Weight Watching

Summer is a time when we break away from routines and break out the bathing suits — a potentially lethal combination for the many among us who wage a constant war struggling to shed those excess pounds.

 

"Two things tend to happen when we take time off," says Dr. Zhaoping Li, associate director of the UCLA Risk Factor Obesity Program, which helps participants adopt lifestyle changes and modify their eating habits. "We are less active than when we go in to work, and we are more likely to reward ourselves through eating."

 

Between holiday barbecues and graduation and wedding parties, opportunities for feasting in the summer months become more plentiful. As the days get hotter, we are also more likely to turn to calorie-rich juices, soft drinks, Popsicles and ice cream to cool off, at the expense of our best-laid dietary plans. The heat of summer makes exercise even less enticing. And as we start wearing less, Li notes, we become more acutely aware of, and sensitive to, the extra layers of fat on our bodies. Yet, the temptation to indulge proves irresistible. What makes us cave? How can we better arm ourselves for the fight? Li offers these tips for staying on track:

 

 

"We are social beings, and eating has been part of everything we do," Li notes. "Our celebrations are centered around food. Our recreation is often centered on food. We associate food with reward and love."

 

To the extent that it's possible, she suggests avoiding settings where you know the temptations to eat weight-adding foods will prove overwhelming. Even more important, when you can have a say over the agenda during a vacation or a gathering with friends, don't make it just about food. "We all want to relax on vacation, but that shouldn't mean not doing anything active," Li says. "Enjoy yourself physically, too."

 

 

Food is used not only for reward and expressing love; for many it is also a source of comfort during lonely times. It's no coincidence, Li notes, that the brain's satiety center is very close to its pleasure center — or that chocolates and carbohydrates may produce higher levels of serotonin, which tend to make us happier.

 

We succumb to food cravings for a variety of reasons, she explains, including the desire for immediate gratification and our self-destructive tendencies, which in some cases may be driven by low self-esteem. Don't eat to feed your feelings; eat to fuel your body. Recognizing when and why you overeat may not solve the problem, Li says, but it's the first step toward addressing the root cause.