Heading Off Hunger

Perhaps the most important thing on a weight-loss diet it to arrange it so that you aren't hungry on a regular basis. If hunger is a frequent feature of your diet, you can just FORGET ABOUT IT being a long-term success. If your body wants food, you will not be able to fight it forever. Therefore, a keystone in the Way of the Turtle is Appetite Regulation - in fact, it is one of the factors that make it different from other weight management systems.

One of the things we do in the Contemplation and Preparation stages is to look carefully at principles which govern appetite, and experiment with ways to make them work for us. The right combination of fiber, fat, carbohydrate, and protein can be a real key in helping to control appetite, thereby decreasing your body's demand for food. This is in direct opposition to the "just eat less" approach, which as many of us can attest, often means "just go hungry", and is self-defeating in the long run.

The systems in our bodies that regulate appetite and finely tuned and very complex, responding to the various demands we put on our bodies and the various things we eat. It is almost impossible to second-guess it for long. The conscious, thinking parts of our brains know a lot less about our exact calorie requirements than the more automatic parts of the system.

Every person must find out how to work the "demand" side of their own equation. I will help you learn the principles that govern the system, but that will not tell you the mix of foods that works best for you. Later, we can get into the complexities, but for now, here are some of the basics:

1) Avoid Refined Carbohydrate - This is one of those points on which there is general agreement. We can get into the details later, but basically sugars and refined grains make a lot of people hungrier. For me, just cutting these out is not enough - I need to lower my total carbohydrate intake - otherwise carb cravings set in, and I'm at the cupboard, followed by the refrigerator, followed by the cupboard. If, like me, you are a person who has particular problems with carbohydrate, this process will help you figure out what level of carbs and what kinds will work best for you.

2) Get Enough Fiber - Both soluble and insoluble fiber have a satiating effect. Make sure to get a lot in your diet, mainly from food (supplements will only go so far). The recommended minimum fiber intake is 25 grams per day. I do better on 30.

3) Get Enough Protein - Eat protein with every meal and snack. During the process itself, I'll help you figure out how much is right for you.

4) Get Enough Fat - Depending upon your caloric needs and carbohydrate tolerance, you may benefit from adding the right kinds of fat to your diet.