04/24/2020
Am I REALLY Hungry?🤤
The real trick to managing weight is to eat less, but not to feel hungry or deprived. Being hungry all the time is a death sentence for any weight loss program.
The desire to eat starts with a twinge, and before you know it, you're rummaging through the fridge. But the real question is: Are you really hungry, or was that a twinge of habit, boredom, or some other emotion? Understanding your own eating habits and learning to recognize true hunger is an essential weight loss tool.
We eat to satisfy our appetites, soothe emotions, celebrate victories, satisfy cultural expectations and because it just tastes good.
Practice rating your hunger.
When you sit down to eat a meal, you want to be hungry, but not ravenous. (Letting your blood sugar get so low that you feel ravenous often leads to binge eating.) And your goal is to stop when you're comfortably full.
To get into the habit of evaluating your hunger, rate your hunger and satisfaction level before and after every meal. And whenever you're about to run to the kitchen or detour to the nearest drive-thru, ask yourself these questions first:
1️⃣When was the last time I ate? If it was less than 2-3 hours ago, you're probably not feeling real hunger.
2️⃣Could a small, nutritious snack rich in fiber tide you over until the next meal?
3️⃣Can you drink a glass of water and wait 20 minutes?
If you don't recognize the signs of hunger, schedule your meals & snacks. Divide your eating plan into several small meals, spaced every 3 to 4 hours. Rate your hunger each time you sit down to eat, and try to become more aware of what real hunger feels like.