Listening to your body
zerryz
Posts: 168 Member
My doctor today told me I should pay special attention to the signals my body is sending, that I should "listen to my body." I am ambivalent about that. If my body hurts, sure, I should make sure I don't add to a possible injury. But if my body sends hunger signals, should I just eat my soul out? What are your thoughts? Is there any research you could share on the topic?
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When it comes to weight loss, their are as many options as there are color combinations in Crayola Crayons. At the end of the day, you should select a "healthy" plan that allows you to achieve your goal. This is a process of trials and errors. Try different methods until you find one that works for you.
Have you calculated your BMR and TDEE?0 -
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Through the years I've definitely learned to discern the difference between real hunger and cravings. I've also learned that there is a big difference between eating to satiation and eating until you're full.
I think intuitive eating is a great way to go if you can master it. It's the way a lot of "naturally thin" people avoid being fat or obese, without even knowing it.0 -
Yes look up your TDEE...www.iifym.com is a great helpful site. Your dr prob means more of cravings rather than hunger. Such as why your craving certain foods. that can tell you a LOT! or the dr means, if you're weak or get headaches or etc, you need to change what you are eating vs how much you are eating.0
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Part of the problem with going by hunger is understanding real physical hunger and what we have learned to think of as hunger. When I am hungry, I stop and do a quick mental check - am I really hungry or is something else going on. If I am really hungry, I assess how hungry I am and what time it is based on my planned meals for the day. If I can wait until the next planned meal, then I wait. If not, I eat something, log it and work it into my calories for the day.
I think there is more to listening to your body than whether or not you are hungry. When I was eating 1200-1300 calories per day I wasn't hungry, but I did start to feel like I had less energy. I felt like my body wasn't recovering from workouts as I expected. Some TDEE math later I discovered I was eating way to few calories. I'm now at 1700 calories and still losing, but I have a lot more energy.0 -
Funnily enough, I have put this into practice more effectively just in the last week. I have been doing low carb high fat for about 4 months and had hit a plateau, so I decided that I would only eat until I was satisfied - not full, but sated. I dished up smaller serves, and left some on the plate. I was not hungry doing this, and dropped a kilo. I had fallen into the trap where I was still eating the same size meals even though the fat and calorie content were higher, because they tasted good. (Thats what got me here in the first place )0
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I would say "eating your soul out" probably wouldn't be a good idea...having some food in moderation to satiate you probably be the way to go...it's not really an all or nothing kind of thing. There's this thing called moderation and portion control and it's pretty awesome and pretty much essential to learning how to eat like a human being again rather than some kind of rabid, insatiable animal. It's also essential to learn these things if you don't want to be logging into some food diary your whole life. I pretty much took the opportunity while I was losing and logging to learn these things and they have served me well (and yes...I listen to my body)...but they were learned and learning actual hunger signals vs being bored out of my mind were learned. I have since been maintaining for almost a year without logging save for a spot check here and there.0
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A great piece of advice I read is this...
If you feel hungry, consider if an apple or celery or something else "healthy" would satisfy it. If so, it's hunger. If nothing will do but chocolate/ice cream/candy/chips/etc then you're bored/eating your emotions/etc and need to figure out what's bothering you and deal with that instead of eating.
It's been helping me.0 -
I've tried that. It didn't work for me. Sometimes our hunger hormones are screwed up. I agree with the trial and error method. Everyone is different so you have to find what works for you. I have a healthy appetite and I like it that way. I want to maintain that appetite because I don't want to end up one of those old people who doesn't eat anything and doesn't have any muscle and falls and then has to live in a nursing home. I would rather have a little extra fat than have too little muscle. However, I think you can find a balance, eating as much as you can and lifting weights and doing some cardio and still lose fat. You will have to experiment because all of these calorie amounts in food and calories burned are estimates for your body. You may find it easier to do all of this if you experiment with food as well. Some people find it easier if they avoid certain food, others don't.
If you are losing a pound or two a week with the amount of exercise you can do right now then you have probably found the amount of food you should eat, right now. If you are still hungry then you might want to adjust the types of food you eat. Some people find that adjusting the protein, fat or carbs helps. Some people find that increasing the number of vegetables they eat helps other people find decreasing sugar and starches helps. I am happy with the types of food I eat but I was still hungry so I started drinking hot tea after meals and in the middle of the day and I like to exercise like mad so I have lots of calories to work with. That works for me because I want to get as strong as I can. Other people want to do it more with diet. Everyone will have suggestions about how it worked for them and your doctor has suggestions but he is also a consultant! You have to figure out what works for you. the great thing is that you don't have to figure it out right this second! And in fact what works right now might not work in six months anyway. You have to be in for the long haul. Good Luck!
I should have checked your profile before I went into all of this but then I got started and couldn't stop without losing everything! LOL! I see that you also like to exercise and you can do it in the ocean! Wonderful!0 -
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My body likes to whisper "cheeseburgers" late at night.
Listening to my body is probably the worst thing I could ever do in regards to my eating.0 -
As you know, I vehemently disagree with "listening to your body". That's the reason we are here, we listened. Now, let your brain think. Get your emotions out of the way and use cognition. Calories in/calories out. It's not hard. In fact, of all the different ways to lose, maintain, or gain, I find counting calories the most efficient, because it works.
^^This.0 -
A great piece of advice I read is this...
If you feel hungry, consider if an apple or celery or something else "healthy" would satisfy it. If so, it's hunger. If nothing will do but chocolate/ice cream/candy/chips/etc then you're bored/eating your emotions/etc and need to figure out what's bothering you and deal with that instead of eating.
It's been helping me.
I recently started going by this and and being hyper aware of what I'm feeling/tasting/thinking while I'm eating. I grew up as a notoriously fast eater and could put away a lot of food before I even a hint of the first inklings of being full could emerge. When I eat something now, I take smaller portions than I used to and force myself to eat slowly. Once hunger goes away, I stop. A few people have commented that listening to their bodies is what made them fat in the first place, but I personally got fat by never listening to mine. I ate for my emotions, I ate when someone else was eating, I ate "just because." For a long time, I didn't even really know what physical hunger was. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it now, though, and I see the merit in eating mindfully and paying attention to hunger cues as long as the person doing it doesn't have a messed up hunger feedback system (folks who never feel full regardless of how much they eat come to mind).0 -
A few people have commented that listening to their bodies is what made them fat in the first place, but I personally got fat by never listening to mine.
Thank you!
I did not get obese "listening to my body". I enjoyed eating so much that I'd eat REGARDLESS of what my body was telling me. I'd eat when not hungry, and eat well beyond the point of true satiation.
I think a lot of people seriously confuse true hunger with "I wanted it". One is your body's cry for nourishment, the other your mind's cry for entertainment. There is a difference.0 -
A few people have commented that listening to their bodies is what made them fat in the first place, but I personally got fat by never listening to mine.
Thank you!
I did not get obese "listening to my body". I enjoyed eating so much that I'd eat REGARDLESS of what my body was telling me. I'd eat when not hungry, and eat well beyond the point of true satiation.
I think a lot of people seriously confuse true hunger with "I wanted it". One is your body's cry for nourishment, the other your mind's cry for entertainment. There is a difference.
I completely agree with this. However, I still have a hard time distinguishing between the two, so it wouldn't work for me.
You also have to bear in mind that even if you could listen to your body very efficiently and only eat when you are hungry, there is still a possibility that you could under or over eat depending on the types of food you choose. You could also not eat the right ratio of foods and consequently eat too little protein or fat or fibre.0 -
Your doctor talks a load of cr@p0
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Your body is not going to send enough hunger signals for you to eat your soul out. Your mind, maybe. Your body is another story. Perhaps that is the point your doctor was trying to make. Learn what hunger is.0
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A great piece of advice I read is this...
If you feel hungry, consider if an apple or celery or something else "healthy" would satisfy it. If so, it's hunger. If nothing will do but chocolate/ice cream/candy/chips/etc then you're bored/eating your emotions/etc and need to figure out what's bothering you and deal with that instead of eating.
It's been helping me.
Love this advice! So true- for what it's worth I had a horrible horrible chocolate protein bar and told myself if I was hungry between meals I had to eat the bar first. The number of cookies/ chips/ cakes I didn't have just to avoid having that disgusting thing was insane!0 -
If I listen to my body, I would never get off the couch. The couch is cozy and after a day of work, chasing around my toddler, getting dinner on the table and everything else, I am exhausted. So I ignore it when my body is telling me "just five more minutes" and get off my lazy butt. I can understand taking a day off when your body is obviously injured or something, but for the most part I have to ignore my body screaming for that chocolate bar or an extra hour in bed. My body lies!0
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As you know, I vehemently disagree with "listening to your body". That's the reason we are here, we listened. Now, let your brain think. Get your emotions out of the way and use cognition. Calories in/calories out. It's not hard. In fact, of all the different ways to lose, maintain, or gain, I find counting calories the most efficient, because it works.
Can u believe it Jerry? that same day u and I posted about that, my ortho doc tells me exactly that "listen to your body", obviously referring to my arm injury. I just thought that was too funny of a coincidence.
Thanks everyone for your comments.
I do listen to my body. Doesn t mean I necessarily agree with its needs and wants. I use my brains to assess stuff it says (most of the time) and decide accordingly. Sometimes I make wise decisions, sometimes not. That's how I listen to my body.0 -
As you know, I vehemently disagree with "listening to your body". That's the reason we are here, we listened. Now, let your brain think. Get your emotions out of the way and use cognition. Calories in/calories out. It's not hard. In fact, of all the different ways to lose, maintain, or gain, I find counting calories the most efficient, because it works.
Not always. I figure a lot of us (me first) are here because we love eating, hungry or not.
But listening to your body is pointless. I can eat 1000 calories of croissants and I'll be hungry two hours later. It doesn't mean anything. Hunger and fullness are not associated in any way with how many calories you are eating.0 -
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No...
Lets reverse it...you are full at sub 1200 calories...should you eat more? Yes...hunger is not the best indicator of what your body needs.0 -
A great piece of advice I read is this...
If you feel hungry, consider if an apple or celery or something else "healthy" would satisfy it. If so, it's hunger. If nothing will do but chocolate/ice cream/candy/chips/etc then you're bored/eating your emotions/etc and need to figure out what's bothering you and deal with that instead of eating.
It's been helping me.
Love this advice! So true- for what it's worth I had a horrible horrible chocolate protein bar and told myself if I was hungry between meals I had to eat the bar first. The number of cookies/ chips/ cakes I didn't have just to avoid having that disgusting thing was insane!
Hahahahaha - love that. I've been trying the Quest ones, which I've seen people go nuts over, and I'm going to try your method!0 -
My body likes to whisper "cheeseburgers" late at night.
Listening to my body is probably the worst thing I could ever do in regards to my eating.
please dont freak out.....
but that's me. you never lock that window.
oh and i went ahead and folded the stuff in the hamper. smelled clean.0 -
A great piece of advice I read is this...
If you feel hungry, consider if an apple or celery or something else "healthy" would satisfy it. If so, it's hunger. If nothing will do but chocolate/ice cream/candy/chips/etc then you're bored/eating your emotions/etc and need to figure out what's bothering you and deal with that instead of eating.
It's been helping me.
I love this!!!0 -
As you know, I vehemently disagree with "listening to your body". That's the reason we are here, we listened. Now, let your brain think. Get your emotions out of the way and use cognition. Calories in/calories out. It's not hard. In fact, of all the different ways to lose, maintain, or gain, I find counting calories the most efficient, because it works.
Not always. I figure a lot of us (me first) are here because we love eating, hungry or not.
But listening to your body is pointless. I can eat 1000 calories of croissants and I'll be hungry two hours later. It doesn't mean anything. Hunger and fullness are not associated in any way with how many calories you are eating.
I learned to listen to mine...but I would also not ever eat 1000 calories of croissants...I might have a croissant breakfast sandwich that came to 1,000 calories but it would undoubtedly include plenty of protein as well as dietary fat to keep me satiated for quite some time.
A lot of people need to learn or re-learn these things...part of calorie counting for me was to learn these things so that I wouldn't have to count calories forever and ever. I've been maintaining for what will be 12 months in May and have not had to log save for a spot check here and there...I was able to do this by putting into practice the things I learned while logging, which would include listening to my body and understanding true hunger signals, low energy signals, as well as understanding that...frankly, 1,000 calories of croissants is going to do me not much good at all from a nutritional standpoint or a satiety standpoint.0 -
This has always been me, exactly.A few people have commented that listening to their bodies is what made them fat in the first place, but I personally got fat by never listening to mine.
Thank you!
I did not get obese "listening to my body". I enjoyed eating so much that I'd eat REGARDLESS of what my body was telling me. I'd eat when not hungry, and eat well beyond the point of true satiation.
I think a lot of people seriously confuse true hunger with "I wanted it". One is your body's cry for nourishment, the other your mind's cry for entertainment. There is a difference.0
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