Archive for July, 2008
One of my favorite books is Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink, PhD. In it, he talks about a lot of ways we eat without thinking. He has a lab at Cornell that allows him to do all sorts of research around eating. Working in his lab would be one of my dream jobs. Anyway, in one chapter he talks about how our stomachs can’t count and can’t do math. Basically, our stomachs don’t count calories, they count volume. And, our memory isn’t good either. Do you remember how many chips you ate last time you went for Mexican food? What about how many slices of bread at your favorite restaurant before your entree arrived? I hear some of you saying “I eat until I’m satisfied/full.” Well, most of us aren’t good at stopping when we’re satisfied or full either. Or, we get distracted and don’t pay attention to those cues. We tend to stop eating when the plate is empty. That is unless you’ve decided (remember – eating is a decision) “I’m going to eat half that slice of cake” and stick to it. This brings up the importance of only putting the amount on your plate that you want to eat.
Here’s an example from the book. Dr. Wansink and his research team wanted to see how much people would eat if their visual reference was disrupted. They created the “bottomless soup bowl.” This is a soup bowl that continuously stays at the same level. If you said, “I’m only going to eat half the bowl” you would never reach the half way point. They had four seats at the table, two were normal 18-ounce bowls and two were 18-ounce “bottomless soup bowls.” People were seated and given 20 minutes to eat. At the end of 20 minutes, they were asked how full they were on a nine point scale. The remaining soup from all bowls was then measured to determine how much they actually ate. Here’s what they found. Those eating out of the normal bowls ate about 9 ounces of soup. They estimated eating 123 calories when in reality they had eaten 155 calories. Most of these people had stopped eating by the time the 20 minutes were up. However, most of those with the “bottomless soup bowls” were still eating when the 20 minutes were up and typically ate around 15 ounces – two thirds more than those with the normal bowls. However, some ate more than a quart – more than 32 ounces of soup! On top of eating more, those with the “bottomless soup bowls” didn’t report being anymore full than those with regular bowls. They estimated eating 127 calories when in reality they had eaten an average of 268 calories – a difference of 141 calories!
Why the fuss over 141 calories? Back to the title – our stomachs don’t do math. We can’t tell how many calories we’ve eaten after the fact. Most of us aren’t good at paying attention to our fullness cues. If you overeat 300 calories per day (just for example 100 extra calories at breakfast, lunch and dinner), you’ll gain a pound about every 11 1/2 days; that’s almost 32 pounds in a year. Our bodies are very precise at managing calorie balance. If you want to manage your weight, you have to stay on top of the calories going in and out. Here’s a quick recap of some past newsletters to help:
- Remember, every bite counts! Those broken cookie pieces still contain calories – they didn’t all fall out when the cookie broke.
- Eating is a decision. Food doesn’t magically get into our mouths – we choose to put it there.
- Use smaller plates and bowls to keep the amount that ends up on your plate smaller.
- Measure your food when possible (weighing is best)
- Use the “Plate Method” – 1/4 protein, 1/4 starch, 1/4 non-starchy veggies and fruits. A salad with lunch and dinner can make a huge difference in how much you eat – just watch the dressing.
You can be successful managing your weight. You just have to think about it a bit each time you choose to eat.
Every time we put something in our mouths, a decision is involved. Food and drinks don’t magically place themselves in our mouths – we have to put them there. As much as I’d like to think that eating that chocolate cake was out of my control, I made the decision to eat that slice of cake. This idea goes hand in hand with the one that every bite and sip that contains calories counts. Therefore, before you eat or drink something, ask yourself: Is this helping me reach my goal? If it isn’t, then find something else to do to distract yourself or something different to eat that will help you be successful. And, when you don’t eat or drink something that hinders your reaching your goal, mentally congratulate yourself for not having that food or drink – “You should be proud of yourself for not eating that cake. You don’t feel guilty because you ate something you shouldn’t and you’re closer to reaching your goal of losing X pounds/maintaining your weight.”
As much as I’d like to take credit for this idea, I can’t. It is from a book called The Beck Diet Solution which uses Cognitive Behavior Therapy to change how you think about food. There is also a workbook and audiobook. It is a powerful tool if you are trying to lose or maintain your weight. Weight issues are typically not about the food, it is about the relationship with food. The Beck Diet Solution isn’t a diet book in the traditional sense. It is a book that changes the way you think about food – in my opinion just as if not more important than the food you eat.
Remember, you have power over food – food does not have power over you!
Recently, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a summer camp for children with diabetes. It was Camp Rainbow sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. This is a day camp for children from 4 to 13 who have either Type I or Type II diabetes and their siblings. I never realized (or honestly even thought about) the challenges children with diabetes face when doing what I’d consider every day things.
You may be asking “why a special camp for those children with diabetes?” Or, “isn’t camp like school, don’t they just need a nurse?” Good questions.
The main difference between camp and school is the amount of physical activity. At camp, the kids are outside almost all day running, swimming, riding horses, playing games, etc. These kinds of activities can cause a person’s (adult or child) blood sugar to fall dramatically. And, each person’s body is different. So, one child’s blood sugar may fall immediately after climbing the rock wall while it takes 30 minutes or so for another’s to fall. At this special camp, the children are broken into six groups based on age. For groups with diabetics, there is also a group of medical staff who are there to monitor the kids’ blood sugar throughout the day. The medical staff stays with the group all week and each med staff is assigned specific children so he/she can get to know each child. Additionally, snacks are provided and lunches (packed from home usually) are monitored to be sure they are eaten – another reason blood sugar may be off. May of the kids had insulin pumps (basically a constant infusion of insulin vs. having to take injections) while others had to do injections. I was amazed at how many of these kids took managing their diabetes in stride. It would come time to check blood sugars and they’d hold out the hand they weren’t using, let the med staff wipe it with an alcohol swab, and take the droplet of blood to check their blood sugar levels – all without stopping working on their craft. If their blood sugar is too low, they get glucose tablet(s). Too high, their pump gets adjusted or they get an injection. The camp also has an infirmary in case a child needed more than the med staff with the group could provide. All in all, a very safe place for a child with diabetes.
I had the opportunity to work in the Art Room. We saw five of the six groups each day and helped them complete crafts from tie-dying t-shirts to making super hero masks. We were the only inside activity (other than lunch for some of the groups). However, inside wasn’t air conditioned so there were times it was cooler outside than in our Art Room. Friday, the “Art Room Ladies” were sitting at our long table waiting for our first group to show up when a mother stopped by and thanked us for volunteering for camp. She said that if it weren’t for Camp Rainbow, her daughter wouldn’t be able to go to camp. She would return to school and not have anything to talk about while all the other kids talked about what they did at camp. That was one of those crystallizing moments for me that made me glad I had volunteered and thankful for my “normal” life.
Make time and volunteer with an organization that is special to you – or pick one at random and see what catches your interest. Just a couple of hours a month can make a difference to others – and to you. If you’re not sure where to start, check out Volunteer Match to see some opportunities in your area.
Enjoy!
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