The Sneak Attack that Makes Cravings Irresistible - and How to Resist Anyway: Glenn Livingston, PhD
Channel: Sick to Fit | Plant Yourself Podcast
Date: 2024-01-16

Glenn Livingston, PhD, joins Howie to talk about his new book, "Defeat Your Cravings," and shares insights gleaned from coaching thousands of clients on overcoming food addiction and developing a healthy relationship with food. 

His previous book emphasized the importance of fixing one's thinking about food and intervening in behavioral automation loops. His latest work includes this approach, while highlighting the role of self-regulation and self-care in overcoming overeating. 

We also talk about the concept of the extinction curve and the importance of identifying and extinguishing food signals that trigger cravings. We explore the concept of cravings as signals and the importance of recognizing and understanding these signals. 

Glenn channels Thag the caveman to illuminate how the brain as a prediction engine, and what this has to do with cravings. The conversation touches on the language used to describe food addiction and the formation of new habits. 

===Takeaways===
Fixing your thinking about food is essential for overcoming overeating and developing a healthy relationship with food.
Self-regulation and self-care play a crucial role in managing cravings and maintaining a balanced approach to eating.
Techniques such as pausing, parasympathetic breathing, and cognitive refutation can help manage cravings and make healthier food choices.
Understanding the extinction curve and identifying food signals that trigger cravings can support long-term success in overcoming overeating.

Chapters
00:00 A New Book
01:00 Reflecting on the Past
02:37 Fixing Your Thinking About Food
04:06 Intervening in Behavioral Automation Loops
05:05 Cognitive Refutation and Eliminating Excuses
06:31 Importance of Self-Regulation and Self-Care
08:19 The 'Screw It, Just Do It' Rule
10:16 Organismic Distress and the Brain-Body Connection
11:45 Pausing and Parasympathetic Breathing
13:27 Using Cognitive Refutation and Separating Thoughts
14:25 Importance of Nutrition and Eating Regularly
15:19 Using Breathing and Writing to Reduce Distress
17:45 Managing Decision-Making and Dopamine Release
20:31 Developing the Pause Muscle
22:27 Understanding the Extinction Burst
43:43 Cravings as Signals
45:37 The Brain as a Prediction Engine
46:34 Taking Responsibility for Food Choices
47:23 Language and Food Addiction
48:24 Forming New Habits
49:51 Stimulating Pleasure Response with Food
50:49 Rotating Food Repertoire
52:14 The Down-regulation of Pleasure
53:05 The Negative Effects of Sugary Treats
54:48 Preparing for Extinction Curves
55:46 Speeding Up Extinction with Flooding
57:43 Counting Exposures in Extinction
59:57 Dealing with Infrequent Experiences
01:01:56 Alternative Love Gift
01:06:10 Groups vs Aggregates