Joining the Thin Club

Step #3: Changing Emotional Eating - Dr. Larina Kase

Now that you know when you eat for emotional reasons, it is time to change that. When you did your monitoring that we described last time, you probably noticed some times that you eat for emotional reasons. The most common emotions that fuel eating are:

• Boredom
• Frustration
• Anxiety or nervousness
• Feeling tired or fatigued
• Sadness or depression
• Loneliness
• Confusion or stress

Come up with a list of alternative activities to do which will help you manage any negative emotions. The best activities are ones that are actually opposite to how you are feeling.

It may feel very unnatural or counterintuitive, but it helps you to figure out what to do differently. For instance, if I feel sad and want to lie on the couch with a pint of Ben & Jerry's, I know that what I really need to do is the opposite of this: Get out, get active, and eat something that makes me feel good.

Sometimes people eat as an avoidance. If there is something else that needs to be done which brings up anxiety or fear or irritation, we may want to avoid it and if we are sitting down in front of a pizza, we can avoid it for at least 20 minutes! Stop eating for avoidance, instead do what you were avoiding and then eat.

Radio Interview - 8/22/07

http://www.wcbs880.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=960548

Listen to Judy Lederman on News Radio 88 (full interview is posted on their site).

Here are the befores and afters for those of you first tuning in:

http://thethinclub.eachday.com/sets/141325

Looking Your Best No Matter...

Bloat!  Pudge!  Can't Get the Pants to Zip!  Am I getting fat again???

Scary thoughts when you've lost weight or are in the process of losing!  Here is some consolation AND motivation when you encounter a bump (or lump) along the way:

1. Even Supermodels have fat days.  Hormones = Bloat.  Late nights out = Pudgey faces.  Forgive yourself and move on.
2. Don't use your "fat days" as excuses to backslide.  Get on the treadmill, eat a salad, drink lots of water and flush out your system.  You'll be better for it in the long run.
3. Know that if you stay on track, this too shall pass.  Our bodies change shape constantly.
4. While the scale is "just a number" if that number escalates over the long term (more than 2 weeks), it is time to pull in the reigns and watch your portions and your caloric intake.
5. Sometimes your body gets used to an exercise routine or a particular kind of diet.  Shake it up if it isn't working for you.
6. Most importantly, if you ARE in the midst of a true backslide, address the emotional factors that are making you stray.  Seek help - therapy, hypnotherapy or just some good old fashioned pampering!
7. Look your best no matter how you feel.  Go to the hairdresser, buy a new dress (even if it is a size bigger).  Feeling good will motivate you to look good.  Hey, I hear Lord and Taylor is having some sales...

:)  Judy

Step #2: Regulate your environment (Dr. Larina Kase)

Here's Step 2 to Breaking Bad Eating Habits:

In psychology, this is called "stimulus control". The idea is to make it more difficult to carry out the habit. This is a very simple and straightforward thing to do that you can start today. Here are some steps to take to gain control over your environment.

1. Eliminate junk foods from your house. If it is not there, it is much easier not to eat it, right?
2. Keep controlled portions on hand. You can do this by buying food and then dividing it up, freezing some in tupper-ware, and placing some in plastic baggies.
3. To sit or not to sit (while eating)? This is a good question and the answer depends on you. Are you more likely to overeat while sitting or standing? Many people overeat while standing because they are eating on the go and not keeping good track of how much they are eating. As a rule, therefore, it is better to sit, but if you are eating a lot while sitting, try to break the cycle by standing for about a week.
4. Change the feel of the environment. Try turning up or down the lights, turning off the TV, and turning on some music. You have to pick these strategically. For instance, if you are a quick eater (not a good thing for losing weight!) try to play some slow music and turn down the lights.
5. Always have some great healthy snacks on hand. The best snacks are ones that are in portions. For example, have some individually wrapped string cheese, small bags of nuts, those little bags of mini carrots, or fruit. Make these healthy snacks very accessible by putting them where you can see them, keeping some at work and at home, and having a special snack drawer

Alone and Eating

For me one of the toughest things to address this summer was being solo a lot of the time.  Since eating, for me, has largely been a social and caregiving activity--I am generally with friends or family when I eat--there were adjustments I had to make when my daughter went to camp, boyfriend went AWOL, or when I found myself facing a "crunch" at work and felt the need to crunch something while I stared at the computer.  If you are a social eater, being alone can create a crisis.  But it also can create opportunities that are not available when you are surrounded with people who are eating.  Here are some suggestions if you find yourself all alone:

1 - Take some of that solo time to buy fresh fruits and veggies.  Be sure to adjust your buying patterns if you're used to shopping and cooking for more than just one.  You'll be surprised to see your grocery bill go WAY down!

2 - Plan your meals carefully and make sure you have fresh veggies by your side if you happen to like to eat at your desk or in front of the TV.

3 - Enjoy the opportunity to slack off.   Cottage cheese and cantaloupe can be an elegant and easy meal that perhaps you wouldn't serve the family, but is just perfect when you are by yourself.

4 - Resist the urge to down a cocktail or glass of wine at Happy Hour.  Alcohol makes the looming refrigerator in an empty home seem that much more accessible.

5 - DON'T FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF!  Celebrate your newfound freedom by taking a walk and enjoying the beauty of the moment.  Swing your arms, listen to your favorite music on your ipod.  What?  You don't have one yet -- well buy yourself a present and instead of facing the fridge, figure out how to download your fave tunes!

Remember, loneliness is no excuse for leaving The Thin Club!

Judy

Dr. Larina Kase Weighs In

Many clients tell me that their eating patterns have become habits over the years- bad habits. As we all know, habits are very difficult to break. This is because habits are formed by a complex combination of emotional, behavioral, biological, and interpersonal variables. This article will give you 6 of the fundamental simple steps that you need to know to change your eating habits.

It is not enough just to read these ideas and know them. You need to DO them.

Step #1: Identify the Problematic Behavior

This is a fundamental step in changing. Unfortunately, it is something that people often neglect as they jump to trying to make changes.

Before knowing what you need to change, you need to be fully aware of the problem. This is a major issue for weight loss because even though people think they are aware of their eating patterns, most are not. Research studies show that 30% of normal weight people significantly under-report what they eat each day and 60% of over-weight people under- report what they eat. We all have this problem. I recognized a situation like this last week. Under a tight deadline, I popped a bunch of hershey kisses (7 to be exact) at my desk. If someone asked me, I would have said that I ate about 3, but I had the wrappers to count up the 7 that I ate!

The best way to identify behaviors is to keep a daily record. Do this for 2 weeks and then begin making some serious changes. Use the following headings for your journal:

• Time
• Situation/ Activity
• Feeling/ Mood
• What I ate (be exact)
• Where I ate it
• Nutritional value in what I ate
• How I felt afterwards

Wondering about Step 2?  Stay tuned!

Thin Club Setbacks and "Set Back on Tracks"

Here are five of my most common Thin Club set backs - along with the solutions I have found to set me back on track:

1 - Looking in the mirror and seeing the "fat girl" looking back at me.

Solution - Keep your befores on-hand to remind you of how far you've come.  Here are mine - http://thethinclub.eachday.com/sets/141325.

2 - Catching myself falling into old habits like eating late at night.

Solution - Brush my teeth as soon as dinner is over.  Go upstairs to avoid the food (keep food ONLY downstairs, or in one place in my house!).

3 - Becoming overwhelmed with work and forgetting to eat.

Solution - Planning 101.  I bring a meal replacement shake with me to work and a bagful of veggies.

4 - Not finding time to exercise.  Too wiped from work to do it at night!

Solution - Set my alarm for just 20 minutes earlier.  Exercising balances my moods and gives me energy in the morning.  (Note: some people are more energetic at night - if that's the case, set your alarm for a brief evening workout).

5 - Your friends just want to hang around, eat and do sedentary things.

Solution - If they refuse to do anything active with you, even a walk, consider taking a break and finding friends with a more active mindset.  Sorry if that sounds harsh, but you read it here and in the newspapers--friends CAN make you fat!

If You Read the Book, Please Review It!

The fan letters are coming and Larina and I are SO thrilled to hear from you all.  Some of the weight losses are astounding!  Hundreds of pounds lost and everyone seems to relate to the issues at the so-called end of the rainbow when you finally find the pot of gold.  KUDOS to all of you who have written to us about your enormous accomplishments! 

Larina and I would love to get the word out to everybody who is in the process of losing and who have reached their goal weight.  If you've read the book, please review it on Amazon and anywhere else you happen to see a review request!  And, if you are in the New York area, listen to WCBS-News Radio 88 on Monday, August 13 for an interview on the Thin Club!

Hope to hear from you all soon!

A Junk-Free Zone Home

"Should I buy anything special for your friends?" I asked, surveying the shelf of cookies, cakes and chips, querying my teenage daughter Casey, who was planning on entertaining "the gang" over the weekend.

"Nah, my friends already know we're a Junk-Free Zone," she laughed.  "And that's why they like coming over!  They get to eat well and no one goes off their diet."

Fancy that!  Her friends are in the know about healthy food.  And MOST even find it fun to snack on roasted veggies, slices of turkey, salad and fresh melons and berries!  As a former Girl Scout leader, I confess, I have bought (and inhaled) MORE than my share of Do-si-dos and Thin Mints for "the cause" but my kids' friends know that the cause du jour for me and my daughter, is about taking care of ourselves.  And another true confession--I do get a secret thrill when my daughter's friends tell me that I look hot or regale me with a chorus of "Casey's Mom Has Got it Going On!"  When they "hang" with us, the teenagers are active, eat right and feel good about themselves.  Not unhealthily obsessed.  Not couch potatoed.  Just the right mix of great self-image building and nutritious enjoyment of food for their growing minds and bodies.  And they have learned that healthy food doesn't have to mean "nasty food," my daughter tells me.  It really doesn't take a gourmand.  Just someone who believes in wholesome and healthy living.

I have always wondered why some kids seem ridiculously picky.  I know kids who live on chicken nuggets, chips and hot dogs.  Often I've noticed that the candied apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  Usually Mom or Dad are also junk-food junkies.  And the kids gain weight and suffer the consequences.  When parents try to get the kids to diet, the kids hold the mirror up to their noses.  Do as I say, not as I do, is a terrible way to parent, in my humble opinion.  But I have been there, for sure.  Not anymore.  Casey's mom has definitely "got it going on" - at least in the healthy eating arena!

Quick and tasty snack recipe to tantilize those teens - Slice eggplant, zucchini and sweet potato thinly.  Sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper.  Spray them with Pam or another low fat olive oil spray and put under the broiler for a few minutes on each side.  Make a lot, though.  The kids scarf these veggies down like m&ms.  For more healthy ideas and recipes, I recommend a visit to www.hungrygirl.com. 

Part 2 - Answers to Busy Life Overeating

Says Dr. Larina Kase:   (NOTE: and I, for one, am all ears!  Judy)

So What Do We Do About All This?

You're probably thinking that your life will not be any less busy any time soon. This is okay, but you'll have to make some minor changes. First, recognize that if you plan and shop well, it won't take longer to eat healthy food.

You can always prepare food for several days and freeze it and buy healthy organic frozen meals. Get prepackaged little bags of nuts and dried fruit (or make your own). Stock up on low-fat string cheese and other snacks you can grab and go.

Second, when you're eating, eat mindfully. Take 5-10 minutes and pay attention to your food. Realize how much you're eating. Eat slowly and savor it so a little goes a long way. The other day I ate a Take 5 bar (leftover from Halloween) while I was working on a book. After finishing it, I realized I hadn't even enjoyed it because I was focused on what I was writing. Don't make this mistake- pay attention to your food.

Third, work on keeping your sleep and emotions stable so you're less likely to engage in emotional eating. And if you know you're having a sleepy, cranky day, stay away from the drive-throughs and cookie aisle!