[One Thousand Characters a Day] So That Mood Does Not Turn Into Appetite <3>

Editor's NoteLee Yu-joo, the author of ＜Don’t Let Your Mood Become Your Appetite＞ and a practicing physician, confesses that she suffered from a vicious cycle for over ten years involving 'cyclothymic disorder,' a mild form of bipolar disorder, and an obsession with food and weight?feeling bad, eating because of it, gaining weight, and then hating herself. She realized through her own experience and treating patients that traditional diets focusing solely on exercise and meal plans make appetite control difficult and cannot prevent yo-yo effects. Only then was she able to find a healthy and proper dieting secret. The author emphasizes, "There is no such thing as bad appetite in the world. If your appetite runs wild and troubles you, it is because you have made it so, and appetite can change greatly depending on how you tame it." Word count: 995.

Watching the TV program ＜The Dog Is Excellent＞, when the owner changes the way they treat and behave toward their dog, even the most troublesome dogs usually change immediately. Even dogs that seemed so fierce you might wonder how anyone could raise them become gentle when properly restrained according to the trainer’s instructions.

Appetite is similar. Appetite makes us eat to supply energy to our bodies and gives us the pleasure of eating. Appetite has no bad intentions to torment me. There is no such thing as bad appetite in the world. If your appetite runs wild and troubles you, it is because you, the owner, have made it so. Appetite can change greatly depending on how you tame it.

Our society, overflowing with stimulating foods and severe stress, is the perfect environment for appetite to become fierce and unruly. If you make your appetite very fierce and then blindly try dieting and exercise, you will inevitably fail. It is like scolding a fierce dog to be quiet with words alone. This will not break the momentum of your appetite. First, you must tame your appetite back to a normal, gentle state.

Perhaps you have blamed your unusually strong appetite compared to others and thought dieting was harder because of your appetite. But that is not true. Anyone can tame their appetite gently. To do so, your thoughts and behaviors toward food must change first, rather than just managing diet or exercise. Just as a well-trained dog and its owner can both be happy, if you tame your appetite well, you can satisfy your appetite and become slim, finding happiness.

(Omitted)

The more you deny it, the stronger your appetite becomes. Let’s examine appetite more closely than just lumping it into a simple phrase like "I’m hungry!" or "I want to eat!" Appetite is never that simple. It arises from a complex interplay of various senses and emotions. If you try to suppress and control appetite without understanding why it arises, it is likely to become a wild troublemaker that can go anywhere. You must observe your appetite delicately and adjust it well to make it your gentle ally.

- Lee Yu-joo, ＜Don’t Let Your Mood Become Your Appetite＞, Book Table, 18,800 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.