Chapter Twenty-Nine: From Slave to Master of Desire: True Self-Control

On the other hand, the appetite signals-"desires"-sent by the body's needs are difficult to read. There are times when they are suddenly and clearly felt, but they are usually ignored.

The secret lies in imagining various foods in your mind when you're feeling hungry. Don't dwell on abstract feelings like "delicious" or "happy," or on details like "where to eat" or "who to eat with." Instead, vividly recall the sensations of chewing, tasting, and swallowing.

The key is to recall the sensation of swallowing and being absorbed by the stomach. If at that moment you think, "Ah, that's what I want to eat!", then you're right. The chances of finding it are high. Once you do, it's best to imagine similar foods. For example, when you crave cheesecake, think about citrus fruits, oranges, dishes with lots of lemon, vinegar-dressed salads or pickles, etc. Consider other acidic foods. By doing this one by one, you'll gradually figure out exactly what you want to eat.

You might not be able to eat what you want right away, so I hope you try to think about things more.

When considering these options, it's advisable to include foods you don't usually eat or don't like as potential choices. If you have trouble remembering the taste of foods you don't like, try browsing the food section of supermarkets or department stores and look at the shelves you don't usually frequent. You might discover your "desires" in unexpected places.

Some might think that reading this far is enough.

"What?! All I get is a lecture from a health-conscious otaku? Instead of this, why not teach people how to lose weight while eating pork cutlet rice bowls, hamburgers, ramen, and pizza?!"

"I'm tired of hearing about Japanese-style food and eating lots of dietary fiber."

Readers who think this way probably haven't even started their own weight loss journey yet, but have already read this far.

Of course, how you read a book is your own business. However, if you want to lose weight efficiently and successfully, you should proceed cautiously, one stage at a time. If you don't agree with the explanations of "desire" and "craving," it's recommended that you stop reading and instead try the running start and lift-off phases first. During this phase, you can eat as much as you like, whether it's pork cutlet rice bowls, hamburgers, or ramen, as long as you keep a record of what you eat. As long as you persevere, you will definitely lose weight.

Then, by experiencing the ascent and cruising phases, one can understand the "desire" that is the appetite in the mind, and the "craving" that is the appetite from the body.

Let's go back to the previous topic.

People who gain weight are those who are completely oblivious to their brain's appetite, ignoring their body's desires. They disregard their body's cravings for food, even ignoring signals of hunger and satiety. Living solely according to their brain's desires can be described as a desire-driven person.

Conversely, slender people are true to their body's appetite; no matter how much they love to eat, they will never eat until they are full-they are the "craving type." Craving-type people are extremely sensitive to bodily discomforts such as overeating or fasting. They are very sensitive to all bodily signals, cannot tolerate physical pain, and can be described as easily swayed by their bodies. Therefore, being a "craving type" isn't without its advantages.

In contrast, people driven by desire are more easily swayed by their own desires. However, such individuals are often clearly aware of their desires and are very proactive in both their work and personal lives.

It's impossible to say whether the desire-driven or the ambition-driven type is better; both are essential for society. However, in the weight loss process, the ambition-driven type undoubtedly has an overwhelming advantage.

In the next stage of acceleration, our goal is to shift our self from being entirely driven by desires to being driven by wants. And the only way to do this is to listen to the body's desires; there is no other way.

However, after the ascent and cruising phases, the food preferences gradually changed, which is evidence of hearing the body's subtle desires.

The shift from a desire-driven to a need-driven mentality involves more than just food.

Take me for example. From the very beginning of my weight loss journey, I thought that moving from one stage to another would be a difficult and frustrating experience. But then one day, I suddenly felt that I should quickly move on to the next stage, and it wasn't as painful as I had imagined. My weight started to drop, and I easily entered the next stage.

However, I had never considered giving it a try before.

The evidence is that all I heard was the voice of desire: "I don't like exercise, so I try to avoid it as much as possible."

Actually, I'm still not good at responding to urges related to exercise. I can only feel that when I walk, the blood circulation in my legs improves and my lower body feels warm. When I have a cold, I occasionally drink a bottle of orange juice and find it delicious. That's about it.

However, I can still detect the slow changes in my body's constitution. I don't need to look at the pedometer numbers; instead, I hear my body's signals: "I want to walk more steps today." I can also recognize that my constitution is on the colder side and I'm not very comfortable with air conditioning.

In this way, gradually discovering one's own bodily desires prepares one for the final stage of "getting on track."