Why We Eat (part 2)
I’ll admit, I wasn’t always the best listener in high school.
Sure I remember most of my lessons, but I’m not sure if I really
‘got’ them.
Take for instance…Pavlov’s Dogs.
I’m sure you’ve heard the story: Pavlov was the man behind some of the most famous scientific experiments.
Basically, he took a group of dogs and rang a bell every time they were fed.
In grade 9 science class, you were probably told that this was a perfect example of conditioning, and that would be the end of the science lesson.
And boy, would you have missed a VERY valuable nutrition lesson.
You see the dog’s salivated because they were hungry.
They had been conditioned to become hungry at the sound of the bell.
…even when there was no food present. No food smell, no food sound, and certainly no food taste.
Just a bell.
The bell alone caused a powerful expectation of food. And this expectation caused the dogs to drool.
THAT IS HOW POWERFUL THE EXPECTATION OF FOOD CAN BE.
It mimics hunger perfectly.
So the part that may have been left out of your grade nine science class was that the bell was eventually able to cause an extreme desire to eat…
This exact same conditioning happens to us almost everyday.
There are little things in our lives can cause us to A) THINK we are hungry and thus B) overeat.
So what are your bells?
It could be the smallest thing. A sight, a person, even a sound or a smell.
Repeated enough times, this small cue could be the cause of what you beleive to be hunger AND could be causing you to overeat.
So here’s the point of today’s email – On the days when you are fasting pay special attention to when you feel the need to eat. Try to identify the cue that caused this wanting…this is how fasting can help you eat better on the days when you do eat.
Once you know the cue, it will help you tell the difference between hunger and conditioning.
Just another example of the benefits of the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle.
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Some modern day cues to eat:
Just finished your workout? Quick, slam down a protein shake!
At the cinema? Quick, get some popcorn and Coke before the movie starts!
Hi Brad, read your e-mail and saw this post. I like this post a lot because you make a very important point about conditioning. I told this very same story to my sister because I’ve been training her and having her fasting twice a week. She thought it was going to be difficult but she’s doing great! She lost 5 lbs on her first week – amazing!
Thanks to ESE – it does it’s thing again
Anna
That is by far one of the most interesting things I have heard about eating. That makes complete sense. Everyone eats for different reasons whether it’s boredom, sadness, anger, etc. If we can all identify the reasons we eat (since few are actual hunger) then not only can we achieve weight loss, but we also learn more about our selves. I think learning those cues will provide with the power and strength to achieve weight loss.
Great post, Brad!
Excellent post, Brad—we all need to think about what triggers our need to eat.
Hi Brad. Excellent observation. My field of research is Pavlovian conditioning (and animal cognition), and this is something every one of my colleagues knows, but apparently it is not widely known outside of my discipline. Seth Roberts discovered what he now calls the Shangri La diet which is based on Pavlovian conditioning principles at play in appetite. He is also a Pavlovian psychologist. I can directly relate to the role cues play in hunger and in my ability to maintain a fast. I’m on my vacation with my family during the month of July, and it’s been difficult to implement my usual fasts because they are eating three square meals a day plus intermittent snacking, and it’s very difficult to negate the effects of those cues! I’m looking forward to August and the return to my normal eating habits.
On a side note, I use rats and pigeons in my research, and we food-restrict them so that they will be motivated by food rewards to complete their experimental tasks (like lever pressing, key pecking, etc.). I typically food-restrict both species to about 85% of free feeding weight. It’s frustrating how difficult it is to get the vets who oversee animal research on campus to realize how healthy this is for the animals and that they’re not suffering because of the food-restriction schedule. By the way, I used to use the term food deprivation, but that isn’t accurate in the least since feeding them around the clock leads to an overweight couch potato with a shortened life span. I’d be depriving them of longevity if I did that, but that’s what the vets think makes the animals happiest AND healthiest! Medical science (including animal medics) are so out of touch with science and biology. As a scientist, it is very difficult for me to deal with them sometimes. Sorry for venting.
Hi Brad.
I’ve started on the ESE plan and have found some interesting things about myself. From the 20hr mark I feel that all I want to do is go to sleep and I feel like I’m on autopilot. From the 22hr mark I can’t stop thinking of the next meal, I’m ravenous. Then when I do eat in the next 2 meals, I know I’m overeating, but my body feels it needs the energy. These 2 meals can easily undo what I’ve fasted off. What is the best way of making your body feel it has enough energy whilst still limiting calorie intake?