Living The Lifestyle - - Tuesday, Junev30, 2020
whathapnd
Posts: 1,508 Member
We meet here to explore, share, celebrate and (sometimes) agonize over how we do (or don't) incorporate weight loss guidelines into our daily lives. "It's a lifestyle, not a diet" is easily and often said, but sometimes not so simply put into practice.
This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!
Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion.
Monday- misterhub (Greg)
Tuesday- whathapnd (Emmie)
Wednesday-MASSRUNNER (Frank)
Thursday- beachwoman2006 (Cindy)
Friday- imastar2 (Derrick)
Today's topic: Mental Satiety In Weight Loss: Is It A Thing?
So, we've talked a lot about satiety over the years and whether we can recognize it/feel it. We're usually referring to a physical feeling when discussing this. But what about "mental" satiety in weight loss? Is it even a thing? If it is a thing, is it important to your weight loss? How so? What happens when you're not mentally sated regarding your food choices? Is it possible to feel too mentally full where food is concerned? If yes, what are the repercussions?
Bonus Question: Cobbler. Does it stand on its own, or is it just Pie's lazy cousin?
This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!
Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion.
Monday- misterhub (Greg)
Tuesday- whathapnd (Emmie)
Wednesday-MASSRUNNER (Frank)
Thursday- beachwoman2006 (Cindy)
Friday- imastar2 (Derrick)
Today's topic: Mental Satiety In Weight Loss: Is It A Thing?
So, we've talked a lot about satiety over the years and whether we can recognize it/feel it. We're usually referring to a physical feeling when discussing this. But what about "mental" satiety in weight loss? Is it even a thing? If it is a thing, is it important to your weight loss? How so? What happens when you're not mentally sated regarding your food choices? Is it possible to feel too mentally full where food is concerned? If yes, what are the repercussions?
Bonus Question: Cobbler. Does it stand on its own, or is it just Pie's lazy cousin?
1
Replies
-
I think mental satiety is a thing in dieting/weight loss, and it has popped up several times lately, for me. Bottom line: I keep eating if I'm not mentally satisfied - - even if I'm physically full.
This question came about because the other day, I baked one of my favorite desserts. Instead of having a large serving and feeling satisfied that I'd worked it into my plan, I kept going back for more because I felt mentally short-changed with the small serving. I'm sure I ate more calories than I would have if I'd just allowed myself the normal serving in the first place. So that tells me:
1. I generally am more mentally satisfied with one large serving of a treat rather than the equivalent calories spread over a couple of servings.
Lately, I've become a lot more aware of taste/cravings and what I'm really craving mentally when I go into the kitchen. A lot of times when I tjink I'm hungry, I just mentally need something sweet or salty. So literally, a pickle spear, celery stick, a few berries or coffee with oat milk might get the job done. But if I don't stop and think about what I really want, I might eat all of the above because the first two or three didn't mentally satisfy me. This could be the difference between 15 calories and 80 calories. That can add up. So:
2. If I get a craving but am not really hungry, I need to spend time thinking through whether I'm craving sugar or salt and pick ONE solution.
Bonus Question: I love cobbler! Rarely have it, but I love the ratio of crust to filling.0 -
Great topic Emmie. One of the reasons I started WW with counting points is that I don't have a great satiety meter. I suppose in part it is because I eat too fast. Most of my life I just haven't been all that hungry per se. I also suffer from "hedonic hunger" where I am not in the least physically hungry but by golly those apple fritters look good.
I have been struggling lately with carbs a bit for sure. Oh and yes sometimes it is salt too. We do have a lot of fruit now in the form of garden raspberries. I need to focus on that.
BONUS: I like some of my wife's wonderful cobblers and they are not a poor cousin too me.0 -
... I'm sure I ate more calories than I would have if I'd just allowed myself the normal serving in the first place...
Yes, I totally agree with this and have experienced the same thing as well. Sometimes we spend our time avoiding the thing we crave, and instead keep "chasing" the experience through WW-appropriate foods, when we should have just bit the bullet and had something sweet (or salty).
The other side of this coin, though, is that in these experiences, we're not craving satiety in terms of actual food. Instead we're craving some sort of experience. I guess we could call that mental satiety, as you've proposed.
I've recognized that many of my "cravings" are not for the flavors and tastes, but are rather learned habits that can be broken, or at least replaced, with something that better fits with my weight goals. For me, the late evening beer, wine, bourbon, chocolate, ice cream, popcorn, skittles, or whatever, had become such an ingrained habit that I found myself "craving" them almost immediately after I finished dinner. Certainly that wasn't hunger. Instead I had set up the expectation and sought to satisfy it.
Right now I'm approaching it with a replacement strategy. Nearly every night I make a cup of tea at the usual time I would have had a snack. It turns out that just having something is enough to satisfy those cravings. At some point I'll work to break this need, too, but at least I'm not doing any weight damage by having a cup of tea instead of something calorie-laden!
0 -
The bonus question is easier to address for me.
I have never eaten cobbler. And now thanks to your topic, I WANT SOME. 😆😆
Long ago, the GoaD board taught me to eat what you’re craving rather than a celery stick. Want chocolate? Have a kiss. Want potato chips? Count out a serving and put the bag away.
This lesson has always stood me in good stead while on the Plan. Hence, no struggle with mental cravings and satiety. There’s no way that Brussels sprouts can substitute for chocolate.
The portion size aspect coupled with satiety and cravings can be more of a balancing act. I get the issue of wanting more than a small or regulated portion of a favorite dessert or snack. In times where I encounter this, I give in to the larger portion as long as it doesn’t make me feel stuffed and track it to Weeklies. In the long run it doesn’t happen enough to become a pattern or cause weight gain.
1 -
The first thing I recall getting from WW was an appreciation for how out of whack my portions were. So my portions immediately became smaller. And I was hungry a lot. Not a good combination. But then I stumbled into volume eating. I wasn’t even aware it was volume eating at the time. I just wanted to stay within my points and not be so hungry.
I eventually found my way to this- I would take a full size dinner plate, weigh out my protein choice and anything else that had points. Then I would fill the plate to overflowing with salad. Measure out some low cal dressing. When I had that all in front of me I stopped and looked at it and would say to myself
“This is a lot to eat.” I would have probably been just a full having a big glass of water instead of the salad. But it wouldn’t have involved the visual.
I’m reading the book Atomic Habits. I just finished a passage where he discusses how much brain power we use processing what we see. Our brains are heavily invested in the visual. It was a lot because it looked like a lot. But in reality it didn’t compare with eating a plate of pasta.0 -
@whathapnd , great topic, and one I don't remember hearing about before. You all gave me so much to think about ...
Emmie, re. a large portion vs small ... recently celebrated DD's bday with our fav apple sheet pie. I ate a normal size piece because I knew I would send leftovers home with her, and I wanted a full serving. What I realize now is that, while I wanted it all, I didn't have to eat it all right then. Next time I'm going to cut it in half and enjoy it twice, 💡. Ironically, I learned this week 2 or 3 of WWs years ago with restaurant lasagna. I just hadn't thought about it's application to things not ordered out 🤦
And the focus on if I want sweet or salty and subbing a pickle, I hadn't thought about, but I've been doing. Bought a big jar of famous Dave's spicy pickle chips and eat them when 'want' something. They do the trick every time! And yes, there's some sugar, but since they're spicy, they're self limiting.
And @steve0mania , I get wanting to eventually break the tea habit, but I kind of like the idea of forming that habit. I sometimes struggle with ending lunch time (if I show no restraint, I could graze for hours). This might be the answer, along with a preplated lunch including fruit and veggies (where i usually start the grazing process 🤦). Topping it off with tea could put a cap on the meal and close the kitchen until dinner.
@MASSRUNNER_FRANK if only I KNEW what I wanted. That's when I get in the biggest trouble, but maybe if i forced myself to decide, and pick one like Emmie said...
@88olds tho I always use a med plate, I am definitely a volume eater! I really like the idea of plating pointed foods then filling in with veggies. This goes nicely with what I've been reading on my Diet Bet, but hadn't decided how to implement it. They use the phrase 'veggies most'.
And I recently listened to the cliff notes version of Atomic Habits! I got some great ideas from just that, but now I think I need to read the whole book.
I'm definitely going to have to think about all of this some more. My mind is for sure my biggest obstacle, so the more I can get it to align with my goal, the better!0 -
I deffinitely believe mental satiety is a thing. In my thoughts I feel I have to mentally believe that the food I'm going to eat or have just eaten has or will satisfy me. Replying to mentally feeling too full for me can be challenging. This is a battle I've fought most of my life. I realize however that I must throw my mind over the bar and really believe that the food(s) and portions I partake of give me satiety.
Throughout this journey I have learned a lot about types of food, portions and myself. Throughout this journey I've learned a lot through the GoaD board as well. Changes are inevitable but it's how I handle or react to those changes that matters.
There are many foods that are carbs or produce carbs that can satisfy me short term but then create hunger very shortly. I've learned though that I must have carbs to survive so through education it's a matter of what carbs are best. Proteins and Fats not quite treated the same but a limit for those is advisable as well.
So at the end of the day satiety both mentally and physically are an item as far as I'm concerned.
Tracking days June 30 Yes 30/No 0😀
SW/CW/GW 06/30/20 kcal 1287
400.8/303.0/185 [+.4 lbs]🙂🤔 WI Daily
Total Loss 97.8 lbs
May 8th start (310.8/Lose 10 lb Challenge current <stat> - 7.8 lbs loss0
This discussion has been closed.