Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight

by Linda Bacon

to walk proud and let others see you enjoying your body. Self-love is a revolutionary act!

When you eat what you want and allow yourself to truly experience the pleasure, you feel satisfaction and contentment, which allows you to stop eating when you feel full.

If you avoid eating food you truly desire, you’ll often wind up eating more in a never-ending quest for satisfaction.

after the first few bites, the truffle was progressively less delicious. It still tasted good, just not quite as good. In scientific jargon, they experienced negative alliesthesia 389: your taste buds toning down on repeated exposure, nature’s way of prompting you to eat less once your calorie needs are met.

you commit to eating foods when they’re maximally pleasurable, you feel satisfied with a lot less.

Maybe you don’t allow yourself to get hungry because you eat before you’re hungry.

Another possibility is that you are getting hungry, but psychological barriers prevent you from feeling that hunger.

I felt dizzy, sensitive to cold, tired, moody or had a headache or difficulty sleeping or concentrating before I ate. If this described you, then you were letting yourself get too hungry. These

When your blood sugar levels drop because you’ve gone too long without food, eating triggers your body to secrete large amounts of insulin so your starved cells can gobble up the energy from your meal. Chemical signals encourage you to eat tremendous amounts to replenish your body, with fullness sensors suppressed.

For decades now, you’ve been eating for reasons other than hunger. Take a moment to show your appreciation for the help you’ve received from that drive to eat.

Recognize that your drive to eat has been a good thing. It alerted you to the fact that you had needs that weren’t being met and led you to where you are today—a place where you can finally take care of yourself.

Swimming and other pool activities are other great ways to appreciate movement. Being in water has the added advantage of providing a very different way of experiencing your weight. It’s particularly beneficial for people who experience joint pain or have limited mobility.