How I began

So far my wife and I have posted about our collective journey, so I suppose it only makes sense to talk about how I began to change things.

It came down to one simple change in my mindset, I decided that "I Can Do It" the interesting thing about our mindset is it unfolds into everything we do. Limitations are always something self imposed the most important thing you need to do in order to change your body is to change your way of thinking. We need to first realize that the only thing preventing us from attaining any goal is the decision to say "I can't do it" or "It is too difficult" and a myriad of other self limiting logic.  Step one is always to overcome the internal fear based programming and say "I can".

A human being is an amazing machine. Odd choice of words? At a core we are a survival based machine, in my opinion a rather perfectly designed one. In order to survive our brains make the most fundamental needs pleasurable, its a built in reward system so that we repeat the things that keep us alive. Its a double edged sword, over our lifetimes our experiences shape us to build false associations, we learn to eat for emotional comfort as well as surviving. Boredom, lonliness, stress, nervousness, all of these things in time can become triggers to eat when we aren't actually in need of nourishment, well at least nourishment from food.

Does this indicate we lack self control? Its a difficult question, to answer it involves delving into a lot of science, neuroscience to be more specific. I consider myself to be many things but a neuroscientist I am not, so rather than fake it and get overly technical and likely be completely incorrect I will simplify it completely.

Eating/Nourishment is a basic survival need, in order to ensure that we continue to do it, our brains release "Reward Chemicals" when we do it. Eating is pleasurable, and therefore we will do it again. However, over time we have eaten when we don't need to in order to squash a non nourishment need, once again releasing the "Reward Chemicals". The key thing I personally did over this last year is learn to recognize the difference. At a low level my brain doesn't. It essentially says "Hey reward chemicals, neat that feels nice". It is fortunate for us then that we are capable of thinking, and understanding, thats key to the success.

A big part of what I changed about myself was realizing sometimes "hungry" wasn't "HUNGRY". In a manner of speaking, it was an addicted brain's request for "drugs". Eat, release the "Reward Chemicals".

Overcoming that was difficult at first but it became second nature in time. The biggest part of it was planning my food. Everything that went in to my body was logged and planned. I ate what I was scheduled to, and in time some of the "fake" hungry melted away.

...To Be Continued