I think there are very few times during the day that I want to eat out of true hunger. Most of the time I'm bored, stressed, tired, angry, it's meal time, or it's just there in front of me, so I might as well! I'm using food for comfort, entertainment, to celebrate, and sometimes as fuel. Of course, if I'm constantly eating, there's very few times I actually feel hungry; unless I try to cut back. And then for the first few days I'm STARVING! And it's like my hunger is scary to me, or something. Maybe it's because of all the times that I've tried to deal with hunger, only to give in and then eat everything in sight. So with the new WW program, I'm trying to tell myself that it's OK to feel hungry. And if I am hungry, I can ALWAYS have an apple, banana, some strawberries, blueberries, or any fresh fruit I want. But sometimes those things just don't seem to cut it for me. And why is that? Because maybe my hunger isn't from a need for food.
Five Ways to Tell if You're REALLY Hungry
* Emotional hunger comes on suddenly, while physical hunger is gradual.
*Physical hunger is felt below the neck (growling stomach), while emotional hunger is felt above the neck (a craving for ice cream or pizza).
*When only a certain food will meet your need (cookies, chocolate, your favorite take-out), your "hunger" is born of emotion. When your body requires fuel, you're more open to other options.
*Emotional hunger wants to be satisfied immediately, physical hunger can wait.
*Emotional hunger leaves GUILT in its wake. Physical hunger doesn't.
If we can learn to recognize these signals, we will be better able to distinguish emotional needs from physical needs. The next time a strong craving strikes, try to tune out the signals coming from above the neck, and see if you're truly physically hungry. Ask yourself what you're feeling emotionally and mentally and how you can meet those needs. Kris is always talking about how we need our warm fuzzies to turn to instead of food. We need to develop new habits so that when we get those triggers, our automatic response wont be to reach for the cookie jar or hit Pizza Hut's number on our speed dial.
Laura you are so right on the mark with this post. I would say that 9 times out of 10 we are eating for some reason other than hunger. Once we realize that and can come up with a plan to deal with our nonhunger eating, we will be on the road to optimum health and vitality.
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