Why Having Willpower With Food Is NOT The Solution

Picture this…you’ve told yourself that you were going to start eating healthier, but within a week you are back to eating the chips and ice cream you swore you’d shun forever. You then end up chastising yourself and becoming frustrated that you don’t have the willpower to keep up with your new healthy eating habits. Sound familiar? The good news is that you are not alone with this situation. The bad news is that when this happens we tend to berate ourselves and feel that our discipline is the sole reason why we can’t achieve our healthy eating goals which is 100% not the case. Read on to find out how the digestive system, various neurotransmitters and a variety of other factors all play a part in determining what type and how much food you choose to eat.

A variety of hormones (chemical messengers in the body) are released from the digestive system in order to cause you to become hungry. A major hormone that increases hunger is called ghrelin which is released mainly through the stomach. As the stomach empties after eating, your ghrelin levels increase causing you to become hungry again.¹ Produced in the small intestine, motilin causes your stomach to contract which also can cause you to become hungry.²

Neurotransmitters, chemicals that allow nerve cells to communicate with each other and other cells in the body, also play a role in causing you to become hungry. Dopamine, also known as the “feel good” neurotransmitter, increases when you eat something that you find delicious. This increase in dopamine reinforces pleasure when eating that particular food causing increased food cravings and increased hunger. Increased serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter that aids in happiness, causes you to become less hungry. Lower levels of serotonin have been linked to increased cravings for carbohydrates.¹

Other factors can cause you to become hungrier. For example, dietary deficiencies can increase cravings for foods that contain the micronutrient the body needs to consume.³ Sight, smell and sound can also increase your hunger when you see, smell or hear a food that you enjoy.³ These senses will cause more dopamine to be released from your brain causing you to become hungrier (even if you have just eaten).

More than your willpower contributes to the types and amounts of food that you choose. In order to work around these various factors, I would recommend adding the following into your healthy eating plan.

• Allow yourself scheduled “treat” meals in order to help control your dopamine cravings.
• It has been shown that better sleep leads to less ghrelin being made by the stomach. Make sure you are getting good quality sleep each night to help keep your ghrelin levels stable.
• Increase your serotonin levels by scheduling activities that you enjoy.
• Pair carbohydrates, fats and proteins in each meal in order to delay how fast it takes your stomach to empty.

If you are looking for specific strategies for your personal situation and goals, schedule a 45 minute nutrition coaching session with me for just $30.00. Feel free to call/text me at 717-553-2299 or email me at LEANByJes@gmail.com to schedule an appointment.

References:

1. McCulloch M. Appetite hormones. Today’s Dietitian. 2015;17(7):26. https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/070115p26.shtml?scrlybrkr

2. Deloose E, Verbeure W, Depoortere I, Tack J. Motilin: from gastric motility stimulation to hunger signaling. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2019;15(4):238-250. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-019-0155-0

3. Plata-Salaman CR. Regulation of hunger and satiety in man. Dig Dis. 1991;9:253-268. doi: 10.1159/000171310