Control Food Or Does It Control You?

[Bazza]

Nothing new here and no doubt a search of previous topics will bring up like minded threads, but I was reading through Rose' Diary and she very kindly copied a link to this: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/why-youre-not-lean-yet thanks Rose...

Most fellow conspirators here will acknowledge the extreme importance of diet/food intake and its importance in creating the type of body you want, be it one for the stage or just one that you can strut your stuff with at the beach. For newbies its one of the most important things and I reckon a lot of people struggle with the whole 'food as a concept' thing, whether its a means of sustenance or a means of making the trails and tribulations of modern life just a little bit easier.

I thought there were a couple of gems in the article. This being one

Think about this: a person who indulges in booze every day is called an alcoholic. Someone who indulges in junk food every day is called… your average North American.

Also this was very well put

Lesson #6: Fat Loss Is Easy, It’s Your Brain That’s Getting In The Way

This will pi$$ a lot of people off, but fat loss is actually pretty easy. It’s way, WAY easier than muscle gain. It’s not always pleasant, it’s pretty much always socially uncomfortable, and it forces you to go against the grain of your friends, coworkers and family. But when we break it down to a pure physiological process, fat loss is easy.

It’s all the mental stuff tied up in eating that make it pretty much impossible for most of the world. It’s the emotions around eating, the addiction to the taste and the feeling of food, the bonding that comes from sharing food with others, and the sense of belonging that comes from “going with the flow”. Most people fail not because they don’t have the right diet plan, not because they don’t have access to the right food, and not because they don’t know or understand exactly what they need to do. All the physiological elements are in place, and they work. Most people fail because they don’t consider the psychological aspect of the diet.

Food, particularly sugar and refined carbohydrates, is addictive. The cravings can be emotionally crippling. Hunger is a feeling completely foreign to westerners and we can’t handle it; it breaks us as brutally as being physically beaten.

There’s also the profound sense of alienation that comes from doing something “different”. Once food and shelter are taken care of, our number one need as human beings is to feel like we belong. When a person starts a diet they isolate themselves form the norm. And the single most social thing we do, as a species, is share food and drink. Many people will abandon a diet because it feels like they’re excluded, and for a heavy person already feeling badly about their self-image and their sense of belonging, that’s just too high a price to pay. They’d rather be obese than alone.

I’m not trying to be all haughty and holier-than-thou, let me be the first to admit I’m an emotional eater. I get a profound sense of happiness from sweets. It’s such a satisfying feeling it is (honestly and without exaggeration) practically sexual. But now I can control the psychological aspects of eating, and for long periods I can treat food purely as fuel. I feel like if any single thing allows me call myself an upper-tier gym warrior it’s that.

I guess my point being that for newbies its pretty important to get their shit sorted out in the head department, and not just bowl in to the gym and expect that they hire a personal trainer, and after 3 months they are going to come out buffed with a Mr & Mrs 'O' bod. I reckon its one of the hardest parts to sort out from the get go...your relationship with food!

[startinfromscratch]

absolutely agree with that - i eat what my body needs, not what i 'could/want to. it is hard to make that change, but at the end of the day if you are not capable of eating controlled, measured amounts of food to reach a goal, you dont want it bad enough!!!

its so common to see, stuff like " i had a hard night" or "work was stressing me" etc, given as an excuse when breaking diet. If you eat something that you know is counterproductive to your goals, expect to fail.

In saying that, id just like to clarify, im referring to impulse. planned/accounted for cheat meals can be and are fine. stopping in at maccas after you did 15 minutes on a crosstrainer is not.. :grin:

[autechre]

A good read, thanks Rose & Bazza.

Lesson #10: No Limits

In essence, I realize that the only limits I have are those I place on myself. And I realize that I’m now in control of them. Very liberating!

This struck me. Mainly because it's my downfall. I am working on it - changing my workout, improving my diet.

I need to get out of my comfort zone.

[Chillicat]

The thing I find with most people is the complete inability to see food for what it really is - fuel. It seems to go with our modern privileged western sense of entitlement that we should eat our favourite foods all day every day. Parents don't help by doling out so called treat food at every opportunity.

Example is a huge thing too. When I was growing up, my father used to head off to work every day with his sandwiches for lunch, same as us kids did for school. As a result of that example, for me bringing lunch to work is second nature and not something I've ever felt was strange or hard work. The amount of times I've heard people say they just don't have time to make lunch! What about the night before? What about taking the stuff to work and making it there?

People at work think I'm funny swilling on my protein shakes, or eating cans of tuna, but what does it matter what they think? But I've been making improvements to my eating all year, and the differences I can see make it completely worth it. And hell, I actually really enjoy my protein shakes and I love tuna. I don't care that my diet is pretty much the same every day - it's the right fuel to get me where I want to be, and I know that by eating strictly during the day I can enjoy my evening meal with my husband (with a few modifications to make it slightly cleaner than how he eats!).

I have zero tolerance or respect for people who slave away at the gym, then go eat a pie for morning tea, then wonder why they aren't achieving their goals.

[poos_n_wees]

I have zero tolerance or respect for people who slave away at the gym, then go eat a pie for morning tea, then wonder why they aren't achieving their goals.

For some of us, we go to the gym so we *can* eat them pies :oops:

Food, particularly sugar and refined carbohydrates, is addictive. The cravings can be emotionally crippling. Hunger is a feeling completely foreign to westerners and we can’t handle it; it breaks us as brutally as being physically beaten.

This cracked me up. I'm ready to clothesline people that get in my way of my next meal.

I'd love to be like most of you and think of food as just "fuel", but in reality I have to enjoy and savour what I'm eating, otherwise I wouldn't be able to maintain that way of eating as part of my lifestyle.

Definitely agree with the psychological effect food has on us though! Even though I hardly eat cakes, pies, chocolates etc.. as soon as I decide I want to start cutting, I notice them alot more and the cravings can sometimes get pretty intense.

[witchazel]

I have to say that the "Sugar is addictive" rings very true with me.

Honestly Hubby and I were discussing this today... I will openly say that I find sugar as addicitve as nicotine. I know that I am one cigarette away from being back to a pack a day... I also know that I am one sugar (inset biscuit/lolly/cake/nutrigrain) from a packet a day! Yes I have eaten a whole Nutrigrain packet in one day, actually two hours...

If I do not have any sugar I do not miss it, but just one taste of sugar and thats it, I eat one biscuit- I eat the whole packet, I taste one lolly - I hide the whole packet and eat it all without wanting to share one single lolly.

I have finally learnt that I am a Carboholic... oats, rice and sweet potato I can only handle in small amounts, any other form of carbs are mood altering drugs, with highs and deep lows (sobbing uncontrolable tears) when the sugar hit goes.

But I now know this, and just like an alcoholic only I can control these cravings.... The fact that I do isn't amazing, it's just what makes the difference between 38% bodyfat and 10%...

[teamfatboy]

There was an article in yesteday's Sunday Star Times about the 'bliss point' (yes, I know the link is to a different article, but it's essentially the same story).

I suspect WitchHazel's hit the nail on the head - just as alcoholics and others find a weak point in alcohol, why should carbs be any different, in terms of the way a particular person's system responds?

For my part (and like many on here, I expect) BB training has been as much about mastering the physiological responses to food intake, the 'hot buttons' and acquiring the self-awareness to move from 'being controlled' to 'controlling' one's food. And yes, it's the same for guys....

[Chillicat]

I have zero tolerance or respect for people who slave away at the gym, then go eat a pie for morning tea, then wonder why they aren't achieving their goals.

For some of us, we go to the gym so we *can* eat them pies :oops:

And that's fine if that's the way people want to do it.

But I get sick of people with a gym membership in one hand and a pie in the other and a questioning look on their face going 'ooooh I work so hard at the gym and I can't understand why I don't lose weight'.

[Chillicat]

I have to say that the "Sugar is addictive" rings very true with me.

Honestly Hubby and I were discussing this today... I will openly say that I find sugar as addicitve as nicotine. I know that I am one cigarette away from being back to a pack a day... I also know that I am one sugar (inset biscuit/lolly/cake/nutrigrain) from a packet a day! Yes I have eaten a whole Nutrigrain packet in one day, actually two hours...

If I do not have any sugar I do not miss it, but just one taste of sugar and thats it, I eat one biscuit- I eat the whole packet, I taste one lolly - I hide the whole packet and eat it all without wanting to share one single lolly.

I have finally learnt that I am a Carboholic... oats, rice and sweet potato I can only handle in small amounts, any other form of carbs are mood altering drugs, with highs and deep lows (sobbing uncontrolable tears) when the sugar hit goes.

But I now know this, and just like an alcoholic only I can control these cravings.... The fact that I do isn't amazing, it's just what makes the difference between 38% bodyfat and 10%...

Wow, that's interesting. I'm more of a savouryholic, and have never had a sweet tooth at all. I don't get people who feel the need to eat chocolate every day (or even every week) - but if we have a work morning tea with half sweet and half savoury, I'll be right into the savoury stuff. Cheese in particular - that's my chocolate =P~

[rose]

An interesting aspect on the sugar matter is that sugar help boosts serotonin (because eating sugar produces insulin, which helps tryptophan go into zee bwainz).

Low serotonin may result in intense cravings for sugar. It's your body's way of saying make me fucken happy you miserable piece of pooze.

If you keep feeding that craving... Rinse. Repeat. Addict.

[rose]

see food for what it really is - fuel.

Definitely a key brain fart to get over.

What about the night before? What about taking the stuff to work and making it there?

People at work think I'm funny

People at work think I'm nuts and give me shit all the time, 'you'll get colon cancer', 'you're always eating', 'you're too organised', etc etc.

But all the shit they speak to me is born of ignorance so I just smile sweetly and om-nom-nom on.

My most recent experiment, a deterrent to giving Rose shit tactic, was to bluntly say "I bet you wouldn't tell me that if I was fat". A lot of embarrassed silences and now no one says a thing :pfft:

but what does it matter what they think

It doesn't and it never should. See above comment re ignorance. I find it incredibly amusing when some greasy fat unfit mofo is telling me I'll get colon cancer from eating lean red meat when his arteries are likely clogged to the hilt from years of trans fat and grog. Not to mention the smoking...

I just don't let them get to me. They eat shit and likely feel like shit for it. Sucks to be them.

:grin:

[autechre]

An interesting aspect on the sugar matter is that sugar help boosts serotonin (because eating sugar produces insulin, which helps tryptophan go into zee bwainz).

Low serotonin may result in intense cravings for sugar.

In your research, do you know if this applies to artificial sweetners too or do they negate the sweet cravings since they have a different chemical makeup to sugar and break down differently in the body?

[rose]

In your research, do you know if this applies to artificial sweetners too or do they negate the sweet cravings since they have a different chemical makeup to sugar and break down differently in the body?

I have read that some artificial sweeteners have been proven to have the same effect, and have experienced it myself.

IMHO, if you want something sweet, stick with sugar. If you crave it, learn to control the cravings using other foods etc.

If I have time I'll try to collate some info.

Edit: e.g. phenylalanine is one of the amino's that fights for uptake in the brain:

"The main determinant of brain tryptophan and serotonin concentrations does not appear to be plasma tryptophan alone, but the ratio of this amino acid to other plasma neutral amino acids (that is, tyrosine, phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine) that compete with it for uptake into the brain."

Just an example. I have other info on some of the other sweeteners too. It's this kind of info that can help you crack that sugar shit though. I didn't stumble on this because I crave sugar, but in food elimination hell, knowing wtf might be going on with other parts of your body is key.

[autechre]

In your research, do you know if this applies to artificial sweetners too or do they negate the sweet cravings since they have a different chemical makeup to sugar and break down differently in the body?

I have read that some artificial sweeteners have been proven to have the same effect, and have experienced it myself.

IMHO, if you want something sweet, stick with sugar. If you crave it, learn to control the cravings using other foods etc.

If I have time I'll try to collate some info.

Edit: e.g. phenylalanine is one of the amino's that fights for uptake in the brain:

"The main determinant of brain tryptophan and serotonin concentrations does not appear to be plasma tryptophan alone, but the ratio of this amino acid to other plasma neutral amino acids (that is, tyrosine, phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine) that compete with it for uptake into the brain."

Thanks. Informative as always

I'll try to stick to naturally sweet things such as fruit, nuts & veg to satiate the sugar gods.

[Chillicat]

My most recent experiment, a deterrent to giving Rose shit tactic, was to bluntly say "I bet you wouldn't tell me that if I was fat". A lot of embarrassed silences and now no one says a thing :pfft:

I'm so going to use that one

[Bazza]

How about this one for the serotonin

When Serotonin is low, we experience problems with concentration and attention. We become scatterbrained and poorly organized. Routine responsibilities now seem overwhelming. It takes longer to do things because of poor planning. We lose our car keys and put odd things in the refrigerator. We call people and forget why we called or go to the grocery and forget what we needed. We tell people the same thing two or three times.

- shit I can do do that with high seratonin!

I was just about ready to jump out the window after reading this article on seratonin http://www.enotalone.com/article/4116.html

[witchazel]

I find that atificial sweeteners have the same affect as sugar on me..

I currently have the flu (don't get me started on ignorant arseholes who bring it to work) so Hubby got me some sugar free strepsils... same thing... had one for my sore throat then three because of the taste.... sigh!

I have found that using Stevia rather than artifical sweeteners works well, I don't crave more sweetness if I use Stevia and I am satisfied after one serving of it in anything. I tried using fruit but then became addicted to bananas!!! yes I am a Carboholic...

Anyway after ready some of the articles on what artifical sweetners are ade of and how they are banned in Japan because they are considered poisons I prefer to just go without...

[Bazza]

So as a rough guide anybody that is in off season training at the moment, or on a cycle where they are looking to add some mass...how many Calories per day are ou consuming. I am looking for some good ideas about food at the moment. Anybody have any little gems they would like to share - like the best thing they enjoy eating - not talking about dianabol sandwhiches.... :shifty:

[startinfromscratch]

So as a rough guide anybody that is in off season training at the moment, or on a cycle where they are looking to add some mass...how many Calories per day are ou consuming. I am looking for some good ideas about food at the moment. Anybody have any little gems they would like to share - like the best thing they enjoy eating - not talking about dianabol sandwhiches.... :shifty:

height, weight, bodyfat, are you natural? post up full details including training details mate in a seperate thread. im sure youll get a shit load of feedback!