Sample Text (1)
The biggest snag, however, was my appetite and food cravings. Imagine if I had totally no appetite, then it would be impossible for me to overeat wouldn't it? But this was not the case. In other words, I had to observe and learn ways to keep my appetite down. These were some things I discovered:
• I had to love what I was doing.
• I had to keep relatively busy.
• I had to have proper rest and recreation.
• I had to sleep well, as poor sleep led to
cravings to eat throughout the following
day.
• I had to eat foods in the right proportion
and amount.
• I had to keep salt and sugar in food and
drinks to a minimum and also snack as little
as possible on chocolates and sweets.
When all else failed, I exercised sheer grit and
self control plus erred on the side of under eating.
Sample Text (2)
The Importance of Sleep
I realized that when my mind was refreshed, I tended not to have food cravings. But when I didn’t sleep well and suffered from brain fog, I developed food cravings that drove me to eat even though I was not hungry. This was probably because though I was not fully awake, I was expected to perform on the job, so eating meals, including snacks and drinking coffee with its thermic effect does something to jolt my circulation and give me temporary alertness. But the gain in weight as a result was too high a price to pay. So, as far as possible, for the latter part of my life, I would ensure that I slept well by not partaking in any taboo activities before sleep. The following I have identified to interfere with falling asleep smoothly:
• Eating sugary meals just before bedtime.
• Checking and sending emails at night.
• Surfing the internet (which is full of new information that causes excitement for a “want to know all” like me) before bedtime.
• Watching exciting movies or drama serials on TV.
(3)
Cortisol – The Stress Hormone
Oftentimes in my years of weight management discovery, I have been licked by stress, in that when I felt overwhelmed, I felt helpless and gave in to eating for comfort. My stress could come in all shapes and sizes. For example, if I had bloating due to IBS, the discomfort would give me a sense of annoyance and irritation that made me lose my judgement and self-control. Or, when I had to finish an essay or type a letter, I would go into negative stress, with knots in my stomach, which mimics hunger. As a result, times of negative stress were not welcome, as my natural tendency would be to reach out for food and gain weight. I hated that I could not master myself. Then one fine day, as I was routinely reading Let‘s Live magazine, I realized I was not alone. I read that our body produces a hormone called cortisol when we are under stress, and in most people this would cause an increase in eating urges as well as a tendency to put on weight around our middle. All this information was in tandem with my personal experiences. Knowing of this human condition spurred me on to develop counter tactics to eating. Self-talk and activities were my greatest strategies for overcoming it. I was successful only because I was determined and believed there was a way out!
On the contrary, positive stress, when doing something I like, even if within a limited time, caused me to expend more calories and slim down. Therefore, stress cuts both ways depending on how we perceive and respond to it. This could occur at a subconscious level.
