4 Types of Hunger and How to Beat Them

4 Types of Hunger and How to Beat Them

Apr 22, 2022

Today I’m going to share the four types of hunger and how to beat them to lose weight.

 

So, there are 4 different things that we may describe as hunger. I’m going to teach you how to deal with them so they don’t stop you from losing weight.

Now, let’s be clear, I don’t teach starvation. I eat food and I recommend you do, too. But most what I am going to describe below is actually false hunger that we let stop us from losing weight because we think they are emergencies we need to deal with by eating immediately.

1. Low blood sugar.
For most people, this is a light-headedness and a sort of hangry “feed me now” violent sort of emotion.
What you are actually feeling is NOT hunger. It is the symptoms of withdrawal from your drug of choice, sugar.
There are some people who truly do suffer from medical low blood sugar, but if you don’t have a diagnosis from a doctor, what you are actually feeling is what we expect any addict to live through when they quit their drug of choice. If you quit using sugar (and flour, which breaks down into sugar) and break your addiction, this feeling will permanently go away.

2. Cravings.
A craving is an intense mental urge, either for a specific food or a category of foods. It usually is more mental than physical. If you pay attention to your mind, you will likely start to hear the thought that goes with this. It may be a thought like “I’d like just a little something sweet” or “two mint Milano cookies won’t hurt anything.” The best way to deal with this is to shine the light of awareness on these thoughts and realize where they are leading you – to a continuation of your weight problem. Then treat them like an urge (check out my other videos on how to deal with urges).

3. Emotional discomfort.
Again, we’ll need to get a little more introspective to pick up on this one. Most of us have been trained (or trained ourselves) that if we are feeling an unpleasant emotion, the solution is food. A great time to observe this is when we are sitting on the couch in front of the TV after dinner and have the desire to go get a snack. What emotion are we also feeling? Is it boredom? Restlessness? Loneliness? Let yourself actually feel that feeling instead of covering over it with a snack.

4. Physical hunger.
Physical hunger is a sensation that starts in the body and then lets your mind know something is going on. It can be a growling stomach or other feeling, perhaps in the throat or mouth. This is the most legitimate of the 4, because it is at least a physical sensation, so it makes the most sense to give that a physical solution, like food.

One thing to note, here, is that physical hunger, while it is legitimate, is like a warning light coming on the dashboard. It’s like needing to pee. It’s not healthy to completely ignore it, but you can wait a little while until you get to a safe place to address it.

It’s also important to note that sometimes physical hunger is programmed. If you eat at noon every day, you may start to get hungry at noon every day. It doesn’t actually mean that you will die if you don’t eat right that minute. It just means your body is reminding you “hey, we usually eat now.” It’s the same way the dog knows when it’s time for him to be fed. So while you may choose to pay attention to it, if you are 40 pounds over weight, you are unlikely to die within the first 5 minutes of feeling hunger. You do have a reserve source of fuel on your body that you stored for a moment just like this that can be utilized.

So now let me ask you: when’s the last time you felt a feeling you thought of as hunger? Knowing what you know now, what was it actually? Do you have some different strategies you can use going forward? 

If you’d like to learn more about how I can support you in your weight loss journey, make an appointment for a free initial consultation using my online calendar at https://lisauke.net/schedule

 

“The Only Thing Between Me & Happiness is 50 Pounds.”

“The Only Thing Between Me & Happiness is 50 Pounds.”

Apr 15, 2022

 All I Believed I Needed to Change Was One Impossible Thing….

 

Are you living a perfect life on paper, but still unhappy?

 

I had a great business that gave me both income and flexibility, a fantastic husband, a beautiful home in sunny Florida, and a super cute dog.  So what was between me and happiness?

My weight. 

I'd attempted many different things over the years, and had some success at slimming down.  But eventually I stopped whatever I was doing (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, high intensity boot camp, hiring a nutritionist or one of many “book diets” I tried), and ever so slowly the weight came back.

Sound familiar?

Now I still have all those things I had before – the business, Mr. Lisa, the house 10 minutes from the beach, and of course the dog is still super cute.  And while I don't think being happy all the time is possible in this human experience, things are really really really good.

 My relationships with my spouse and friends are better than ever.  I am more productive and less stressed at work.  There are still times when I fall short of my own standards, but I handle it way better than before.

And did losing 50 pounds do that for me?

Well, let's just say that they came out of the same journey.

That's the journey I want to invite you on.

Ever been on a really great trip and when you get back you want everyone to go there with you?

That's what this is like.

Let me be your guide.

 Ready to learn more?  Schedule a free initial consultation today at https://lisaduke.net/schedule.

Hormones & Weight: Leptin

Hormones & Weight: Leptin

Mar 4, 2022

Learn how to get your leptin back online.

 

Leptin is made by your fat to let your brain know you are good. It actually inhibits hunger.

So when scientists figured this out, they were very excited, because they should just be able to inject you with leptin and you’ll lose weight, right?

The problem is that you can’t just add more leptin, because of leptin resistance.

You most likely have plenty of leptin circulating, but the problem is that leptin is blocked when insulin is high.

So here’s insulin again. If you’ve been watching my videos, you know insulin keeps us in fat storage mode. Now we learn it’s also blocking leptin from telling us to stop eating. Why is it doing that?

Well, when your blood sugar is high, that’s an emergency. If you know of anyone who has uncontrolled diabetes, you know high blood sugar can cause nerve damage, which can be quite painful, plus kidney damage, eye damage, hearing damage, Alzheimer’s, and depression. So needless to say, your body is going to prioritize getting the sugar out of your blood and into your muscles, your liver, and your fat cells above any other messages.
But what about those of you who are eating clean? You might find it interesting to know that partial sleep deprivation associated with decreased leptin. So be sure to get a good amount of quality sleep to help lose weight naturally.

Losing weight while sleeping more? Sounds good to me!

 Are you ready to get coached?  Schedule a time to get started by clicking here.

4 Types of Hunger and How to Beat Them

4 Types of Hunger and How to Beat Them

Feb 25, 2022

Distinguish between false and true hunger and what to do with these sensations.

So, there are 4 different things that we may describe as hunger. I’m going to teach you how to deal with them so they don’t stop you from losing weight.

 

Now, let’s be clear, I don’t teach starvation. I eat food and I recommend you do, too. But most what I am going to describe below is actually false hunger that we let stop us from losing weight because we think they are emergencies we need to deal with by eating immediately.

1. Low blood sugar.
For most people, this is a light-headedness and a sort of hangry “feed me now” violent sort of emotion.
What you are actually feeling is NOT hunger. It is the symptoms of withdrawal from your drug of choice, sugar.

There are some people who truly do suffer from medical low blood sugar, but if you don’t have a diagnosis from a doctor, what you are actually feeling is what we expect any addict to live through when they quit their drug of choice. If you quit using sugar (and flour, which breaks down into sugar) and break your addiction, this feeling will permanently go away.

2. Cravings.

A craving is an intense mental urge, either for a specific food or a category of foods. It usually is more mental than physical. If you pay attention to your mind, you will likely start to hear the thought that goes with this. It may be a thought like “I’d like just a little something sweet” or “two mint Milano cookies won’t hurt anything.” The best way to deal with this is to shine the light of awareness on these thoughts and realize where they are leading you – to a continuation of your weight problem. Then treat them like an urge (check out my other videos on how to deal with urges).

3. Emotional discomfort.

Again, we’ll need to get a little more introspective to pick up on this one. Most of us have been trained (or trained ourselves) that if we are feeling an unpleasant emotion, the solution is food. A great time to observe this is when we are sitting on the couch in front of the TV after dinner and have the desire to go get a snack. What emotion are we also feeling? Is it boredom? Restlessness? Loneliness? Let yourself actually feel that feeling instead of covering over it with a snack.

4. Physical hunger.

Physical hunger is a sensation that starts in the body and then lets your mind know something is going on. It can be a growling stomach or other feeling, perhaps in the throat or mouth. This is the most legitimate of the 4, because it is at least a physical sensation, so it makes the most sense to give that a physical solution, like food.


One thing to note, here, is that physical hunger, while it is legitimate, is like a warning light coming on the dashboard. It’s like needing to pee. It’s not healthy to completely ignore it, but you can wait a little while until you get to a safe place to address it.


It’s also important to note that sometimes physical hunger is programmed. If you eat at noon every day, you may start to get hungry at noon every day. It doesn’t actually mean that you will die if you don’t eat right that minute. It just means your body is reminding you “hey, we usually eat now.” It’s the same way the dog knows when it’s time for him to be fed. So while you may choose to pay attention to it, if you are 40 pounds over weight, you are unlikely to die within the first 5 minutes of feeling hunger. You do have a reserve source of fuel on your body that you stored for a moment just like this that can be utilized.

P.S. It's time for your to lose the weight.  You absolutely can do this once you have the right support.  Jump on a Zoom call with me and we'll get you started.  Just find a time on my calendar.

 

The Secret Ingredient That’s Keeping You Overweight

The Secret Ingredient That’s Keeping You Overweight

Feb 18, 2022

Learn how industry is using your brain against you and how to fight back.

 

Believe it or not, almost all the foods you buy that are in a box or a bottle are loaded with sugar or with high fructose corn syrup.  These ingredients keep us addicted to sugar, and keep us eating and buying more than we should.

 Food manufacturers know EXACTLY what they are doing.  They make their products as sweet as possible without tipping over into being unpleasantly sweet.  They call this the “bliss point”, and it’s when food has the maximum ability to hijack your brain chemicals, including dopamine, to cause you to buy and eat more of this food again.

Because most of us don’t understand how damaging and how addictive these ingredients are or how ubiquitous they are (there’s even sugar in ketchup), food manufacturers have us in the same position cigarette manufacturers used to have their customers.  As a nation, we are completely blind to the connection between this sweetness addiction and the obesity crisis.

Breaking the sugar addiction is the most powerful thing you can do to lose weight.  As a coach, I can help you through it.

 Are you ready to get coached?  Schedule a time to get started by clicking here.

The Vodka Trick

The Vodka Trick

Jan 28, 2022

Most of my weight loss clients are trying to cut down on refined sugar, since we all know sugar has a lot of empty calories.

Now, I believe, and there’s a good amount of research that shows, that sugar is addictive, so it’s important to know how addictable you are before you try this trick. For some people, any sugar at all sets off their addiction and cravings, so this may not work for everyone. But if you aren’t super addictable and you want to cut down on your sugar without completely eliminating it, this trick may help you moderate your consumption.

What I want you to do is go through and tell me everything you ate today, but if the food you are eating is sugar or has sugar in it, substitute the word vodka.

So here’s an example to a day with a moderate amount of sugar.

1. Black coffee – skip breakfast (intermittent fasting)
2. Lunch – salad with protein (chicken) and fat (vinaigrette dressing)
3. Dinner – fish with veggies, then vodka.

In this case, the “vodka” was a piece of chocolate mousse cake.

So for me, if I eat clean all week and then eat that way once on the weekend, I can still have a little sugar and lose weight.

Now imagine a typical America’s day.

“I got up this morning and put two tablespoons of vodka in my coffee”. Right there, your friends would be concerned.

Now add in all the sugary pastries, the mid-afternoon vending machine, desert every night – we see there’s a problem.

So if you are the kind of person who can eat sugar in moderation and wants to continue to do so, there’s a mental trick to help you balance how much you have and how often you have it.

 Are you ready to get coached?  Schedule a time to get started by clicking here.

What to Do When We Fall Off The Wagon (Actual Text)

What to Do When We Fall Off The Wagon (Actual Text)

Dec 4, 2021

Here's the actual text to the “what to do when we fall off the wagon” post.  Not sure what happened with the October 1 post.

So let’s talk about what happens when we “fall off the wagon” and how to get going again.

First, I think it’s important to note that there is no wagon. This isn’t Oregon Trail, and you are not going to get left behind or die of dysentery. So no worries there.

But seriously, what do we do?

I think the most important thing to realize is that in the moment of awareness you have an opportunity to make a new choice. No one is perfect, and you don’t have to be perfect to lose weight. Just acknowledge that you ate off plan, and then forgive yourself.

Realize that you did the best you could in that moment. Your weight today is a reflection of your best attempts to deal with life up until now with the tools you had. Now, you are learning new tools if you are working with me as a client, such as The Model and allowing emotions, that will help you make different choices going forward.

We often were trained growing up that a good scolding is what you need to get back on track, but there’s actually lots of evidence that you can’t hate yourself to sustainable weight loss. So just let that go.


So my best advice for getting back on the wagon is just to take a moment, take a breath, and reset. Make your plan in writing for the next 24 hours, and make it realistic. Then recommit and move on.

P.S. It's time for your to lose the weight.  You absolutely can do this once you have the right support.  Jump on a Zoom call with me and we'll get you started.  Just find a time on my calendar.

 

Achieving Your Weight Loss Goal

Achieving Your Weight Loss Goal

Nov 1, 2021

Once you set your weight loss goal and step out into a new way of thinking, feeling, and acting, you are going to feel discomfort.

Your brain wants to be efficient, and making a lot of changes takes effort and energy.  So it will fight you to go back to your old patterns of being as you try to change into someone who can succeed.

That feeling of discomfort is what we call the River of Misery.

Why is the analogy of a river so helpful?  

A river might be scary.  But we know it can be crossed.  We know the experience of being in the river is temporary.  The other shore is in sight.

When we step out into activities that are challenging and not part of our current behavior, we will feel discomfort.  But over time, that discomfort can become our new normal.  What was difficult, awkward, or scary can change into routine and easy over time.

Think about the last time you moved, or started a new relationship.  At first, it can be overwhelming.  There are too may unknowns!  But over time, we learn the ropes and no what to expect.  Life becomes more smooth again.

The most important things to know about the River of Misery is that what you are feeling is totally normal and natural.  You have to manage your mind during this time so you can keep going.  Over time you will fully become this new version of yourself.

Need a coach to help you manage your mind as you cross The River of Misery for your weight loss goal?  Schedule a complimentary initial consultation on my online calendar at https://lisaduke.net/schedule

 

 

How Hormones and Weight Are Affected by Insulin

How Hormones and Weight Are Affected by Insulin

Oct 1, 2021

Smile if you are eating in a way that doesn't spike up your insulin (at least most of the time).

One of the main hormones you need to understand if you want to lose weight is insulin.

Insulin is basically our body's response to sugar in the blood.

When we get a normal, natural amount of sugar, such as what's in fruit, our body goes to work.  The body starts moving that energy out of our blood and into our muscles and liver (to use as quick energy).  Then the excess goes into fat cells, to be stored for future use.

After storing all that sugar, insulin levels drop back down. Once they do, your body can use that energy.  First the body uses the energy stored in your muscles and your liver.  You use that energy to do things like go on a walk or power your brain while you think about this blog post.

When sugar gets used up and insulin is low, your body can then access stored fat for additional energy. It's like a second fuel tank for emergencies!

The problem is, we may accidentally keep our insulin high most of the time.  We overeat without realizing it.  Or perhaps we eat lots of refined sugar and flour (which breaks down into sugar).  Many of us are almost constantly snacking.  When we have these habits our insulin never drops down and our body never switches from fat storage mode to fat burning mode.

Now this is very much a layman's explanation.  For me, though, thinking about what I was eating and when I was eating it differently helped.  I had to approach eating with an understanding that I had to get out of fat storage mode.  I had to switch into fat burning mode.  Knowing that helped me eat more veggies, lean protein, and plant-based fat, smaller portions, and helped me snack less.

So now let me ask you: do you think you’ll make changes to how you eat based on this new information? Do you think you might need support from a coach to make this change?

If you’d like to learn more about how I can support you in your weight loss journey, schedule a call with me to learn more.

 

Fancy Friends – A Manifesto

Fancy Friends – A Manifesto

Sep 24, 2021

Wondering what to buy to lose weight?  Calling all of you who are fancy over 40.

 

Wondering what to buy to lose weight?

 

I often find clients have something in mind they want to buy to lose weight, but they are afraid to invest in themselves.

After all, it's awfully fancy to buy a membership at a Pilates studio or a Pelaton or to hire a coach, right?

Well, let's look at what it means to be fancy. 

As for me,  I like to think I can fit in anywhere.

I can be casual.

I don't think of myself as a snob.

I aspire to love and respect everyone – even those who don't love and respect me.

 I can lay around in the house in a T-shirt and shorts like the best of them.

But let's be honest… secretly… on the inside… I'm kind of bougie.

I am selective about where it comes out.  I look for value.  I'm not interested in flashy just for the sake of flashy, and I actively dislike fake.

But you know what?  I like nice things.

I think I'm worth it.

Sure, I got roots at a public high school, but I got wings at a private college.

I think I'm worth investing in, and I'm not afraid to sell others on that premise.

That private school paid for half my tuition.

When I took my first job, I negotiated my salary.

When our IT consulting firm takes on clients, we charge A LOT per hour – and then we get a lot done in an hour, and throw in plenty of freebies down the road so the client sees the value and comes back for more.

 I have invested a lot in courses and coaches and mentors to help me learn how to win with money and in business.

And I'm looking for women who are like… SAME GIRL, SAME.

Don't come to me crying about how broke you are if you aren't willing to invest in learning how to handle the money you do have (and to be grateful for it).

Don't be shocked when I tell you my high end private coaching and consulting packages cost thousands of dollars.

Of course they do.

Because I am worth it, and so are you.

You are not a used up husk of a person who used to be hot but now is just a mom whose kids don't even need you any more.

You are a wise woman.  You are a goddess incarnate.  You are in your prime. 

You know who you are, and you are sick of this sh!t. 

You are done of putting everyone else first.

It's time to shine.

I'll teach you how to get back to your “fighting weight”, and as a side effect, you'll learn how to manage your mind so you can go out and conquer the world.

It's not all over.

We are just warming up.

The world needs us in our full power.

So, if your are wondering what to buy to lose weight – perhaps a class pass at a fancy studio, or hiring a me as your coach – my advice is to do do something bougie and luxurious and schedule a free one on one call today.