When Comfort Foods Cause Discomfort
Almost everyone will agree with the belief that the secret to weight loss is having the right combination of diet and exercise. That is why most of us who are trying to lose weight do not only hit the gym and exercise, but also curb our appetites either by eating smaller portions than we used to or by going for low calorie foods. It is too easy to just look at these two as the only significant factors in achieving weight loss, that so many of us fail to recognize that there are other things that need to be taken into account.
One of these things is our emotion, and how we conduct ourselves especially in dieting as our moods change. What we eat and how much we eat when we are happy or sad can actually impact our weight loss efforts more significantly than we think.
A certain study conducted by a marketing professor at Cornell showed that there is a significant link between our moods and the foods that we eat.
In that study, two groups of people were asked to watch a sad and happy movie. And while they watched, they were given seedless grapes and hot, buttered popcorn to munch on.
The experiment showed that those who watched the sad movie consumed 36% more popcorn than those who watched the happy one, who ate more grapes than popcorn throughout the screening.
What this showed is that people who are in a good mood turn to comfort food with more nutritional value. This is because they are more in control of their emotions and remain conscious that they cannot just eat whatever they want if they plan to lose weight.
The question you might be asking now is this: Is all hope lost for people who want to lose weight, and yet, get sad and depressed easily?
The good news is that the same study also revealed that when nutritional information is available, sad people eat considerably less of the unhealthy comfort foods like popcorn. It is suspected that the nutrition labels help in preventing people from falling into mindless eating, hence curbing their appetite.
If you find it a very difficult challenge to keep your emotions in check, especially if you are going through an emotionally tough time, you don’t need to put your weight loss plans on hold. You just have to be aware of the nutritional value of your comfort foods, and whatever mood you are in, you will surely be able to control how much you eat.
Controlling your food intake is an important factor in weight loss. If you are hitting the gym regularly, you must also maintain a strict diet. Nutritional experts here at the Body Project can help you keep track of your food intake while participating in our fast weight loss programs.
At the Body Project we believe there is a better way: Your Personal Road map to eating. We will put together your program based on your chemistry and your lifestyle. That way, you can be sure that your weight-loss efforts are not going down the drain. Ask us about how our hair tissue mineral analysis can zero in on the perfect meal plans for you, or read about it on our website.
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