The end of overeating

I love the book I'm reading, "The end of overeating." by David A. Kessler, MD.

pg. 145 "conditioned hypereating: "conditioned" because it becomes an automatic response to widely available food and it's cues, "hyper" because the eating is excessive, driven by motivational forces we find difficult to control."

pg. 146 "Why should a cookie be anything more than just a cookie?"

pg. 150 "Because a cookie makes me feel better, it's easy to develop the habit of seeking it out when I'm sad or angry. Over time, as neural pathways link the change in my mood with the experience of eating the cookie, the association grows stronger.

These products have some kind of hedonic, calming effect, said Koob. In other words, they relieve the itch. The problem is that the itch comes back."

pg. 147 "Behavior-activating messages that urge pursuit clash with internal messages demanding control. Our brains become battlegrounds.: <--- this is me every night.

pg. 155 "Many people like and want a food, but only some of us develop elaborate thoughts about it, or a preoccupation with it." <--- this is me! I knew there was something wrong with how I think about food. It isn't normal.

pg. 152 "Is there any evidence that food really makes you feel better after you've eaten it? Absolutely. People feel better after eating it. They eat for anxiety. And it soothes anxiety. It really does work like a Valium. But that effect, of course, is momentary."

pg. 156 "Focusing single-mindedly on not eating eventually pushes us to eat more. Feeling deprived only increases the reward value of food, and then usually gives way to indulgence, and often to abandon." <---no kidding?! This explains so much. This is why I always gain back the weight I've lost. I use restraint. Guess what, it only works for a limited time, then I fall into indulgence and abandon. I could be a case study for this little tidbit of research.

I'm on page 185, the section on "Reversing the Habit". I can't wait to read how to reverse this horrible habit of overeating.