Dial D for diet

So you have tried all that you possibly could in your power to shed those extra kilos... and failed. So you slump onto your comfortable couch and reach for that packet of chips. Wait, don't give up just yet. Read on to see why you haven't scored yet on the weighing scale

So you have tried the dreaded 'D' word several times but though you can convince your body that you don't need those extra calories your mind doesn't seem to agree. Just when you think those kilos have started slipping away you feel like you just have to binge...and you do...and then the guilt sets in.

Have you ever wondered why? Have you ever berated yourself for lacking self-control? Well, first let's see what binge eating really is. While most of us do overeat from time to time, some of us compulsively eat even when we are not hungry. That is what binge eating is. However there is no need to curse yourself for this behavior, as there is definitely a trigger for it. Let's find out your triggers and how to deal with them:
There are different kinds of eatersu2026 see who you identify with:

The Great Gobbler

Picture this; you are at a wedding or party. The buffet is laid up and you have already gone for seconds and thirds...later while discussing the food you realize that you don't remember the taste of half the food being mentioned and wonder if you had eaten at all! You are someone who eats for the sake of eating... and it's usually so quickly that you don't even taste what goes into your mouth!

Solution: The fact that you have accepted that you belong to this category means the first hurdle has been crossed already. The entire problem lies in the fact that you eat too fast, without chewing the food. Studies have shown that only 20 minutes after the food has entered the stomach does the signal reach the brain. So if you just gobble your food you definitely will not feel full enough to stop. Put some thought into your food. Chew your food slowly and thoroughly, don't be in a hurry to end the meal. Think before popping anything and everything into your mouth, stop and ask yourself if you really want to eat that. Chances are more than half the time you don't really want to!

The Hungry Hogger

You diet and eat as little as possible. You keep at it for sometime u2026and then the hunger pangs set in. They only seem to quieten down with pastries, chocolates, chips, pizzas u2014 in short all the forbidden foods.
You are constantly guilty and think you can never achieve that weight loss goal you had set for yourself and wonder how others do it!

Solution: If a car has no petrol can it function? Similarly if you don't give your body the fuel it needs, by under eating how can it function normally? You are pushing your body to a point when it is desperately craving energy. So at this point, it will demand simple and quick energy sources (which can be used directly and need no breaking down). Naturally the first thing you will reach out for will be that chocolate!

Instead of trying to go on a restrictive diet, divide your food intake into five small meals. Keep supplying energy to the body in small quantities every two three hours. Don't wait till the point when you get hungry enough to eat anything. Snack on fruits throughout and you'll find it's not impossible to say no to all the fattening stuff!

The Emotional Eater

Each time you are angry or just plain unhappy you find yourself drowning the anti emotion in a chocolate pastry or a tub of ice cream. Or sometimes when you are so happy you feel the need to reward yourself. What better way is there other than food?

At other times when you are feeling bored and probably empty you find yourself heading for the fridge.

Solution: You don't need a solution, just company! You are probably someone with bottled up feelings and find it difficult to vent your emotions and frustrations so you seek solace in food. When you are down or lonely, you are substituting food for company.

Introspect and find what triggers off these feelings and talk them out instead of trying to suppress them. If you are constantly angry, go for a walk and I don't mean towards the fridge! If you find it difficult to speak to someone write a diary, re-read it in a better frame of mind and clinically analyze your feelings. Soon they will be easier to deal with and not something to be swept under the carpet!

Dieting is about options and not restrictions. A dieter needs behaviour modification and not a diet that
forces you to 'give up' stuff you like. Let's leave the sacrifice for the lambs. Here is what you should do:

> Always maintain an honest dietary recall of all you eat through the day. This is like looking into a mirror. It will help you keep a check on what you eat so that you don't repeat the same bad eating habits over and over again.
> Make exercise an unavoidable
part of your lifestyle. Research has proved time and again that people
who only diet, usually fail to lose weight and keep it off, as against people who control and permanently change their eating habits and exercise regularly they manage to lose weight, shape up.

And keep it off!

> Make a shopping list and stick to it. Avoid the urge to browse through high calorie tempting food.
> Never skip meals. Not only are you losing out on good nutrition but you are putting your body in the starvation mode. This will result in definitely overdoing the calories at the next meal, whether you want to or not. Besides which, when you don't give the body the calories it requires at a point of time, the body will start conserving energy from the next
meal as emergency fuel. So though you are starving, you are actually getting fatter!
> If you are eating at a buffet, browse first so you can mentally tick off the options and then choose the food wisely.
> Eat in a small plate so even when the plate is full, you are actually serving yourself a small portion.
> Share your calories with your friend or spouse if you just have to eat that dessert. If you are eating alone, eat half of it; take the rest home to have the next day so you spread the calories over two days.
> Don't deny a craving. Satisfy it with a small portion and know when to stop!
> Make fruits, soups and salads
a part of your daily diet. They will keep your energy levels up and cravings down.
> Prioritise. Ask yourself what you do not like about your appearance. Then realistically think of what you are doing to change that. If the answer is "nothing much really", then make your health, fitness and a better body shape your priority. Don't compare yourself to an "ideal" shape. Instead, work on the best shape you can achieve with all your limitations and temptations. You will find that you are a much happier person this way!
Losing weight is usually never the problem. It's how you set your goal that is important. If you set yourself an unachievable, unrealistic goal, all you are in for is disappointment.

Be realistic, give yourself enough time. Don't be too harsh on yourself; remember all those extra kilos did not appear overnight.

So now that you know what's stopping you, get it out of the way.

The writer is a nutritionist and a personal trainer