Our relationship with food can be very complicated. It is in sorting out this relationship that sets people free of the daily battle with food and the guilt trips that overeating produces.
Binge eating is the most common eating disorder yet few of us would like to put this label on ourselves.
What is Binge Eating?
It can start socially. Lunch with a girlfriend — over-ordering — overindulging in a dessert with cream — chocolates with the coffee — and going home to watch TV and eat ice cream. Food equals comfort.
Katie has been on many diets — they are part of her life because she hasn’t learnt to eat sensibly. She diets to a size 12 — gets loads of compliments — feels good — and rewards herself with food. Or else she feels sad and eats — feels angry and eats. Priti’s life follows a pattern — diet to size 12 — wear nice clothes and feel good — eat to size 16 — wear baggy clothes and feel guilty.
To lose weight you have to decide that you are worthy of more. As soon as you believe that you can reach your target weight and eat normally, you will.
How to Control Overeating
Usually there is a trigger. Identify the trigger. It is usually something that if you start eating, you can’t stop, and for many it is sugar based — biscuits, chocolate, ice cream. For others it is salty snacks. The answer is not to have trigger foods in the house. If you need to buy biscuits for the children, buy ones that you don’t like.
Getting Active:
Warm Up — Then Stretch
Always warm up adequately before performing any stretching exercises. Warm muscles stretch easier and are less likely to become injured. Therefore, gently jog in place or do callisthenics for a few minutes, then stretch. Remember that stretching should be well controlled, causing just slight tension but no pain. Stretch slowly, holding for 20 seconds, then stretch about an inch further and hold for another 20 seconds.
Recipe of the Week
Bombay Curried Chicken
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium, yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, sliced
6 small potatoes or turnips, cut into wedges
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 _ tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 _ tbsp curry powder
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
4 _ cups crushed canned tomatoes
600 g skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
juice of 1 lemon
parsley or cilantro sprigs for garnish
Method
Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to wilt. Turn heat to high, add garlic, carrots and potatoes or turnips. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to brown. Stir in ginger and curry powder. Add butternut squash, canned tomatoes and chicken pieces and stir to combine. Adjust heat so that mixture simmers slowly and place a lid, slightly ajar, over the skillet. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked. Add the lemon juice and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley or cilantro sprigs.
Ask Alva
I am a 16-year-old girl and I think I am definitely over weight. I am 5 feet 2 inches tall and I weigh 55 kilos. I eat lots of salad and fruits and I don’t eat rice much, maybe just once a week. I drink lots of water. I do at least _ an hour of dancing as exercise daily! I have been following this for the past so many months and I still see no change in my weight. I also do other exercises like aerobics and stretching exercises, along with my dancing. So tell me what else should I do.
You have a BMI of 21, which means that your weight is normal. You are definitely not overweight. Make sure that you have a healthy breakfast and you should also have rice or some other carbohydrates such as potatoes or pasta every day for energy. Check that there is not too much oil in the cooking of your food. You do seem to be eating a very healthy diet and doing plenty of exercise but if you want to make sure that your are eating healthily, just email for a copy of my Healthy Eating Guide to [email protected].