Get
comfortable being uncomfortable. This is easily one of the most
important paradoxes in existence. It applies to lots of aspects of
life. Let me tell you a personal story.
In the
year 2014 I have gained a few pounds. My clothes have been feeling a
little tighter and I don't like it. If you have ever gained weight
(and haven't we all) isn't it curious how the weight just creeps up
on you? I mean, we don't mean to get fatter. But one day a certain pair
of jeans just ain't fittin' so well.
How does
this happen? That's a question I have spent some time thinking about.
What I realized was that I had gained weight because I was unwilling
to be uncomfortable. As I'm sure you know, hunger is experienced as discomfort.
And, sometimes, we just don't want to deal with hunger pangs.
For a
long time I have heard a lot about “emotional eating” and I
didn't totally understand what it was. I think dealing with hunger
pangs is one element of emotional eating. A couple weeks ago I wrote
a post about the television show Naked and Afraid. (Here it is) I really like that show. In addition to the ideas I expressed in
that post, Naked and Afraid also drives home an additional
point.
If you
have ever seen Naked and Afraid, you have seen the contestants
go for a week or two without eating. I can not imagine that to be
very easy. But, as they say in the show, humans can go for about a
month without eating. Personally, I would never intentionally go even
a week without eating. But that's not the point.
The
point is, you and I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we don't
need to eat on any given day. If you don't believe me, skip a couple
meals. I promise you won't die. You won't even come close. What you
will do is you will discover what it's like to experience hunger.
Which is a good thing.
As you
know, when your stomach empties it sends a message to your brain that
it's time to search for food. The problem is this system was
never intended for an environment that includes grocery stores and
fast food restaurants.
When you
start to experience a little bit of hunger, that's supposed to be a
signal to begin looking for
food. For most of human history it took some time to locate a good
food source. Perhaps several days. In more primitive times, food
tended to be scarce. So people had to live, with a low level pang,
each and every day. The growl in the stomach would be a
not-too-subtle reminder to keep looking for food.
Motivation
science is a complicated arena. However, one thing we know is that
humans like to avoid pain. Throughout human history, a good amount of
effort and energy had to be expended to find food. For this reason
the pangs of hunger had to be significant enough to be noticed. The
pangs needed to be strong enough to motivate us into action.
The
thing is, in the modern day, things have completely changed. We now
have Walmart and McDonald's, and a million other ways to quickly, and easily, get food. And that's exactly what we do. When hunger calls
us to action, we mosey over to the refrigerator.
I
believe what happens is, over time, we forget what true hunger feels
like. Most of us, living in developed countries, have never
experienced real hunger. So, I believe the system is now backfiring.
The hunger pangs that were meant to keep us alive are now killing us.
Oh, the irony!
What
I have discovered is that, yes, being hungry can be uncomfortable.
But, I have also learned that we were made to live with a low level
of hunger. It is definitely more healthy to go about our day while
feeling hungry. And, yes, it's a little uncomfortable at first. But,
I also believe that we can learn about the true nature of hunger. And this
knowledge will help us to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Which is important!
I think
this will be a good post for you to reread, in the New Year, when
you might be a little more focused on losing some weight. I promise to reread it as well.
