Hello, it's me again, enjoying more delicious foods, grinning like a cheshire cat 🐈
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Here with more useful evidence based information for you,
Not that nonsense that is currently being fed around on huge podcasts.
It's ludicrous, damaging, selling more disordered eating patterns, marketed and labelled as a new method.
Managing BS levels is beneficial for a certain group of people, diabetics.
But for many, especially those who struggle with emotional eating, overeating, mindless eating, yo-yo dieting, these gimmicks are simply adding more rules, more fixation, more pre-occupation with food. Food is rarely if ever the problem you know, understanding why you eat a certain way, building awareness is super important to longterm health, sustainable results.
With that, you may be noticing, especially if you are in the UK that your hunger has increased slightly since the change in temperature outside, by that I mean freezing your tits off.
For a lot of you, feeling hungry can leave you feeling vulnerable and fear then overeating. I hear you, I have worked with 00's of weapons just like you to bridge the gap with the mind, body connection and feel more confident in your body with that awareness.
But you will be feeling hungrier in the winter, it's very normal.
Hunger is dictated by many different things, despite what Slimming World have led you to believe there are factors that can increase hunger, and by the same token decrease hunger, to name a few;
- Travel
- Hormones
- Sleep
- Stress levels
- Emotions and feelings
- Environment
- Temperature
- Illness
There are changes that occur to our BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) that cause an increase in Resting Energy Expenditure a fancy way of saying you burn more at rest causing an increase in appetite receptors, dependant upon your exposure to the cooler weather and time spent outdoors.
The clocks are changing, the nights are drawing in, the days getting shorter, this effects our serotonin levels, serotonin works alongside melatonin and forms our circadian rhythm, a natural wake a sleep cycle of the body, physiologically this can affect satiety levels and therefore how much you eat. There's also a shift in mood with this time of year, with the shorter days, SAD (seasonal affect disorder) and general feelings of low mood which can impact eating behaviours if you have ever sought comfort from food. I love my Lumie lamp, maybe it's a placebo, but naturally waking with a sunrise in the room instead of BAM into artificial light supports me, and make sure you're taking your VitaminD at this time of the year...
As the weather changes you may be seeking out those delicious warming foods, I know for a lot of my clients they have been on the soup hype, roasting winter veggies, more stews, mash gravy, you know all the good stuff 😉 this warming food can be very soothing on the body and serve as a source of comfort. I know for me having a big bowl of porridge is like having a warm hug.
Your food environment changes with the seasons, summer you have lots of BBQs, Salads, whereas you walk into the supermarket now and you are surrounded by all the food.
Christmas Foods
Halloween Foods
Christmas Dinner the best Chocolate Coins MY FAVE Hot chocolates Warming desserts And my current favourite Dairy Milk Snowmen ⛄️
The food is more palatable, it's tastier, it doesn't make this food bad or off limits, and infact the more you try and avoid this food the more you will crave this food which will subsequently lead to more all or nothing and potential greater weight gain.
Our bodies are meant to change,
They will change with seasons, with chapters, with weather,
We are not meant to hold the same weight and shape for life,
Despite Slimming World celebrating your "goal weight" like its not changeable.
If you notice a change in hunger with the winter, please don't lose your shit, it's very normal, and we should recognise that, maybe you noticed a reduction in Summer.
There are however things you can do to support you through this time, and things you really shouldn't do.
Do's
Remain mindful with your meals, slow your pace of eating, eat where you can without distraction.
Maintain your regular eating pattern, getting enough protein and veggies within your meals.
Keep up with your stress management, your journalling, self reflection, managing stressors especially as most see an increase in workload towards the end of the year.
Lean into any higher hunger - What do I need right now? Unconditional permission to eat is to do so without guilt, to say yes and to say no.
Follow an inclusive diet, the more you allow the foods the less cravings you have.
DON'T
Do not avoid the foods or try suppressing your emotions or feelings.
Overly restrict if you've overeaten, you'll only invite further overeating and create negative association with restriction following overeating.
Forget your meal regularity and habits.
Try and meticulously control your food perfectly, you're asking for an all or nothing.
I get it, you've been in the depths of dieting and this feels uneasy, allowing yourself permission to eat, you currently believe you aren't worthy, compassion here is important, it feeds wonderfully well into resilience and awareness to change the direction of your health into a supportive and sustainable direction.
I also like to catastrophise somethings you know, you may think this is counterintuitive but hear me out,
What's the worst possible thing that happens if you gain a KG or two?
Like seriously, what is the WORST possible thing.....
It doesn't make you less than. It doesn't make you failure. It doesn't make you less attractive,
They are all stories you have built up.
What will you gain from a social, joyful winter?
More connection More socialising
More food enjoyment
More memories
What's the cost of your control and avoidance? I'll leave that one there....
And as a bonus, here are 5 things you can do to support your relationship with food at any time of the year 👇
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