I Got Dibs on Ghrelinstat

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm gazing into my crystal ball and predicting that supplement companies looking to profit off of the next weight loss fad will come out with what I call Ghrelinstat:

From MSNBC: A hormone that makes people eat more works by causing food to look tastier.

This natural molecule, named ghrelin, actually improves perception and memory when it comes to food.

"When you go to the supermarket hungry, every food looks better," said researcher Alain Dagher, a neurologist at McGill University in Montreal. "Now, we've found that it is ghrelin that acts on the brain to make food more appealing."

In fact, big pharama is already on the case:

Therapies that disrupt these effects of ghrelin could help fight obesity, the researchers conjectured. However, such treatments might come with unwanted side effects on mood, since they would target the brain's pleasure centers, Dagher said.

"Many drug companies are currently developing ghrelin-blocking drugs as obesity treatments," Dagher said. "However, we show that ghrelin acts on brain areas involved in emotion and motivation. A drug that suppresses this brain system runs the risk of causing depressed mood. There is a risk of side effects."

Side effects, shnide effects. Drug companies don't give a rip about side effects. Look at Alli. It prevents the body from absorbing about a quarter of the fat you eat. Side effects? Just some slight anal seepage lovingly called "treatment effects."

All that matters is how much money can be made by capitalizing off of people's willingness to do nothing and still lose weight. The FDA will force drug companies to slowly bring a product to market, however supplement companies are not under such regulations. I'll wager that somebody is already writing marketing copy for their potential new supplement: It's Not Your Fault You're Fat! Speaking of, I'd better get over to the copyright office and register the name Ghrelinstat.

(Pssst. Want to lose weight fast the right way? Try this.)

Cheezy Technique - Amazing Results

As much as I want to eat according to a sound nutritional plan and stay compliant, I struggle just like everybody else. In my weaker moments, I will engage in an internal dialog to justify eating a hamburger, high-GI carbs, or any kind of sweet (especially ice cream, my kryptonite).

But I may have found something that will help me. Ryan Andrews of the Precision Nutrition team writes about the "oh well" technique. Here it is in all its complicated glory:

You see, after learning which foods were on the plan and which were off the plan, each time he was presented with a food off the plan, instead of debating the merits of the food, instead of justifying "just one bite," instead of talking himself into a poor decision, he simply repeated the cheesy trigger phrase:

"Oh Well, it's not on my plan."

Then, with a shrug of the shoulders, he'd move on and busy himself with something else. An activity. A book. A conversation. His compliant food choices. Etc.

So that's it. As you can tell from the title of this post, which quotes the title of the article, Andrews thinks this a pretty "cheezy" technique. However:

This is one of the most powerful strategies I've ever found for helping folks make the right decisions day in and day out - both in the gym and at the dining table.

It allows folks to avoid the messy mental gymnastics and gives them a touchstone for remaining true to their real intentions and goals. Indeed, it helps us avoid the problem outlined in this quote...

"The reason most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."

I love that last line. It exactly describes what happens to me when eat an unplanned sweets or snacks or indulge in crappy food choices when eating out. I settle for what I want at the moment.

I'm going to give the "oh well" technique a try and see if it works.

Tomorrow. And after I eat this cookie.