What's your Eating I.D.?
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"If you want to shed pounds and keep them off, you need a diet that works with your personality. By honing in on how you eat, you can make small changes to get big results.
"Based on your eating ID, our experts will show you how to break free from food patterns and Kristine Clark, PhD, director of Sports Nutrition at Pennsylvania State University, promises an easy diet makeover.
Answer true or false ot the following eight questions :
1. I tend to eat the same things for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
2. I'm usually trying different diets to lose weight.
3. I often eat meals on the go.
4. My appetite depends on my state of mind.
5. It seems like too much work to try new recipes.
6. I know the calorie count and fat grams of almost everything I eat.
7. I never seem to have time to sit down and enjoy a meal.
8. I tend to gain weight when I'm unhappy.
Your results :
If you answered "True" to questions 1 and 5, you're probably a Repeat Eater; true to questions 3 and 7, a Mad Dasher; true to questions 4 and 8, a Mood Muncher; and true to questions 2 and 6, a Die-Hard Dieter.
Details of each Eating ID type follows.
Article written by Kelly James-Enger, a freelance health and fitness writer based in Downers Grove, Illinois. Found in Family Circle, 18 June 2002. -
THE MOOD MUNCHER
Women tend to be emotional eaters more often than men, meaning we turn to chocolate and other high-fat treats to lift our spirits. Unfortunatly, this can be one of the most difficult patterns to break. It takes time and effort to overcome the habit of reaching for food when you're experiencing feelings such as anxiety, loneliness and depression.
While food may temporarily make you feel better, you're most likely overeating - resulting in higher numbers on the scale. "If you eat for comfort, the best thing to do is to keep a log of feelings and foods," says Barbara Gollman, R.D., American Dietetic Association spokesperson and co-author of The Phytopia Cookbook. She recommends that you write down each food and what y ou were feeling when you chose that food. Over time, you'll see a pattern emerge, and you'll recognize which emotions led to diet pitfalls, allowing you to prevent them. For eg. if you know stress or anxiety hits your glutton button, take a brisk walk outdoors instead of reaching for sweets. If loneliness drives you to call the pizza place for a delivery, call a friend instead. And if you're feeling blue, play a favourite tune to lift your mood.
It's also helpful to eliminate the high-calorie and high-fat foods in your home and replace them with healthier options such as pretzels and fruit. This way, when the mood to munch hits, you can conquer your cravings and still see results.
TO DISCOVER THE CONNECTION BETWEEN FOOD AND MOOD, KEEP A LOG OF YOUR FEELINGS. -
THE REPEAT EATER
Eating the same foods day after day may not only be boring, it can sabotage your weight-loss efforts. "If you're restricting calories and eating the same low-calorie foods everyday hoping to lose weight, you may be coming up short on necessary vitamins and minerals," says Dr Clark. If you pass up dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt, you may short your body on calcium. Skimp on fruits and vegetables and you won't get enough fiber.
Another way to monotonous fare can stall the scale is the familiarity factor. For instance, you probably fill your cereal bowl without thinking. "If those servings are even a little too large, you can add up to more calories than your body needs," says Dr Clark. And if you're bored with your diet, you may need to eat more to feel satisfied.
The solution?
Start branching out. If you brown bag it, think outside the (lunch) box and try new ways of eating old favourites. Instead of a turkey sandwich, try a turkey casserole or turkey salad. For dinner, opt for a different dish that's similar to your usual meal - broiled fish instead of roasted chicken meat.
"If you're a person who likes routine, broaden out just a bit," says Susan Kleiner, PhD, RD, author of Power Eating. She suggests adopting one new change a week. Always eat carrots? Try broccoli. Buy strawberries or raspberries in addition to other fave fruits. Within just a few months, you'll have expanded the types of foods you eat, giving your diet enough variety and nutrition to reach your goals. -
THE MAD DASHER
With your busy schedule, it's not uncommon for you to devour lunch while driving or while working at your desk. But if you frequently eat while doing other things, you're not focusing on your meal, or your portions, which leads to overeating. In fact, a recent study found that women ate 15% more calories when they ate while listening to a recorded story.
If you tend to grab fast food when you're on the go, chances are you're also shortchanging yourself on fibre and vitamins as well, says Dr Clark. And because fast foods tend to be high in fat and calories, your drive-through routine may amount to more around your middle.
To combat fat traps, think like a Girl Scout and be prepared. Keep foods like dried fruit, high-fibre cereal and granola bars in your car's glove compartment, in your purse and in your desk drawer. Toss fresh fruit (an apple, banana or bag of grapes) in your bag or make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to take along. "You have to plan ahead, and always have food with you, just like an athlete," says Dr Kleiner. "When you do your shopping for the whole week, plan for your snacks too." She suggests stocking up on meal replacement beverages and energy bars that include whole grains. Smoothies are also a great, easy way to get two to three servings of fruit and dairy. They're widely available, fresh or bottled.
But as busy as you are, make time for breakfast, even if you can't sit down to eat it. A small muffin or a whole grain cereal bar and a piece of fruit can fill you up and fend off temptation. -
What if none of the options fit?
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THE DIE-HARD DIETER
If you diet frequently, you probably know the calorie counts for everythign from a fast-food burger to a small apple. But research shows that if you restrict your calories too drastically, your efforts may backfire. "It's good to be aware of calories, but you can also shortchange your body by not eating enough, or eating so little one day that you splurge too much the next day," says Gollman. And your metabolic rate - which changes to protect your body's fat stores - may be affected as well (the less you eat, the slower your metabolism becomes to make the most of those calories).
If you want to lose weight, focus on slow but steady weight loss intead of quick-fix programs. Here's a formula to follow : It takes a reduction of 3,500 calories to lose one pound, so if you eliminate 500 calories a day, you'll lose one pound a week - well within the guidelines for safe, lasting weight loss. Get there by reducing the number of calories you consume, burning calories through exercise or a combination of the two. Just be sure you're eating at least 1,200 calories per day, more if you're physically active.
It also helps to shift your mind-set, says Dr Kleiner. It may take time to reach your ideal weight, so pick smaller, more measurable goals to gauge your progress. She suggests choosing behaviour-oriented goals like eating five fruit and vegetables a day, consuming fewer processed foods, drinking more water and doing more physical activity. By viewing these small changes as goals, you'll achieve your weight-loss dreams in no time with many small successes along the way. -
Eh... then you have NO Eating ID lor, I suppose!Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:What if none of the options fit?
Actually, that's good news in a way cause it means that you probably don't need to go on a diet! -
hmmm...dosent look user friendly
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Cool. None fits me.Originally posted by Rhonda:Eh... then you have NO Eating ID lor, I suppose! -
no.4 fits me
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half a mad dasher, half a repeat eater
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Sorry, typing out the results one-by-one and watching CSI : New York at the same time, so a bit slow.
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yes! im that type of eater! woohoo~!
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I'm a Mood Muncher.
Darnit... it says that "Unfortunately, this is one of the most difficult patterns to break..."!!!
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i think people NEED to put themselves into some kinda niche...
i eat everything, anytime, anywhere -
i oni answered true to quest 3...wat does that make me?
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Half of a Repeat Eater lor!Originally posted by alexkusu:i oni answered true to quest 3...wat does that make me? -
Originally posted by the Bear:i think people NEED to put themselves into some kinda niche...
i eat everything, anytime, anywhere
Nope, we don't NEED to ... we just think that questionnaires are fun! -
yes they do.
notice how much resources people go into finding out "what they are"
you have the "introvert". the "extrovert", the "maniac", the "rule-breaker" the blah blah..
they think they are in one niche and somehow, pattern themselves into these little pigeonholes...
be yourself!
the heck with what others say or analyse -
Never had to lose the weight , the words "diet" and "reducing weight" are out of my vocabulary... What a curse, it deprives me of the good feeling to contribute to the diet threads
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opps..
im the 3 n 4 kinda..
how ar.