You and your weight
More than 24,000 of you answered our nutrition survey. Here we reveal your deepest, darkest dieting secrets.
By Jenna McCarthy
Our first-ever Shape.com Food and Nutrition Survey brought us an astonishing 24,000 responses! In addition to telling us the good, the not-so-good and the surprising news about your relationship with food, you also spilled the beans on your deepest, darkest dieting secrets. To make sense of the results, Washington, D.C.-based nutrition and weight-loss counselor Katherine Tallmadge, M.A., R.D., comments (see "The nutritionist weighs in").
Your Relationship With Food
We started by asking you about your attitudes toward food and eating. Is food a friend who nourishes, fuels and energizes you -- or a necessary evil that tends to come between you and your favorite pair of jeans? Here's what you told us.
The good news Nearly two-thirds of you (64 percent) say you eat moderately most of the time. Even better, almost the same number of you (62 percent) eat either because you're hungry, to fuel yourself for a workout or to stay healthy. You also keep good-for-you grub on hand (an impressive 79 percent said if a stranger peeked into your fridge, she'd find plenty of fruits and veggies).
The not-so-good news If 64 percent are "moderate eaters," that leaves 36 percent of you who either starve yourselves or completely pig out with frightening regularity. More than one in 10 of you (a full 11 percent) are downright obsessed with food, saying you'll inhale anything that is put in front of you and admitting that eating is even better than sex.
The nutritionist weighs in "Studies have shown that people who lose weight and keep it off don't deny themselves their favorite foods: They strategize and prioritize," says Katherine Tallmadge, M.A., R.D., author of Diet Simple: 192 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspirations (LifeLine Press, 2004). In other words, if you save your splurge foods for, say, Saturday night, you're less likely to over indulge regularly.
The surprising news Although more than half of respondents said they were at a healthy weight, 69 percent of you are nonetheless trying to lose 5 or more pounds.
The nutritionist weighs in "This is illustrative of the way women are," Tallmadge says. "It's a shame we're never satisfied with our weight."
Why You Overeat (Or Don't)
What's your main motivation for eating (or overeating?) Here's a close-up view of your habits -- what drives you to eat, overeat or even undereat.
The good news If you're noshing on something, it's probably because you're actually hungry: 38 percent of you chow down mostly to quiet your rumbling stomach, while 20 percent eat to stay healthy.
Also good to hear is that only 4 percent use food as an emotional Band-Aid; you eat to fill physical rather than emotional hunger. When it comes to knowing when to stop eating, 65 percent claim you're finished when you feel satisfied and comfortable. Twelve percent say you usually walk away from a meal still feeling a little hungry.
The not-so-good news A whopping 20 percent say your primary motivation for eating is because it's mealtime! (Hint: That's not a great reason.)
The surprising news Fourteen percent admitted to eating primarily to prevent boredom. Thirteen percent of you don't stop eating until you're too full to move.
The nutritionist weighs in "If you feed yourself well throughout the day, you'll get to understand when your body is going to need food," Tallmadge says. "I call it defensive eating. You can't starve yourself and expect to choose well at the next meal."
Tallmadge says it's also important to listen to your body's signals so you know when it's time to stop eating. "Gauge your hunger on a scale from -10, being ravenous and 10 being miserably stuffed," she advises. "The goal is to eat when you're at a 2 -- just hungry -- and stop at a 5 -- no longer hungry, but satisfied. If you over eat, you're likely to pack on pounds." The same advice applies to undereating at meals, Tallmadge adds: "If you leave the table feeling unsatisfied, it won't be long before you're snacking on high-fat foods that more than make up the difference in calories."
You and Your Weight
Here are the four most important things we learned about how you feel about your current weight, your fantasy weight and your love-hate relationship with the scale.
