The Weight for Wellness (TM) blog is dedicated to helping you learn and apply the latest scientific discoveries about achieving your healthy weight. We'll also explore how to incorporate a variety of positive emotional methods into your daily activities to support your health goals.
Should you weigh yourself daily? Weight Watchers and some other programs say, "No". In this podcast episode (player below), you'll learn what research tells us. The “Weight for Wellness” podcast and blog are for people on a weight loss journey for health and wellbeing. Rather than promote a specific program, we look at what science based research has to say about weight loss and health enhancing approaches.
Listen to the podcast by clicking the player or clicking the link. The highlights from this episode are summarized below the player.
If You’re attempting to lose weight, should you weigh yourself daily?
In this episode we tackle a question many of us struggle with: How often should I weigh myself?
Weight Watchers and some other popular programs say weighing weekly or even monthly is the right frequency, but what does science say? What does the research tell us?
We look at two studies, one from 2005 published in the “Annals of Behavioral Medicine”, and a second presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in November 2018.
These studies looked at the effects of weighing yourself frequently. One study followed participants for two years and the second for a year. Results: Participants who weighed themselves daily or near daily lost or maintained weight while those who rarely or never weighed themselves gained weight.
Steve Carter, the podcast host and CEO of Stress Solutions, LLC identified probable reasons why for most people daily or near-daily weighing helps to keep you focused on your ultimate target weight and on the behavioral practices you’re choosing to do that keep you on track.
Steve also shares other measures and ways to assess weight and health progress along with suggestions for staying focused on those health goals.
The article below is being republished under a Creative Commons License. It's one of the foundation resources for the "Weight For Wellness Show" podcast, entitled, "Can You Lose Weight With Intuitive Easting?".
Diets for weight loss usually involve restriction. The 5:2 diet relies on restricting calories, and the ketogenic diet relies on restricting particular types of food.
Research suggests, however, that restrictive dieting can lead to a higher body mass index (BMI) over time and a greater future likelihood of being overweight. There is also evidence suggesting food restriction can lead to a preoccupation with food, guilt about eating, and higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress. So, if diets don’t always help you lose weight and could contribute to psychological problems, what other solutions are there? Recently, there has been an increasing focus on the concept of “intuitive eating”.
Intuitive eating was popularised by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, who published a book on the subject and developed a website dedicated to the topic.
The goal of eating intuitively is to listen to your body and allow it to guide you about when and how much to eat, rather than being influenced by your environment, emotions or the rules prescribed by diets. The concept is similar to mindful eating, and the terms are often used interchangeably.
Mindful eating involves developing an awareness of internal hunger and satiety cues and making conscious food choices. It emphasises the importance of paying attention to the emotional and physical sensations experienced while eating.
Unlike many other diets, intuitive eating encourages you to eat what you want – no food is off limits. While some may expect that this could lead to adherents to the diet eating more high-fat or high-sugar food, research suggests that this is not the case. In fact, advocates of intuitive eating suggest that the more you restrict yourself, the more likely you are to binge later.
The concept of intuitive eating is simple, and it doesn’t involve complicated dietary rules. But what does the evidence suggest?
In terms of weight loss, it is not yet clear that intuitive eating is more effective than calorie restriction. Results from observational studies have found that people who eat intuitively have a lower BMI than those who don’t. However, since people who restrict may do so because they already have a high BMI, it is difficult to determine the true effect intuitive eating had. Also, the results from intervention studies with overweight or obese people are not as clear.
For example, one review found that of the eight studies they assessed, only two found a reduction in weight from intuitive eating. In a more recent review, weight loss was seen in only eight out of 16 studies. And out of these eight, weight loss was statistically significant in only three.
Unlike other diets, the focus of intuitive eating is not on weight loss but rather on addressing the reasons that people eat. So, even if its effectiveness as a method of weight loss is uncertain, it could still provide benefits by promoting healthy eating behaviour.
This possibility has been supported by research suggesting intuitive eating may lead to a reduction in binge eating symptoms and eating for external and emotional reasons. Intuitive eating is also associated with greater positive body image, body satisfaction, positive emotional functioning and higher self-esteem.
Finally, a recent study found that higher levels of intuitive eating predicted lower eating disorder symptoms, compared with calorie counting and frequent self-weighing. This contrasts with typical restrictive dieting, which has been associated with an increased risk of disordered eating, a risk that may be greater for those who also experience symptoms of depression and low self-esteem.
While more research needs to be conducted to establish if intuitive eating can lead to weight loss, the positive effects on mental health and healthy eating behaviour are promising.
Listen to yourself
One problem with intuitive eating is that it assumes we can accurately tell how hungry or full we are. Research suggests that people who are better at perceiving internal sensations may also eat more intuitively. However, since there is evidence that people with eating disorders have difficulty recognising signals from inside their body, it seems possible that some people may struggle to respond to the intuitive eating approach simply because they struggle to listen to their own bodies.
Also, while it seems logical to only eat based on internal sensations rather than environmental cues, for many people this is not a practical solution. The time that you eat is often out of your control, such as sticking to specific family mealtimes, or designated times during work to have a lunch break. While in principle eating when you are hungry seems ideal, in practice it is not always possible.
Intuitive eating may be an effective way to lose weight, but so far there is not enough evidence to suggest that it works better than conventional, calorie restrictive diets. But the benefits to psychological health that eating intuitively provides suggest that it is a much more healthy approach to how you eat.
It may not work for everyone, particularly those who struggle to feel sensations in their own bodies. But at a time when it seems that everything in our environment is telling us what to eat and how much to eat, it may be worth taking time to listen to your body to find out what you need.
Book: "Intuitive Eating - A Revolutionary Program That Works", by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, and Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDRD, Flaedp, FADA, FAND. Available on Amazon.com and other book resellers.
The, "Weight for Wellness" podcast is for those people who want to achieve their ideal weight using evidence based science studied methods. In this "Weight for Wellness" episode, we explore three studies, two relevant to weight loss and a third that supports weight loss and potential reduction in inflation conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Our first study is from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Fifteen obese adults participated in this 12-week study, that included individual dietary counseling sessions to attain a daily goal of higher fiber (35 grams per day) and lean protein (0.8 grams per kilogram of an individual’s ideal body weight per day). Ninety three percent of participants approved of the diet and 92% never felt Hungary during the 12-week study period.
Drinking Water Before Meals Works
In a WebMD post, we learn that consuming 16-ounces of water 30-minutes before meals can be a simple and effective way to loose weight. During the 12-week study, participants who drank about 16-ounces of water 30-minutes before each meal lost on average about 9.5 pounds. In the third study from the Medical College of Georgia, we learn drinking baking soda could be an inexpensive, safe way to combat autoimmune disease. The organ that responses to consuming baking soda is the spleen, an important part of our immune system.
Drinking Baking Soda May Help Inflammation Conditions Such as Rheumatoid Arthritis
If we choose to drink 16-ounces of water before each meal to loose weight, adding baking soda to at least one of those glasses of water could be a powerful way to help reduce inflammation and enhance health. Three studies cited in this episode of the "Weight for Wellness Show" podcast are linked below. To listen to this episode, click the player link below. If you don't see the player, click https://podcastplayer.io/episode/stephencarter/6d/2p9. Blessings and great health, Steve Carter, CEO Stress Solutions, LLC | www.EFT-MD.com
Important Note: No information in this or any other post on this blog or discussed in the podcast is offered as medical guidance. The content is offered for informational purposes only. Please consult your licensed medical doctor for weight loss and health and wellness guidance.
Two recent studies published in the journal "Neuron", report on findings related to stress and food choices. Links to those two articles mentioned in the podcast are below. Bottom Line Regarding Stress and Diet
The bottom line for those who are choosing to achieve and maintain a healthy weight is to recognize and account for the role stress plays in our choices about what we eat. By clicking on the special episode audio podcast link below, you'll learn how to combine two easily done, simple methods that will dissolve stress and place you back in the captain's chair of control when making food choices.
To download the MP3 audio file to listen on your smartphone or computer anytime, click HERE.
Key Points:
Stress affects our ability to make good food choices.
Stress chemicals can remain in the body up to several hours after a stress inducing event.
A three-step stress mastering process done before you make a food choice can help you make healthier choices.
How to apply the three-step stress mastering process:
Identify where in your body stress / tension / uncomfortable sensations are located. If possible, touch those areas and really connect with your awareness.
Say "Yes to the Stress!" Acknowledge "what is" without resistance or desire to feel any differently.
Use Bi-Lateral foot tapping and voice (out loud or in mind) the command to,"Release and let it go... Let all of the stress dissolve and release."
Using this three-step process, you are now ready to make food choices from a place of more physical, emotional, and mental balance that supports better, healthier food choice decisions.
Important Note: This and all other postings to this blog along with any statement or statements made in any podcast, audio, or video associated with this site are for informational purposes only. This and all other posts and statements in any audio or video recording associated with this blog, Stress Solutions, LLC, or Stephen Carter are not intended to diagnose, treat, or otherwise recommend any treatment for any medical or psychological condition. Anyone using any of the information contained in this or any other posting, audio or video recording linked to this website or associated in any way with this website does so at his or her own risk. You are urged to seek competent medical consultations with appropriate licensed medical professionals for any and all medical, psychological, or physical conditions.
For more information about the studies mentioned in the podcast and intro above, click the links below.
Scientists scan the brain to see how stress undermines your diet
On January 17, I wrote a blog post about a new book by Kelly McGonigal, PhD. In addition to her new book, she has several presentation videos on YouTube about willpower, what it is, what it isn't, and how to tap into more of it.
In the video below, Kelly identifies five mistakes we make when it comes to attempting to change habits:
We use guilt or shame as motivation
We use virtue to license sin
We confuse wanting with happiness
We try to control our inner world instead of our actions
We expect to be a different person tomorrow
Guilt and Shame
Take for example, the role of guilt and shame in behavior. Most of us believe that, given enough guilt or shame, the offending behavior will stop. While it may seem logical, the reality is something different.
The mind can often feel like a battlefield where conflicting armies of wants, don't wants, and impulsive desires fight it out for supremacy. What are they fighting for? To control your behavior. The purpose is to keep you safe, but subconscious mechanistic programs often bring peculiar results. The term "unintended consequences" comes to mind.
Choosing to do something "bad" (i.e., eating cheesecake no matter how hard you tried to resist) can open flood gates of self condemnation. When the internal self-critic cranks up, you may hear, "You're weak; you idiot; you'll always be a slob; you have no willpower; what's the matter with you?"
The internal tirade comes with feelings we label as guilt, shame, and other strong painful emotions. Who exactly is speaking? Who is the "you" that "you" are addressing?
Self-Critic Scripts
Scripts of self-condemnation typically come from adult authority figures who scolded or even beat us for childhood sins. How and why these scripts become part of us is a subject for another discussion. The bottom line is, however, that the subconscious mind incorporates as part of its self-image what it hears, sees, and feels associated with those childhood experiences.
The subconscious mind is a quick study. It learns thoughts and behaviors that are "wrong" warrant self condemnation and feelings of guilt and shame. It's as if the adult handed the belt to the subconscious mind of the five-year old. That five-year old continues to administer punishment for the rest of our lives.
So why dosen't feeling guilt and shame ensure we don't eat cheesecake? Because those feelings have far less influence on present behavior then we think. Paradoxically, the drive to continue and even increase "sinful" behavior can grow stronger as feelings of guilt and shame increase. Research tells us that guilt and shame are poor deterrents of behavior we consciously want to change, but subconsciously are programmed to continue.
New Programming
Can we change the programs? Yes, we can. We start by draining the energy from the existing programs. We choose to be observers of our behavior rather than critics. We choose to notice the circumstances, feelings, and self-talk that led to the behavior. We choose to stay in mindful observation rather than being sucked into the tornado's fury of mindless trance.
Think of times you've tried arguing with feelings and self-critical thoughts. Sometimes, for example, asking questions designed to bring you out of a craving trance can be helpful. Sometimes not. Arguing with yourself about why the feelings you're having are wrong is a sure path to frustration and self-anger.
A New Approach
Try choosing to simply be an observer. You notice, for example, a strong craving for cheesecake. You notice feelings in your body you have learned to associate with wanting. If you've already eaten the cheesecake, you notice feelings associated with guilt and shame. Notice the feelings; notice any self-talk. Unlike times in the past, this time you're choosing to notice these internal signals as information.
The Power of "Yes"
After noticing the signals, say out loud or in mind, the word, "Yes". You're saying "Yes" to the feelings as a way of acknowledging that they're present. Nothing more. Say, "Yes" again...and again. You're simply noticing they're present. Notice with no judgement; notice with no internal argument; notice with no action. Just notice and say, "Yes".
Within 30 to 90 seconds (time it if you like), you'll notice the intensity dropping. You can simply continue to notice as it drops away or apply CenterPoint Release (CPR), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), or other Energy Psychology (EP) method to release any remaining feelings. Within five to 10 minutes, the feelings (cravings, guilt, etc.) will in all likelihood have passed. If any remain, get up, move around, and do one or two more rounds of releasing.
This "Notice and say Yes" approach can also be used to help release problem memories and emotions related to virtually everything. I recommend combining it with CPR or other EP technique.
To learn more about how you can benefit by using EP methods for weight and other changes, visit our Stress Solutions, LLC website at: http://www.EFT-MD.com.
Kelly's Video
I encourage everyone to watch the YouTube video by Kelly McGonigal, PhD found below. Having more insights about how your subconscious works can help you make new choices and release old programming.
Blessings,
Steve Carter
Stress Solutions, LLC
Home of the Weight for Wellness(TM) Program
The famous scientist and philosopher Renee' Decartes pondered how he could know that he really existed as an independent "I", separate from anyone or anything else in the world. He ultimately concluded that the very act of questioning his existence was proof that he did exist as an independent "I". In 1644, Decartes gave us the famous Latin quote, "Cognito ergo sum", which translates in English to, "I think, therefore I am."
Are you your thoughts or are you more? Are you the feelings, cravings, and desires that push and pull you throughout the day? Do your thoughts support your highest aspirations or do they support a self-image of "not enough" and limitation?
Most people give little thought to thought. We operate as if thought is something that just happens within us, something over which we have no control. The truth is we have far more control over how and what we think and feel than we believe.
Questions Create Reality
One of the best ways to create new realities is ask better questions. Questions direct our attention. Where we place our attention has much to do with the reality we experience.
We are always asking questions consciously and unconsciously. Questions such as, "Why can't I succeed?";"Why do I keep putting on weight?"; and, "Why can't I control these cravings?", send the subconscious mind off to find answers. Rest assured, your subconscious mind will ALWAYS find answers to these kinds of questions.
Think affirmations don't work? Guess what, they ALWAYS work. The answers to questions coming from limitations become the affirmations of truth for you. Repeating an affirmation such as, "I am slim, strong, and healthy" a few times a day does little good when your self-image is presented with a flood of thoughts throughout the day answering questions founded on limitation. Those answers are the real affirmations.
A Better Way
So what can we do differently? Begin by paying attention to the questions you ask yourself. When you catch yourself asking questions founded on limitation, say in mind or out loud, "cancel, cancel, cancel!".
In place of a question such as, "Why can't I stop myself from eating this food?", ask, "Why is it so easy for me to stop when I'm full?". Ask even if it's sometimes not easy to stop when you feel full. Think of a time you did stop and then ask the question. Ask with the full expectation that an answer will come to mind.
Asking "How" questions throughout the day is a wonderful way to direct your attention and behavior in positive directions. For example, asking, "How can I be even more committed to achieving maximum health?" or, "How can I add more steps and fewer calories to my day?", sets your subconscious mind off to find answers. Acting on those answers encourages your subconscious mind to work even harder for you as you continue to ask empowering questions.
Asking "What" questions is great for imaging new, more powerful realities. For example, ask:"What will it feel like to be at my chosen weight?" "What will I hear others say?" "What will I say and think about myself when I look in the mirror after achieving my health goals?"
By the way, if you notice any resistance to your positive answers, you likely found evidence of a dis-empowering belief. For those in the Weight for Wellness(TM) program, I encourage you to apply CenterPoint Release or other Energy Psychology (EP) method to identify and release the problem belief. Check out http://www.EFT-MD.com for information about applying EP for dis-empowering beliefs, emotions, and cravings.
Better Questions Bring a Better Life
If you want a different reality, ask better questions. If you want more health, more wealth, and more joy, ask questions that direct your subconscious mind to find answers consistent with what you choose to have, be, do, and achieve.
Steve Carter
Stress Solutions, LLC
Home of the Weight for Wellness(TM) program
Should you weigh yourself daily? Weight Watchers and some other programs say, "No". In this podcast episode (player below), you'll learn what research tells us.
