WIN Wyoming
Thought Bullets
for
January 2000
Sue Macdonald of the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote an article on "mindful
eating" that appeared in the Denver Post on October 13, 1999. January's
thought bullets capture some of the ideas from the article.
- Mindful eating encourages people to listen to their bodies and pay attention to natural,
inborn messages about hunger, satisfaction, fulfillment and enjoyment.
- People want magic went it comes to weight loss, but the message is beginning to sink
in—there is no magic. Many studies have found that 95 percent of people who lose
weight from dieting regain it.
- Listening to your body's innate signals isn't going to work instantly if those signals
are seriously skewed. Help from a counselor or therapist may be needed.
- A desire to lose weight, no matter how sincere, does not seem to be a strong motivator
for long-term success of changed behavior. Many people say I want to lose 20 pounds.
They often forget to ask themselves: if I lose 20 pounds, then what? Will I be
happier? Will I be more successful? Will I be more productive? Will I feel better?
- Over eating is seldom a problem about food. Perhaps one of the reasons so many diets
fail is they focus on restricting food intake and giving a temporary sense of control for
out-of-control eating behaviors. Diets seldom address underlying issues that cause many
people to overeat in the first place. These issues may include loneliness, boredom, too
much stress, anxiety, unhappiness, and unrealized dreams.
Compiled by Betty Holmes, MS, RD
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