4-day win diet book by martha beck

[rorysmom 0]

i don't know how good the book is, but martha beck's article about it in the january issue (i think) of oprah magazine is good.

one of the key things i took away from the article is that when many of us overeat, it is to nuture ourselves in some way. not a "new" concept to me. but i had been compartmentalizing it a bit more than that. for instance, it would be because i am anxious or tired or cranky, etc.

but if i view my desire to overeat--or more likely to eat something unhealthy--as a way to nurture myself (care for myself) in that moment, i can jar myself into acting more appropriately or accurately on that basic need to calm/love/accept/remove myself from a stressful situation in that moment.

hey, every little self-realization helps.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Four-Day-Win-Achieve-Thinner/dp/1594866074/sr=8-2/qid=1165963465/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/104-7410046-6394365?ie=UTF8&s=books]Amazon.com: The Four Day Win: End Your Diet War and Achieve Thinner Peace: Martha Beck: Books[/ame]

[rorysmom 0]

ok, there is another article in o to complement this one. it is about dopamine and changing habits. basically, when we do something that gives us pleasure, it releases dopamine. and every subsequent time we do it, the dopamine release is stronger. pretty soon, anything even vaguely associated to the pleasurable activity can trigger the dopamine urge to do the activity.

the example in the article was eating mcdonald's french fries. the first time you eat them and love them, dopamine is released. and so your brain wants to eat them again for that dopamine release.

pretty soon the dopamine release from eating french fries is so strong that just seeing the mcdonald's colors (red and yellow) is enough to make you want french fries.

so they recommend changing that urge out for another, just as pleasurable urge. nothing new there. but they say to make the reward instant and large. not waiting for 5 days of consecutive exercise to get a new outfit; give yourself something good after that first day of exercise.

and in addition, to manage stress. because there is some frontal-lobe issue, that i forget at the moment, that makes it much harder to switch out the french fry urge with a better alternative when you feel stressed.

which brings us, in part, back to the nurture article!

ok, i'm through!!

[~Jules~ 0]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

[rorysmom 0]

you're welcome.

[faybie 0]

thanks for sharing, I might go pick up the book.

[flabuless 18]

hmmm food for thought...

thanks for sharing.

becky