THE LAST 10 POUNDS – Episode 151
“There is an association for us, as humans that has to do with eating and pleasure.”
Two principles taught today:
Principle #1
Don’t eat for pleasure. Don’t eat if you’re not hungry.
“Food is not the only option for pleasure.”
Don’t give food that job – to entertain yourself or to give yourself pleasure. Diversify your pleasure.
Where else do I find pleasure?
- getting a massage
- finding something that makes the house smell good
- sitting in a hot bath
- taking a nap
- calling Suzanne
I can keep this list on hand. Use it. Let it serve me, right?
Principle #2
We all agree on the first principle, right? It makes sense. What Brenda Lomeli is talking about today is when you are hungry, when it is time to eat, and your food tastes so good, it brings you so much pleasure, that you don’t want to stop. She is talking about eating beyond what our bodies need, even if it is healthy food. She presents a strategy to help us mentally understand what is going on at meal time.
Imagine a bell curve:
Start at the bottom left – this is where you are feeding your body what it needs at meal time.
Eating things that you like to eat does NOT have to be a problem. We are having enchiladas for dinner on Sunday. I love enchiladas! This is preparation for my enchilada dinner.
So that first half of that bell curve is positive. No overeating of enchiladas involved yet. No unwanted consequences.
Now mentally draw a dotted line down the middle of your pleasure bell curve – that’s what we are going to call this, the pleasure bell curve:
We are talking about only eat up to that dotted line in the pleasure bell curve. Whether it is a salad or homemade enchiladas. Eat up to that dotted line. Then, when we get to that line, if we eat more – if we take a step beyond that line, we are going to feel stuffed or uncomfortable.
Then we are in the overeating zone, with all its unwanted consequences.
Negative consequences of overeating:
- Weight gain
- Hard time sleeping
- Bad dreams
- Loss of confidence
- Restlessness
- High cholesterol
- Acne
- Reflux
- Bad breath
- Problems concentrating
And, really, only you can know when you are there.
Imagine this bell curve while you are eating. Intentionally choose how far you are going to go.
“That food reaches it peak of pleasure at that point where your body has had enough. After that, there are so many unwanted consequences, that it no longer is pleasurable.”
The pleasure bell curve is just a way of thinking about meals, and about eating. Check in with your body while you are eating. Enjoy the meal without stepping past that halfway point. Choose to do that. And if you choose to go past that point, you are also choosing the negative consequences. Approach this as an adult that is making decision, intentionally.
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