Trying to lose weight? Running around in circles where you Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. No wonder it's difficult to stay in shape. Because circles go on and on. But what if weight gain is just a symptom? A symptom not only of how we eat food, but how we treat food? A symptom not only of how we cook food, but how we look at food? What if losing weight doesn't begin with what's on your plate but with what's on your mind? For the first time in India, a leading nutritionist has worked with psychologists to give you a combined mind-body weight loss solution. Figure out not just what to eat, but also why you eat the way you doNutritionist Pooja Makhija says training your mind is the first step to weight loss. Here's an excerpt from her new book "Eat. Delete" - BUY NOW >> [Rs 129/- Cash on Delivery]
There are no quick-fixes for a fitter you. Well-known nutritionist Pooja Makhija banks on this simple truth in her book eat.delete, and explains why the a good weight-loss programme doesn't begin with what's on your plate, but with what's in your mind.
Following is an excerpt from a chapter titled 'Understanding Willpower':
'I want to lose weight but I don't have the willpower'
If you think willpower is like a red-carpet event that admits only a select few, you couldn't be more wrong. Willpower is like love, compassion or wisdom. We all have it. Everyone's invited. Before you throw your hands up in the air and simply give up on your body, ask yourself this:
How long did it take you to drive a car? How long did it take you to ride a bicycle? How long did it take you to master a new gadget?
Remember when you got your first cell-phone? Sending SMSes were a pain in the neck, right? You typed slowly, got half the spellings wrong, and became best friends with the delete button. After a week or two, it was a whole lot easier. Today you can SMS in your sleep.
For the most part, willpower is a skill. It has to be strengthened. You have to keep practising. With every no you say to that gulab jamun, it becomes easier to say no the second time around. Or the fourth. The more you say yes to the pakodas being passed around, the harder it'll be to say no the next time. It's as simple as that.
But if it's so simple, why is it so hard?
To answer this question we must first understand how the human brain forms a habit. Habits start off as thoughts in your mind.
These thoughts set off a chain reaction within your body, which leads you to act on that thought. And what provides you with the ability to translate thoughts into action? That job is done with the help of nerve cells in your body, also called neurons.
Here's how it works: If you're looking at chocolate mousse for the first time in your life and are thinking about eating it, the neurons in your brain send information to the neurons in your spinal cord which in turn send information to the neurons in your hand, which takes a spoonful and puts it in your mouth.
From the moment you think of it to the moment you physically pick up the food and eat it, this chain of neurons works to translate your thought into action. This chain of neurons is called a neural pathway and right from opening the door to typing on your keyboard, every action you perform has a neural pathway of its own.
If you give in to the temptation of eating chocolate mousse the first time you see it, it establishes a weak neural pathway. But if you eat chocolate mousse every time you see it, the neural pathway gets stronger. With enough repetitions, eating chocolate mousse at sight becomes more and more 'automatic' and a habit is born. In other words, you develop a habit when the same neural pathway is used over and over again. In some cases, it takes just 10 days to form a habit; in other cases it takes longer. Whether it's skipping breakfast or eating dessert after every meal, when you've formed a habit that has made you 10, 20 or 30 kilos overweight, you have developed a strong neural pathway.
Now, imagine a weak neural pathway as a piece of string and a strong neural pathway as a piece of rope - which one is easier to 'break'? In other words, just as your mother told you, old habits die hard. That's why it can sometimes be hard for us to build our willpower.
But you're in luck. Good habits or bad ones, your brain is wired to make new habits all the time! The brain wants to make habits because any habit is 'automatic' behaviour. And automatic behaviour allows the brain to pay attention to more complex functions. So, whether you like it or not, when you repeat the same behaviour often enough, it becomes part of you. Can you imagine a life where your healthy habits are hard to break? Stay healthy long enough, and you won't have to imagine any more.
- An excerpt from Eat.Delete: The Anti-Quick Fix Approach by Pooja Makhija
About the Author
Nutritionist to the stars and a devoted mother of two, Pooja Makhija is one of India's leading experts on nutrition and has counselled over 15,000 clients. Pooja never fails to be amazed by the power of nutrition and has witnessed time and again how something as simple as understanding the importance of food can bring about huge, transformational changes in people's lives. Pooja has recently launched her own wellbeing clinic, Nourish, and she works and lives in Mumbai. This is her first book.
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