Blame Your Brain for Diet Snafus
Categories: Diet & Weight Loss

While low-fat labels appeal to our best dieting intentions, they don't do much to fool the brain, MSNBC reported. Researchers from the non-profit Oregon Research Institute took a look at the reward centers in the brains of two groups of young women. Both groups were given chocolate milkshakes. Even though the milkshakes were the same, one group was told that the chocolaty-goodness was a regular shake, while the other group was told it was low-fat.
When the scientists studied the women's brains as they drank the shakes, they found that the reward centers of those who believed they were consuming a full-fat milkshake lit up. In contrast, the participants who were told they were drinking a low-fat shake showed much less activity. So while your swimsuit-ready body may be preserved by consuming low-fat food, your brain is always the wiser.
So if you're consciously dieting, for example, consuming any kind of low-fat or diet-friendly food can serve as a reminder that you're on a diet and can't eat what you really want. Therefore, you may not get as much enjoyment out of what you're eating and may even forget the diet altogether. Emotional triggers, no matter what they are, can often have an effect on what, when and how you eat. The trick to overcoming them is to remind yourself that you're doing what's best for your mind and your body, even if it means exercising some control over what you eat.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
deadharbor 5-27-2009 @ 3:20PM
Interesting. When I was a kid, I used to hate egg yolks and always picked them out of boiled eggs. When I got older and started watching my weight, I told myself I had to eat just the egg whites. That's when I always couldn't help myself and ate the yolks anyway because I thought they taste yummy. Maybe my brain liked them only because they're non-diet.
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deadharbor 5-27-2009 @ 3:21PM
Interesting. When I was a kid, I used to hate egg yolks and always picked them out of boiled eggs. When I got older and started watching my weight, I told myself I had to eat just the egg whites. That's when I always couldn't help myself and ate the yolks anyway because I thought they taste yummy. Maybe my brain likes them only because they're non-diet.
Reply
jeremy 5-27-2009 @ 6:04PM
Want to learn more?
You should check out this lens it got some great tips and reviews.
http://www.squidoo.com/Lose_Fat_Get_Fit
Good Luck!
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Todd 6-07-2009 @ 4:44PM
Stop dieting – eat to live. Diets and diet aids do not help anyone. The only way to successfully lose weight and get the body that you deserve is by using the right information. This information is in the book Lose Weight Using Four Easy Steps which can be ordered through the website www.bbotw.com Everyone who has gotten a copy of this book has lost weight.
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