Saying is Believing, And Believing is All We Need

I'm sure everyone's been there... After a gluttonous summer, far too many gin and tonics, and what can only be described as a lackluster, pathetic amount of energy (this I blame fully on this New England summer's record-breaking heat and humidity) I decided, about six weeks ago, to become fully engaged in a healthier lifestyle.

Some people start to shape up for bathing suit season; others don't wear bathing suits and shape up when we realize how we've continued to encourage our not-so-bikini-body over the course of the summer. Either way, it's a typical story - you can relate I'm sure.

To make it all happen, the rules included the following: Work out every day, eat lots of veggies, drink copious amounts of water, and - the most recent step - get stone cold sober. (Cheers, chardonnay. Adios, Absolut. This chick's gettin' her sober on, and you can't stop me!)

The concept is simple: Change habits to increase happiness, health, fitness. And, I'm happy to report - so far, so good! I've lost a total of fourteen pounds, I'm sleeping like a baby, and I couldn't be happier.

So, now that I'm off to a fantastic start, continuing to follow through shouldn't be that tough, right?

Well, according to Derek Sivers, I have just made it impossible to completely obtain the goals I have set for myself.

How discouraging!

But, why?

In this TED talk , Sivers explains that the satisfaction we normally feel upon completing the work necessary to reach a goal is mimicked by simply telling someone your goal. This "social reality" tricks the mind into feeling relief such as the kind associated with having completed a hard task, or reaching a difficult-to-attain goal. And, when we feel rewarded and satisfied without having done the work, our motivation to do the actual work diminishes.

Needless to say, just knowing this is slightly detrimental to my progress. Imagining that sharing my happy news is what could ultimately derail my progress is pretty unfortunate. I mean, really, what's a support system for, anyway?

But, you know, I'm going to plug away, anyway. Mostly because, well, I said I would.

Carbon!

To refer back to a previous global warming rant, I share this with you!

Junk Food Junkies

Growing up, the fridge and cupboards in my household were different from those of my friend's. Prohibited items included: soda, anything fried, artificial sugar, baked goods from a box, deli sliced American cheese,  sugary cereal... you get the point.

So, time away from home meant time with junk food. When I went to my friend Kacie's house we ate cheese curls and drank red Kool-Aid. At Karin's we had Coke floats and ate salt and vinegar chips. In junior high school, I ordered crinkle cut french fries and a Hostess cupcake for lunch almost every day.

I was never overweight or unhealthy despite my junk food escapades because my eating habits had enough balance; my mother was a health nut and I regularly consumed whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruit juices.

However, according to a new study - my eating habits outside of the home were the equivalent of a developing drug addiction.

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute recently discovered a relationship between junk food habits and dopamine receptors in the brain. In other words, the more junk food one eats, the better one feels - and the more food it takes to reach that "happy" feeling as time goes on. Very literally, it becomes a junk food addiction.

How does this happen? Well, much like a drug's effect on the brain, high fat/high sugar foods overstimulate the receptors that create reward patterns in the brain. Simply, you feel good - and fast. In order to regulate the spike, the body adapts by reducing the reward receptors sensitivity, making that "feel good" moment harder to obtain. As a result you then eat more of the stimulating food item, just like an addict would seek more of the drug - to feel "normal" again.

Lucky for me, between the ages of ten and seventeen, I wasn't "using" enough to develop a dependency; I regulated any over-stimulation. But the same can't be said for everyone. In 2003, the childhood obesity rate in Massachusetts was at 13.5% according to the NCSL and in 2005 it more than doubled, hitting 28.9%.