.  No pain - no gain.  Only here it's no pain - no loss.  To destroy a pleasant hunger once I've worked all day to develop it is stupid, so I'll CULTIVATE my present hunger and make it last until my next scheduled meal.  And that's that!"

Here's another excerpt that talks about hunger:

It might be helpful to think of the fuel gauge in your car when you feel hungry.  Remember that you can go many miles 'running on empty'.  The car runs just as well on a full tank, but of course, it is necessary to fuel up from time to time.  Note that the expression here is 'fuel up', not 'fill up'.
"Running on empty" is a way of summing up a weight loss attitude that allows you to understand what you are really doing to yourself when you are losing weight.  You are limiting your fuel intake so that your fuel reserves are consumed, or converted to energy.  When you find yourself feeling sorry for yourself because you feel 'empty', a rational antidote is simply to remind yourself that you are now doing what you chose earlier to do, which is running on empty.  Biologically, we are very well prepared to run on empty for long periods of time, unless there is some medical condition such as diabetes or hypoglycemia (which is why it's advisable to consult with your doctor before beginning a weight program...and incidentally the Medifast 5/1 gives us the PERFECT fuel to keep us going, because we eat every 3 hours!)

When you run on empty for a week or so, you may notice that you think less and less about food.  There may even be a tendency to forget meals, because running on empty gives us the energy and freedom to pursue other activities.  In fact, some people report that they have MORE energy when running on empty than with a full stomach.  One possible explanation of this is that our nomadic ancestors had to travel long distances to obtain food, and they literally 'ran on empty' to survive.  It is well known that increased hunger triggers increased physical activities in all creatures, large and small.

SO...bottom line?  When you next find yourself feeling restless and foraging in the refrigerator, REMIND yourself that your ancient ancestors used this restlessness to travel hundreds of miles on foot between meals.  Surely you can make it till dinnertime.

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BOTTOM LINE here?
HUNGER won't kill you.  In fact, it's a GOOD thing because .... listen to me....
IT MEANS YOU ARE LOSING WEIGHT!

That's why I EMBRACE it, and why I love this poem:

My newfound friend is hunger
He daily walks with me.
Companion, joy, and comfort and...
Encouragement is he.
He signals me his presence,
Activates the voice within.
Then self and voice have dialogue
Now self does always win.
Hunger tells me I'm victorious
Over the BEAST that used to rule.
The BEAST, in vain he still does fight;
I tell you he's no fool.
My BEAST waits patiently his turn
He's always on the prowl.
He counts on those who still do yearn
For "bad foods" -- Oh, so foul.
But hunger smiles assuringly
And leads me by the head
To keep resolve for better health
My banquet table's spread
With thoughts of things I want to do
And places not yet seen.
And visions of accomplishment
That I, from life, may glean.
Awakened hope, abundant joy,
As I take this life in stride
In my new self in truth I say
It's great to be alive!
- Phyllis Ludwig-Zilman, Florida

Keep on keepin' on!

PS For more info on AVRT, consult 'Rational Recovery' or 'Taming the Feast Beast', both by Jack Trimpey.  The first book Jack wrote after his successful recovery from alcoholism...ON HIS OWN, without AA or any type of program.  He just used AVRT, Rational Recovery techniques to 'talk back' to his addicted voice. 

The second book, 'Taming the Feast Beast', was actually co-written with his wife, Lois, who is a self-admitted food addict! 

Linda
angiecat6@comcast.net