Eat When You Are Physically Hungry

Have you ever found yourself eating despite the fact that you are not hungry? Do you graze throughout the day, picking at this or that? If you are in a social situation, do you eat because you don't want to offend anyone?

If you answered yes, you are not alone.

Many of us use food to conquer emotional hunger rather than real hunger. We think that the bag of chips or the chocolate will make things better. and in the short term, it does. But, what happens after we finish the comfort food? The emotions that were bothering us return, or we feel guilty becuase we consumed an obscene about of food. We end up feeling more depressed than we did before we submitted to the food.

And what about social situations? My in-laws are notorious "food pushers". It seems like every hour or so, they want to feed you. Or, you go out with friends and your really not hungry or want to eat healthy, but the others want to sabotage you by pressuring you in eating the same crap they do. In either case, you give in because you don't want to hurt their feelings.

Well, I am telling you to stop it.

I think it is important to listen to the cues your body is sending. Have you ever noticed that when you want that sweet treat, it comes on suddenly? That's emotional hunger. You are feeding a feeling, not feeding the stomach. Instead of feeling the feeling, try to find another outlet, like writing your feelings in a journal or listening to music. Even exercise can help with emotional feelings.

If your body is sending real hunger signals, by all means, EAT! How do you know if you are hungry? Use this hunger scale to help determine how you feel.
Ask yourself if you are really hungry. You will be surprised when the answer is no.

And what about those who want to sabotage your progress? Most likely, they have no idea what they are doing. However, there may be those who want to make themselves feel better by degrading you. The bottom line is you need to stick to your routine. Remember, you can only control you!