This winter, our course in mindful
eating will begin soon after New Year’s Day, on January 11. For many people struggling with food and
weight related issues, the New Year is not particularly happy. The holiday
season often leads to overeating and weight gain as people are presented with even
more calorie dense foods and alcohol than usual. Add holiday stress to the equation, such as
internal pressure to secure the “perfect” gift, or to create a memorable
holiday despite financial or time constraints. The often painful discrepancy
between how we think our families and our celebrations ought to be and the way
they actually are can be difficult to tolerate. This stress and negative affect
can result in impulsive overeating and overdrinking, because in the moment the
rest of that cake and the eggnog promise some comfort and relief.
Overconsumption, increased stress,
and resulting weight gain often propel individuals to a wish for change, such
as making a New Year’s resolution to get control of eating and to lose weight. Unfortunately,
many people make the same New Year’s resolutions year after year because goals
such as “lose 75 pounds” or “get up at 5 a.m. daily to run” are typically not
achievable or sustainable. A large amount of psychological research also
underscores the importance of selecting goals that are realistic and moderate rather
than extreme. An “all or nothing” radical change program frequently results in “nothing”
because it’s not possible to maintain a 500 calorie a day “cleanse” without
binge eating in response to an overly depriving diet.
Sadly, even if we are being more
moderate about weight goals, more research is finding that, as millions of
people have experienced for themselves, it is very difficult to lose weight and
to maintain the loss (see this article in the New York Times). We have known
for some time that only a minority of individuals manage to sustain significant
weight loss, but now we understand more about how and why this is so difficult.
Humans evolved in a “feast or famine” environment, and our bodies developed
numerous mechanisms designed to ensure our survival. We seem to be hard wired
to prefer sweets, fat, and lots of variety, all of which were adaptive in our
ancestral environment. Diets tend to be viewed by the body as alarming
indicators of potential starvation that must be abated by a metabolic drop, and
actual weight loss seems to result in ongoing secretion of chemicals designed
to increase food intake and restore the lost weight.
Does this mean it’s hopeless to try
to lose weight? Not at all; I know many people who have done it and maintained
their loss. Individuals who binge eat and respond to negative emotions by
overeating can frequently change these patterns and gradually lose weight.
Also, stress is a significant contributor to weight gain; stress results in the
secretion of cortisol, which promote abdominal weight gain. Research is
demonstrating that mindfulness based interventions can be very helpful with
such issues. Dalen et al. (2010) conducted a six week mindfulness class that
showed numerous beneficial outcomes on eating variables as well as emotional
factors. Participants reported weight loss, reductions in binge eating,
increases in feelings of control around food, and improvements in their levels
of stress and depression. Daubenmier et al. (2011) conducted a four month
mindfulness based program for stress eating. Obese treatment participants
showed large decreases in cortisol secretion. Although they did not lose weight
over the course of the study, they maintained their weight, whereas control
group participants gained weight and showed no changes in cortisol. Finally, a
one day mindfulness and acceptance workshop (Lillis et al., 2011) was found to
decrease self reported binge eating in a three month follow up.
Mindfulness based interventions
enable individuals to become more accepting of internal experiences rather than
avoidant. Being able calmly and compassionately to sit with a painful feeling and
to recognize it as a transient mental event lessens the urge to self-medicate
with food. Becoming more aware of what hunger and satiety feel like promotes
more attuned responses to these signals from the self. Such attunement fosters the development of an
sensible eating program that may result in weight loss. Feel free to read more about Integrative Health Partners’ six week Mindful Eating Class, designed for people
who want to find a way to actually live their New Year’s resolutions.
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