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This is a guest post from Lauren Muney, who writes about wellness and behavior at Physical Mind.
J.D.’s recent post about bread started me thinking about making healthy choices to get fit. J.D.’s plan was to find the healthiest bread possible so he could still eat bread.
In theory this is a very good direction: make healthier choices about what one is eating. However, J.D.’s own words actually gave his real thoughts away. This is what I’d like to address today: J.D. actually said, “….It’s not a good addition to my diet”. He was actually speaking about poor-nutrition breads with filler ingredients, but I also know through previous conversations with J.D.: J.D. (and others) already know that they have a habit of making breads a staple food — mostly because of two reasons:
- Breads are easy to combine with other ingredients (like PB& J, honey, cheese, etc) when hungry: little thought involved
- It’s a habit to reach for bread — and/or a craving (an ‘impulse’)
As a wellness and fitness coach, I hear many people discuss their thoughts and habits regarding their nutrition, exercise, stressors, family, etc. People tell me their fitness dreams and their weekly actions. The interesting thing is that these dreams and their actions don’t line up together; this is where their guilt feelings come in. This is called “alignment with values”. When they don’t do the activities which support the end-result of their values, they feel very bad about themselves — and often backslide or feel paralyzed to not make any changes at all.
Here’s an example: Harry has a dream is to be fit, reduce his general fat percentage, and also to gain self-esteem — which he lost when he gained his weight. Harry knows that he eats too much bread. In all of Harry’s reading, he discovers that eating too much bread is one of the reasons people get (and stay) obese. Harry agrees with this idea which he has read. In fact, Harry feels emotionally uncomfortable (guilty) and physically uncomfortable (bloated, constipated, slow) when he eats more than five slices a week. Harry then feels paralyzed with depression over his inability to maintain ‘a diet’ — and in this depression he may indulge in more fattening foodstuffs.
So why does Harry continue to buy and eat bread when he KNOWS it’s not good for him? Impulse-control. Harry lacks the ability to notice when he is getting an impulsive thought or craving — it may be deeply rooted to a habit of some kind — and lacks the initiative to the important steps to curb the impulses.
“Impulse control” is simply part of mindfulness: the art (or state) of being conscious of your thoughts, and about things going on around you. Mindfulness takes practice but it can begin at any time. If you notice that you crave bread, this is a state of mindfulness: you can then make the decision on what to do about the the craving.
The interesting part of impulse-control is that when it’s linked with values of fitness, the impulse-control creates healthy actions. If one has impulse-control, she is not swayed by walking through grocery stores which have breads, pies, and sugar. The mindfulness of her own values says, at almost every moment, “My value is to be fit. These treats will derail that fitness. Everything I have read about fitness says that these treats are counterproductive to my fitness. Therefore, I will buy foods which support my fitness values”.
This seems like a huge time-wasting internal conversation, but I promise you that it’s only a temporary set of self-talking. People with healthy impulse-control have only a brief flicker of this conversation: what’s important is not the conversation, but what happens in the actions. If one practices the impulse-control for several weeks, soon the unhealthy impulses will quiet as the improved feelings (and body) appear. What could it feel like to be leaner? What could it feel like to go to the bathroom on a regular basis, eliminating the stuff which your body can’t use? What could it feel like to go through one day, one week, one month, withouth guilty feelings about your own actions?
Again, let’s go back to the initial idea: what are your initial values about fitness? If you truly want to be fit, you can use basic knowledge about “what is healthy and what is not” to curb impulses. By curbing impulses you will not get guilty feelings or even have to resort to time-consuming activities — like “trying to work off that box of donuts” or “skipping lunch because I ate the dish of candy on a co-worker’s desk”.
One of the initial steps is the mindfulness to realize that your actions are out of impulse or habit.
Habits are very hard to break — I know this first-hand — but they are possible to break, and to replace with high-quality, long-lasting, healthful habits which actually get you towards your dreams.
Mac
20 responses so far ↓
1 Sam // Mar 11, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I really liked this post.
Bread is the perfect example of a food that has become a habit or impulse food for me. I actually tried to find some healthier bread in the store the other day and could not find ONE brand without high fructose corn syrup.
I’ve always thought of bread as a relatively healthy food (especially when there is a slice of turkey and some lettuce in between it), but I am coming to realize that although some bread might be good for me, the type and amount that I’m currently eating is not.
My main question is what does one do for a quick and easy lunch if you are trying to reduce the amount of bread you eat? Is a whole wheat tortilla a decent substitute?
2 Clarence // Mar 11, 2008 at 10:59 pm
As a on-again-off-again zen kid, I like your overall framework of thought; to come from mindfulness is an inherently powerful way to approach life problems. It is important that one comes from self-positive values (such as fitness and health) and not from self-negative values (such as external validations of attractiveness) when making everyday decisions. I find that values that are in touch with one’s body, whether in health or in sensory experience, are some of the best values to hang a hat on.
The diet by which I have lived my entire adult life is a simple one — I mindfully listen to my body and eat until I am satiated, no more, no less.
(I also try to eat the highest quality and freshest meat and vegetables [I’m not a vegetarian] I can feasibly afford because, well, they taste good and in the back of my head, I know that they were raised in a manner that is more sustainable than current industrial methods of agriculture. I don’t eat prepackaged things because most taste very peculiar and leave my body feeling unnourished.)
@Sam:
Here’s the easiest way to control how much bread you eat: buy a good, fresh loaf, think realistically how much bread you want to eat for the next couple of days, take the rest of the loaf and freeze it immediately. Defrosting bread takes more active thought and time than just taking bread out of the bag.
By freezing bread, one can actually buy those really nice loaves of fresh baked bread that seems wasteful you’re not a family of four. I’m guessing that a lot of people don’t like buying that bread and opt for the sliced shelf stuff because the fresh stuff grows moldy fairly quickly. Freezing it solves that problem.
3 Sam // Mar 12, 2008 at 2:13 am
Clarence,
I really like that idea. The only problem with my situation is that I have 3 roommates and a tiny freezer. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to fit a half a loaf of bread in there (though, I think I’m going to give it a shot). However, I’m thinking that if I buy some high-quality (ie. expensive) bread I may be less willing to eat it just because I’m craving it. Case in point, for the past few days I’ve been eating at least 3 or 4 pieces of toast throughout the day solely because of craving something sweet (usually I’ll put cinnamon-sugar or Nutella on top of it).
4 Lauren Muney, wellness + facilitation coach // Mar 12, 2008 at 4:27 am
@Sam,
Looks like you feel stuck in “But what is there for lunch if I don’t eat bread?” thinking. That’s a common problem that many people want to crack: bread became a habit because it’s so darn easy. Yet the same people also see the weight creep on due to the ease of this habit.
You really had an interesting idea about buying expensive bread as a deterrent to scarfing half a loaf at a time…. so is whole-grain whole-wheat tortillas.
As a sideline - are you up for an interesting challenge? Here’s a bit of coaching for you…
Think for a few minutes about what could constitute a healthy lunch. Think about all the meats (or protein), fruits, veggies, and other food which is available for purchase.
However, I’ll give you one catch: “bread hasn’t been invented”. I’d like you to think of foods which don’t use bread (the thick stuff) as its main support. This is your chance to imagine about ‘what is possible’ - don’t worry yet about roommates or budget right now. Just ‘imagine’…. Write these down.
Next, look at the list you wrote. Hopefully you wrote down foods you enjoy (leaving out the lima beans, liver, etc, which you may not like). Is it possible to purchase these foods on your budget? Can you mix-n-match them to create lunches you can pre-assemble (you said “quick and easy”) before lunchtime needs? Can they be reheated as leftovers from dinner the night before?
I could go on, but there’s an example of thinking outside of your normal [bread] box…. by inventing a new box
5 Anne Keckler, Personal Trainer // Mar 12, 2008 at 6:40 am
In all of Harry’s reading, he discovers that eating too much bread is one of the reasons people get (and stay) obese.
Harry may have discovered this, but it’s not necessarily true. The biggest reason people get (and stay) obese is due to consuming more calories than they are burning. Or would could say they are burning fewer calories than they are consuming.
These calories may be in the form of bread, but they may also be in the form of fats (mayo, butter, hydrogenated oils) or other carbs (chips, candies, doughnuts).
Choosing to eat healthier versions of familiar foods is a great first step to a healthier lifestyle.
6 Lucas // Mar 12, 2008 at 7:04 am
@ Anne: but what about the hormonal response caused by the carbs & sugars in bread? As I understand it, the insulin released as a result of the carbs & sugar promote energy storage (aka fat storage), so replacing X calories of bread with X calories of veggies and meat would actually promote fat loss due to the lowered insulin response and increased glucagon response.
7 Anne Keckler, Personal Trainer // Mar 12, 2008 at 7:12 am
@Lucas:
If you don’t have a calorie surplus, you won’t have anything to store as fat. Also, complex carbohydrates cause a different reaction than simple carbohydrates. Whole grains are full of important nutrients and fiber, and should not be considered in the same league as white breads.
Also, there are times when the insulin response works in your favor, such as immediately after working out. We shouldn’t be thinking in terms of “all or nothing” here. We should be thinking in terms of baby steps to healthier choices. Bread, in and of itself, is not what makes or keeps people fat.
8 Lauren Muney, wellness + facilitation coach // Mar 12, 2008 at 11:29 am
@Anne:
Yes you are right! Physical activity IS one of the solutions to obesity. However, the example of ‘Harry’ mentioned “eating too much bread is ONE [emphasis mine] of the reasons people get (and stay) obese.” The bread was an example of overindulgence of a favorite food - bread being a particularly favorite indulgence of many people, due to its availability, ability to eat with other things, familiarity, etc.
However, any overindulgence or series of impulsive treats can derail fat loss. Bread was simply an example which caught the eye of many of GFS readers.
Yes, people do need to exercise –’sedentary’ being another issue in obesity — but in this example, the article was about ‘impulse control’. It’s doesn’t work just to tell people “eat whatever you want, whenever you want, as long as you burn it all off”. There are two difficulties with this:
a) Some people overindulge in too many calories, even on an exercise program. (Even some endurance amateur athletes are overweight because they haven’t learned how to mitigate the food issues).
b) While there is truth to ‘”calories-in, calories out”, 80% of fitness/weight loss is nutrition. 1800 calories (in a day) of Snickers Bar is not the same as a balanced healthy [daily] 1800 calories (in that same day).
c) There are more factors in the human mind which have to be attended, as this article described.
d) Learning healthier choices for familiar food (as you mentioned!)
You have a great site, full of rich info, and I like your Keckler Bread recipe
9 TosaJen // Mar 12, 2008 at 11:36 am
@Lauren — I find that environmental control is a lot more important for my success than impulse control, as in “if I set up my life so that it’s as easy or easier for me to do the healthy thing as the unhealthy thing, I’m far more likely to do the healthy thing.”
Impulse control sounds a lot like will- (or won’t-) power, which always fails me when I most need it — when I’m tired or stressed. Whereas, if the healthy stuff is there and I have to make an effort for the less healthy stuff, I’m like to roll with the healthy stuff.
What do you consider the relationship between the two types of control? Or do you consider environmental control part of your definition impulse control?
I do agree with your point of “aligning with your values”, but I do it with my environment, first of all — I’m not a person who puts a treadmill in the spare bedroom facing a blank wall and can’t figure out why it isn’t used.
10 Baba Ghanoush // Mar 12, 2008 at 11:59 am
Regarding the negative impact of the insulin/sugar spike after eating a high glycemic index food like bread or potatoes:
I thought the point was that calorie per calorie, one tends to become hungry sooner after eating the high g.i. carb than after lower g.i. carbs. So one tends to consume more calories as a result of eating carbs like breads, pasta, potatoes, etc.
11 Nina // Mar 12, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I agree; conscious eating is so important. When I go to the grocery, I don’t get tempted anymore by bad food because I have that internal conversation you mention in the article. I realize that these foods are going to hold me back from being fit and healthy, and the desire to eat them goes away. The same applies I believe to finding that point of being full. It’s good to know when it’s “enough.”
12 brad // Mar 12, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I think the key is the phrase “if you truly want to be fit.” My problem isn’t so much lack of conscious eating or awareness: I can walk downstairs, pour myself a bowl of cereal or slice a couple of pieces of bread for cinnamon toast and say to myself, “you shouldn’t do this, you know,” and then do it anyway. I am fully, 100 percent aware of what I am doing. I see the hole and I fall in, fully knowing that I am falling in. To me, that says I’m not really serious about losing weight. I feel like the first key step is to get serious about it instead of just making a vague goal or wish; once you’re serious then impulse control is a lot easier. I’ve managed to do that successfully with exercise; I exercise regularly (nearly every day) and intensively, but I have yet to get myself to do the same with eating less.
13 Lucas // Mar 12, 2008 at 2:20 pm
@ Baba: That sounds about right to me as far as hunger and the glycemic index of your food goes. The point is that food is fuel, so why wouldn’t you use the most efficient fuel possible?
@ Anne: Thanks for the response. I realize that there’s a huge difference in eating white bread vs whole grain wheat. Also, I’m not a scientist or nutritionist, but my understanding is that it’s very possible for your body to consume muscular tissue for energy while storing fat. If you’re eating tons of carbs while doing lots of long, slow cardio, it would make sense for your body to do this: you need to build up efficient energy stores (fat), and you’re not placing any demand that tells the body “build the muscles!”
That being said, I’m not at all against the eating of quality whole-grain bread. I just think that people think of it as a “health” food when that isn’t necessarily the case. Replacing bread with veggies whenever possible would do a lot of good for most people’s diet.
Sorry to have semi-hijacked the thread…
14 Anne Keckler, Personal Trainer // Mar 12, 2008 at 2:31 pm
@Lucas: Oh, it’s absolutely possible for your body to catabolize muscle tissue. I didn’t mean to imply differently. But then again, I don’t recommend doing lots of long, slow cardio, either (unless that’s all you can do).
This post sure did garner a lot of comments!
15 greenman2001 // Mar 12, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Great post, and some great responses. Brad’s picture of seeing the hole and falling in it with great mindfullness certainly captures me. And TosaJen’s structuring her environment to make healthy choices easier and “automatic” is one I believe in wholeheartedly. First, remove as many obstacles as you can. By changing jobs, JD may very well have removed the biggest obstacle to his having time to exercise.
But Sam’s response is so important: if I eliminate bread, what do I eat for lunch? It’s important because it focuses attention on the real issue: my schedule requires food that’s quick and easy. That’s a schedule problem, not a diet problem. It’s hard to exercise because I can’t afford the gym membership: that’s a money problem, not a willpower problem. When I get very hungry I make unhealthy food choices: that’s a hunger management problem, not a food choice problem. There’s no room in the freezer for my bread: that, my friend, is not a problem that has anything to do with bread.
I think it’s very easy (I speak from vast experience here) to get into the habit of saying, “I have no choice.” And it’s easy to mask deep problems with superficial ones: “I can’t exercise because I have no time,” masks a much more significant problem that is built out choices one has made. It may be extraordinarily difficult — and certainly life-changing — to turn that ship around, but looking at the deeper problem is step 1.
Lauren has a great post in her blog which talks about how inclement weather was preventing her from following her usual outdoor exercise routine. “I refuse to even listen to my own excuses,” she writes, “so instead of creating a rationale why I can’t get my exercise, I decided to solve the problem how I CAN do my exercise.” I love this way of turning the problem on its head. JD started out by saying, “I eat too much bread,” and answered it by looking for healthier bread. But what if he’d asked a different question: “Why am I eating so much bread?” That would have led him down an entirely different path, to different questions, different answers, and a very, very different set of choices.
16 Anonymous // Mar 12, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I recommend “Soup at hand” for lunch. It’s low calorie, low fat, low sodium, and absolutely delicious. The only thing I don’t like about it is throwing away the packaging, but that’s worth the convenience of being able to microwave it in the container with its splatterproof top, when I’m at work and don’t have dishes/dishwashing facilities.
17 allen // Mar 12, 2008 at 8:24 pm
@anne:
Thank you for saying something to the effect of breaking the modern myth that bread/carbs = evil. *shakes head*
I know that the article was trying to speak to a bigger point, but honestly, i had to stop reading, i just can’t take that anymore. Good luck to everyone trying to get fit!
PS: I will not be checking in on this post, so please don’t argue.
18 Jeff // Mar 13, 2008 at 8:03 am
There are certainly plenty of people that are able to jump right in and change their diet, start exercising and make big changes. There are probably more people that haven’t reached that point yet, and lack the motivation to make such large life changes. Some progress is made by taking a few baby steps; such as reducing intake of bread, choosing a healthier alternative to one snack, or even walking to the corner and back when they are out for a smoke.
19 LisaN // Mar 13, 2008 at 8:47 am
LOL……….I just did a blog post on rye featuring bread.
I like the idea of controling impulse buying as a matter of a thought process. It’s all about the choices we make.
But, the idea of getting fat from overeating bread isn’t just about bread, it’s about overeating anything. Bread can be part of anyones eating plan, as long as it’s eaten in moderation.
20 Adam Pieniazek // Mar 16, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I was just talking to my mom about impulse control when it comes to dieting earlier today.
There really is no secret to getting fit, it’s all about eating well, exercising and sticking to that plan. There’s no such thing as “evil” foods as long as there is moderation.
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