It's Not
About
the Scale

By Karen Preston

Karen lives, plays, and works
in Portland. A member of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), she also founded Pounders, a weight-loss support group focusing on being fit through exercise and healthly lifestyle changes. Her story
was recently featured in Self magazine (September 2003).

I still find each
day too short for
all the thoughts
I want to think,
all the walks I want
to take, all the books
I want to read and
all the friends
I want to see. 

— John Burroughs

Cravings

One of my most vivid memories is of the moment years ago when I walked past a bakery window and felt my body shudder in reaction. Not a shudder of disgust, but a physical longing for sweets so intense and so strong that I gasped. This, I thought, must be what it feels like to be addicted to drugs or alcohol. I can’t imagine that all overweight people have experienced the same degree of physical reaction that I did, but I think it’s safe to say that most overweight people agree that they have problems with cravings.

When I first started my healthy eating program I needed to learn the difference between eating because I was hungry and eating to satisfy a craving. Hunger is the physical reaction of your body is telling you it’s time to eat. If you haven’t had a meal or snack in four hours, it’s a safe bet that’s hunger you’re experiencing. Cravings are an emotional reaction. It’s what happens when you’re stressed, sad, or angry and use food to comfort and make you feel better for a brief moment.

Sometimes when food is staring you in the face, it can be confusing. Are you eating because you’re physically or emotionally hungry? A phrase that has really helped me is “What am I really feeling?” It causes me to consider if I might be eating for emotional reasons or for a third reason, simply out of habit. A good example of a habit most people share is eating when they go to the movies. I used to buy a king-size box of candy and a tub of buttered popcorn. In an effort to change I ate a healthy snack before leaving for the movie theater and took my water bottle along but this habit was so ingrained that I still felt “hungry” when I smelled popcorn on my arrival. Luckily I learned that after the movie started and I got hooked on the storyline I’d forget about the popcorn.

One of the tricks I found useful while I was losing weight was to make a list of alternate activities for those times when cravings hit. Here are my ideas to give you a start on yours: You could take your dog or child for a walk, write a letter, call a friend, play an instrument or cards, work in a garden, snuggle with a loved one, relax in a bubble bath or hot tub, read a book, give yourself a manicure, meditate, learn a new craft (like beading) or enjoy an old one (like scrapbooking), go to the library or a museum, dance, swim, bike or indulge in another sport you enjoy, brush and floss your teeth, work on a puzzle, drink water, knit, or hug your child.

The main point is do anything that will keep your hands busy and refocus your mind. I’ve read that the key is to keep busy for at least 20 minutes and the craving will probably pass. I was so taken with this idea that early on I made the gigantic mistake of setting a timer for 20 minutes telling myself that if I was still hungry when it went off I could have the longed for treat. I’m sure you all know what happened. I found a wonderful alternative activity and forgot all about my craving, when DING the timer went off and I was freshly reminded. Take my word for it — DON’T set a timer!

Instead, get yourself out of the kitchen and away from food. First make sure that any tempting food is put out of sight. If you have leftovers that are calling your name, freeze them, give them away, throw them out.

This will sound simply scandalous to some of you, but I strongly encourage you to throw away unneeded food. It’s not against the law and actually isn’t a half bad idea. After years of being a member of the clean plate club it certainly seemed wrong the first time but I found that I felt more in control once I was able to do this. Now I feel comfortable throwing away food telling myself that I only deserve to eat the very best. Recently I had one bite of a holiday gift of fancy chocolates, found I didn’t like it and tossed the rest right into the garbage. Two points!

One last suggestion: figuring out why you’re having a craving may help you address a real emotional need. If you can’t figure out how to solve a problem you may find it useful to write about it, talk it out with a friend, or consult a counselor.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I did keep walking right past that bakery window all those years ago…