The Shape of our Thoughts
by Daryl Frazier

Every year the population spends billions on dieting and weight loss products in an endless quest to get or to keep fit.  Despite all of the money we’re still packing on the pounds and it seems like the obstacles are insurmountable when it comes to getting the weight off and keeping it off.

We are surrounded by a world of temptations; lattes, chocolate smothered everything, sodas, and faster (to your waist) foods abound.  Corporate America inundates us with messages to eat, eat, and eat to treat ourselves to the goodies we so certainly have earned and deserve.    With our busy schedules we often don’t have time to prepare healthy meals, so we give in (just for today or this week).  When we are stressed or upset, we turn to food for comfort, and it’s usually the tub of ice cream or at least the worst thing on our do not eat list.   Can you hear Ben and Jerry calling you now?  Almost every one of us has a certain dish that tells us “all is right with the world” even if it is just for a brief moment and in that moment we can go unconscious not thinking about the very thing that is pushing us to the edge of obesisanity.  We justify the means by naming it “comfort food” and some how that gives us the King’s X, the safety zone, Ollie, Ollie oxen free (where the heck did that originate anyway?).  Alas giving in to the craving seems so much less than the torture we administer ourselves by refraining.

Many of us grew up in families in which we learned that eating is about enjoyment, celebration even, it became a measure of prosperity, which hasn’t helped us keep trim.  We were instructed to clean our plates and so we do, even after all these years.  We stuff our faces joyously only to decide we shouldn’t have when it’s too late.  We sit in front of the TV exercising our options and not our bodies.  We Jump to conclusions when we should be jumping rope.  We drive around the parking lot for minutes to save a few seconds of walking up to the store.  We arrive early at work to get the spot closest to the office so we don’t have to journey too far before we plop down to our desk where we remain through-out the day not leaving the computer screen to process some form of nourishing goodness.  We even wait as long as possible to go to the restroom (that just can’t be good).  Ah the endorphins kick in as we devour some wings and a cold one for happy hour at our favorite watering hole.  Water, I hear that we need to consume 50 to 80 percent of our weight in ounces every day.   Can that be right? Think about this for a moment; would you be able to flush your toilet with the amount of water you drink every day? If not then it’s no wonder your bodies’ system is clogged. 

According to evolutionary psychology, our carnal desire for sweets and fats make a certain amount of sense.  Way back when our ancestors were roaming around and surviving the elements, sugary foods such as roots and fruits lent themselves to the primal urges for the elevation of serotonin, this became a resource for the bursts of energy needed to accomplish presenting tasks.  Fats of course were the preferred element required for long term stamina in the face of the harsh lifestyles and conditions they had to endure on a continuing basis.  Those who were most successful in acquiring these mandatory delights would have the greater potential for survival and naturally passed on the genealogical knowledge thereby making the trait more common.  Consider this; most modern day fears of starvation far out weigh all other fears two to one.  Early man had to carry, kill or discover foods (none of it processed) they needed, so most of the day was consumed by the thoughts of eating and gathering more food; these thoughts precluded concerns of shelter and procreation.  Keep in mind that the 50 million plus cells in our bodies have a very acute memory system; in fact our immune system remembers every disease that our preceding family members had.

The world around us has changed much faster than we have evolved.  We now have an inborn preference for foods high in calories and high in sugar, so why not fruits like our ancestors?  Availability, that’s why. Today we have easy access to foods much higher in both calories and sugars and they’re scientifically structured to support our cravings.  Our predecessors would have been thrilled at the prospects of a delicious bowl of ice cream or a nice mammoth size portion of New York cheesecake.

But there are modern day Homo sapiens who seem to do nothing special and remain fit and trim.  Somehow they do not give in to temptation and when they do they don’t gain a pound.  They are easily able to make healthy eating choices and they are motivated to exercise.  How on earth do they do it?                                                                                                   

The secret is in their thought process or better said their mindset.  Proper weight control and maintaining health are the result of perception and perspective, and this desired mindset can be learned.      

If you perceive overeating as a form of enjoyment, you’re bound to get or stay overweight.  Yes eating is pleasant.  I will refrain from the explanation of our other reasons for oral stimulation.  When we eat, our brainwaves slow down and happy chemicals are released by our pineal gland (about the size of a pea in the middle of our brain), so we want to keep eating even beyond our stomachs capacity (by the way it’s about the same size as our heart) and in spite of the misery we face we can’t seem to stop until the digestive system overrides that happy place and screams “STOP OR I’LL BURST!”

By reprogramming the mind we can slow down the rate at which we consume our food, thereby giving our digestive system an opportunity to speak up before it’s too late.  Have you ever noticed that we tend to stop breathing while we are eating (necessary factor for swallowing).  Be aware of your breathing patterns when eating, this will assist you in staying conscious and prevent the usual gormandizing of your meal.  Put your utensils down occasionally, especially prior to speaking this will give your digestive juices a chance to catch up and it is a great way to signal others at the table that you have something to say.  Slow down and chew each mouthful reflecting on the savory elements administered by the preparer’s hands.  Close your eyes and see if you can identify the varying contents in the confines of your mandible.  Actually think about the food going through its processes and becoming the empowering fuel that circulates throughout your body giving you strength and vitality.  Go one step further and send your food the mental message of its purpose and its ability to easily leave your body in a timely manner.  Realize the benefits of a healthier you, better sleep, more energy, clearer thinking, stabilized emotions and more invigorating sex.  Derive real pleasure from eating, savor every bite. 

Instead of reading or watching the TV or thinking about what needs to be done.  Put yourself in a place where you can make the meal the center of your attention, create a place with candles or flowers no matter where you are.  Your eating time should be about honoring your health and vitality.  Choose your meals with conscious and predetermined focus.  Eliminate foods in your environment that will temp you for the quick fix.  Use your power of procrastination to put off the microwave macaroni for a delicious and savory dish. 

Pre prepare your evening meals before you go to work so when you come home tired and spent you can gain some motivation to enjoy a gastronomical delicacy made with your own hands.  Bring a healthy snack bag with you where ever you go.  Dust off that picnic basket or back pack that keeps things cold (a gift you’ve never used).  Make your lunch the envy of your coworkers and friends. 

Buy yourself a Batman lunch box with a thermos and pack it the night before, fill it with your childhood favorites.  Remember it’s not quantity…..  Create a resource anchor that signals you to feel full. And for goodness sakes drink lots of good healthy water because your body will send you pains of hunger when it gets thirsty, drink small amounts at a time throughout the day (a straw works best) and keep some near your bed or in the bathroom so if you get up during the night you can hydrate a little bit.  I keep a full glass near my bathroom sink and when I get up in the morning it’s the first thing I put in my body.  Water first helps to flush the system with out stimulating the nervous system.  You’ll be amazed how it helps you have clearer thoughts and you will be able to put off that first cup of mind buzzing caffeine induced bladder stimulating heart racing cup of coffee.  

To get fit and stay that way you need to rethink your relationship with food.  Your perceptions of eating and exercise were learned and so they can be unlearned.  You can begin to develop your own slender mindset with the right beliefs, the right priorities and the right mental strategies that will drive your actions.  By winning the inner game of weight management, the outer falls into place.  Your slender mindset is about programming your mind for your desired success.