Most people in the Western world have no idea how to distinguish between real hunger and thirst. Most of us will eat when really we are thirsty so it comes to no surprise that many of us are overweight or even obese. Knowing when you are hungry and when you are thirsty can save you a lot of calories.

There are ways that you can avoid eating when you really aren’t hungry and below are 3 of the ways you can tackle this effectively.

3 tips to prevent eating when not hungry:

1. Keep A Journal

Keeping a journal about your experiences and feelings in regards to hunger will help you become more aware of your eating habits and more aware of what it is like to experience true hunger as opposed to digestive distress or thirst.

It will also force you to be present whenever these feelings arise instead of automatically feeding them before knowing if you really are hungry. It most certainly has become a habit for you so being present and overcoming it by acknowledging how it feels is key.

In your journal you can write down what you are eating, when you eat and any thoughts and feelings surrounding it. How you felt before you ate and were you emotional etc. For an example of fake hunger we can take the concept of TV watching. Many people come home from work and sit in front of the TV. People consider this relaxation but most people get bored fairly quickly so dip into eating snacks to keep the feelings of boredom at bay. Recognising boredom as boredom and not as hunger would help one stop eating unnecessarily in front of the TV.

Writing things down will help you spot patterns such as snacking in front of TV, and help you acknowledge when you are eating out of emotion rather than true hunger.

If you discover you are feeling upset or stressed then dealing with is the best way to overcome the hunger and to promote a better sense of well being. At first this maybe very difficult to do and you may result to eating anyway but don’t beat yourself up about it. The fact that you are now aware that you do this is the first step in being able to do overcome it, so go at your own pace and just be aware of how the food, once you have used it to try and suppress your feelings, makes you feel afterwards.

2. Drink Enough Water

Water seems to be a neglected case but it very important our health and well being. We only need to be a little dehydrated for it to affect our energy levels and body in a negative way so staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water is important.

Despite making sure you get enough water, when you feel hungry (or what you think is hunger) have a glass of water first and see how you feel in five minutes. If you are still feeling hungry then it is possible and most likely you really are but if not you then know that it was just thirst. Sometimes you might need more than a glass but to avoid this just make sure you are drinking water throughout the day or eating lots of fresh fruits to give you extra water.

3. Go For A Walk

Sometimes when we are hungry or think we are, a great way to overcome it or to realise it isn’t really hungry is to get moving. Going for a walk or doing some exercise can really prove to you that what you are feeling is in fact hunger or is in fact fake hunger.

Exercise is also a great way to suppress appetite if you want to avoid snacking So going for a walk or doing something where you get movement has a double win element to it.

Of course though these aren’t the only 3 ways to making your life less about eating every minute and more about eating when hungry. They are a great starting point. Once you know your triggers you can then work to avoid them. For an example, as mentioned above evening and TV watching can lead to boredom snacking. If this is something you have discovered is a problem for you then, then you can start tackling it by making your evenings more interesting so boredom doesn’t reign its ugly head and try to make you eat.

For more articles please see: healthy weight loss diet to help you stop eating when not hungry.

When it comes to weight loss, one of the most common and biggest problems facing people is portion size. Most people have a warped sense of a good sized portion and eat much more than they really should and desire.

Unfortunately when we are eating complex foods, it can take a while before we feel full. In fact if we don’t overeat it it can take a while for the body to digest the food so that you feel satiated. Unless you are eating raw fruits which satiate you almost immediately, you will have to try to eat less and wait to feel the full sensation without resulting in overstuffing to feel full (this type of full isn’t really what you should be aiming for).

So below are some ways you can overcome huge portions and cut it down to reasonable amounts with too much of a hassle.

Downsize Your Portions Tip Number 1 Tip: Fruit

My number one tip to making your portions smaller or eating less, is to eat fruit 20 minutes before each meal. When I say eat fruit, I don’t mean eat just one apple or one orange, I mean eat as much as you desire (try eating 1-5 pieces of fruit). If you don’t desire any then try to do your best to begin with until you learn to love the sugary goodness.

Your parents or grandparents didn’t want you to eat your sweets before a meal because they KNEW it would ruin your appetite. Fruit works in the same way essential but you are getting much more from it than what you would from refined sugar and empty calories. Fruit is nutritious and full of simple sugars so will satiate you pretty quickly. This satiation you get from it will be enough to stop you overeating on your main meal and maybe leaving you with leftovers for the next day.

Down Your Portions Tip Number 2 : Water

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. If in doubt have a large glass an hour before eating. Eating fruit will also help get your water intake up as well. Making sure you are hydrated will prevent you from eating when what you really want to be doing is drinking.

Downsize Your Portions Tip Number 3: Reduce Plate Size

A great way to reduce your portions is to actually reduce them! Instead of piling up a meal on a plate, use a smaller plate and give yourself a smaller portion. Better yet make less, so you aren’t tempted to nibble on the leftovers.
If this is too hard then tip Number 4 maybe helpful.

Downsize Your Portions Tip Number 4: Add In More Salad

A great way to feel full but to eat less calorie-dense food is to add in lots of salad to your meal. What I do is I make a huge salad of lettuce and grated carrots. I keep it simple or add other things depending on what type of meal I have. Then I will either mix this huge portion of salad into my dinner or alternatively add bits as I eat. The more salad I eat the better and the less likely I am to go back for seconds.

Downsize Your Portions Tip Number 5: Eat Slowly

As it takes time for you to digest complex foods, it also means it takes time for your body to be satiated by the food. So eating slowly will let you enjoy your food and also give your body time to digest some of it or to start to at least.
Of course though, this can be difficult if you are really hungry or if you just aren’t used to do it first. I know that when I enjoy something I tend to wolf it down even if I think I am eating slowly. This is why the other tips may help you more.

Downsize Your Portions Tip Number 6: Don’t Eat Watching TV or At The Computer

Eating at the computer or watching TV takes your attention away from the task at hand. If you aren’t focused on your eating, it is very easy to overeat without even realising it because your mind is on other things.

One of my favourite things is to eat at the table with my family and I have noticed I eat less when I eat that way.

Eating smaller sizes doesn’t have to leave you starving. If you feel hungry still make sure it is real hunger you are actually experiencing. Most of the time it is usually a need to drink some water or that your body is under digestive distress. If your tummy is making noises or feeling funny, this isn’t hunger but digestive distress. If you just wait half an hour the digestive problems should subside. True hunger comes from the throat and isn’t an urgent need. If you can’t handle the digestive issues then just eat some fruit. A few bananas can help settle your tummy before bed.

Generally being more mindful of your eating and not treating it as a secondary issue is the most helpful thing you can do to reducing portion sizes and thus your waist.

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Water is often overlooked in one’s diet whether one is trying to lose weight or not. This is a sad state of affairs because water is crucial to our survival and plays an important role in how we feel and think. It nourishes us and shouldn’t be something that we neglect.

Water becomes even more important when we are overweight. Generally, most people who have a weight issue will also be dehydrated. Dehydration is a very serious issue and shouldn’t be neglected.

This article has been put together to convince you into making sure you get your water intake sorted. Below are 6 reasons why it is important.

Number 1 – Survival

Of course the number one reason for drinking water is for our survivial. You need water to function and wouldn’t last very long without it.

Number 2 – Weight Loss

Even though water seems to be neglected when it comes to weight loss, it is really important! Water doesn’t have calories like your coffee, or sodas or orange juice and can be just the thing you need instead of something to eat. The more you drink, the better you feel and the less likely you are to mistake a desire to be hydrated for a desire to eat a full meal!

Number 3 – Energy

You may be “getting away” with living on caffeinated drinks and sodas to boost your energy and give you water, but these drinks take more than they give. They also dehydrate you too. On top of this, with eating foods that are processed and dry, you become even more dehydrated. When one becomes dehydrated you become tired and lethargic. This is a warning sign. Get any more dehydrated and you could be causing damage and potentially permanent damage to your body.
So if you want an energy boost just make sure you drink lots of water throughout the day. Make it a habit to carry a water bottle around with you so you can sip on it. If you can’t let go off your caffeinated drinks, make sure you drink at least two glasses of water to every cup of coffee you have.
You can also increase your water intake by eating more raw fruits and vegetables too.
So if you are feeling lethargic, try having a glass of water.

Number 4 – Skin

The best way to help your skin stay healthy and beautiful is to make sure you get enough water. Drinking water also helps fight wrinkles and keep your skin’s elasticity in check.

Number 5 – Pain

Making sure you get enough water will help reduce pain. If your joints ache, or your muscles easily cramp, try upping your water intake. You are less likely to suffer from cramps if you are fully hydrated.

Number 6 – Keeps You Cool

If you have trouble maintaining your body temperature then more water is what you need. Water helps the body maintain its temperature thus keeping you cool and able to adapt to different temperatures more easily.

Adding water into your diet and making it important in your weight loss or health goals doesn’t have to be difficult. If anything, it should be your first goal. Cut out the sodas, processed juices and caffeinated beverages and make a commitment for one month to stick to water and herbal teas only. Once you have done this, it should be a good habit instilled in you and then you can work in adding in more fruit and vegetables for month 2. You could start with eating fruit 20 minutes before every meal for example.

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Weight loss can be a tough endeavour. Many people who try to lose weight find that diet is the easiest thing to change. In fact they find it really easy to just add in more fruits and vegetables, cut out sodas, cut out take-aways and junk food and stick to healthy food options.


However despite finding the eating part easy, they struggle with the exercise part. This can be fairly understandable when we live in a world of rush rush rush and stress. Who has time to squeeze in a session when they have spent all day rushing about at work?

Well exercise doesn’t have to be difficult and you don’t necessarily have to make a designated slot for it. Exercise is something that is easier to incorporate throughout the day or to do spontaneously than to fit in every day at a designated slot.  This article gives you some weight loss exercise tips to think about.

Exercise also doesn’t have to be gym-orientated or a sport either. Some of the best ways to get exercise can be chasing your kids, dancing with your kids or talking dance classes. You can take a different dance class every week until you find something fun as well making it more interesting for you. Going for long walks at the weekend with family is also a good way to tackle the exercise issue.

Some people use a pedometer and make a target for steps during the day. This means they fit in walking throughout the day, which makes exercise seem less of a chore too.

The easiest way to make exercise or movement an aspect of your everyday life is to start slow. You could start with doing something specific once a week and then twice a week and increase until you get to everyday or 3 or 4 days depending on what you want to achieve. If you incorporate slowly it won’t put as much pressure on you to keep it going and you will make it a lifestyle change very easily. For the first month do something once a week and keep to it. Many people even struggle with this, but once a week really is quite easy to do in comparison to 3 times a week. Then once you are enjoying the once a week for a month, add another day where you slot some movement in.

The most important thing about exercise though is that you enjoy it. There is no point doing it if you can’t stand to do it, it should be enjoyable. Diet and exercise aren’t the only things that contribute to health. Stress, happiness, getting enough sleep, sunshine and fulfilment all include in the health factor.

So whatever you do enjoy yourself – that is what life is all about.

For more weight loss exercise tips please see our main page: Healthy Weight Loss Diet

Fasting to lose weight is something many people consider when they are desperate to shed the pounds and aren’t seeing results from their diet changes and exercise regimes. However fasting is probably the worse way to try and lose weight.


When one fasts, they need to have time to rest. Fasting is about rest and restoration as opposed to losing weight, but this happens obviously because one is not eating. With fasting though, because you aren’t eating you will be weak physically and even walking may be a problem until you start refeeding. Fasting should also always been done with a professional.

Some people think that fasting to lose weight is something they can just do at home. However it is very difficult and dangerous to fast on your own. From a home perspective, fasting at home most likely will not allow you time to rest. Many people think they can fast while going to work still or being busy, but this is a bad idea.

For most people who are trying to lose weight, fasting will most likely lead to bingeing and thus putting on more weight than they lost. Fasting just will add to the problem of eating as opposed to helping you solve the issue of your weight.

Under the right supervision, it can be a great way to give your body time to sort itself out and lose some weight. You may also rectify your overeating problem as well. However if you attempt it alone you are setting yourself up for binges of the worst kind: full of high fat processed junk foods!

So you best bet is to observe your eating habits to see where you have gone wrong. Write down everything you eat and drink for two days, go to fitday.com and find out how many calories you are consuming and work from there. This will help you see where you have gone wrong.

If you want to fast, you are much better off having a healthy foundation first before doing so. So try to get healthy, eat lots of fruits and vegetables before embarking on a fast. A fast should also be more about your overall health than aimed specifically at weight loss because that is never a good idea.

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Weight loss in 2011 is going to be easy. Read this article for more help.


It is coming to the end of another year and it is nearly time to start many new resolutions for the year ahead. As with every Christmas that goes by, many people gorge and eat lots of delicious Christmas food only to start the New Year resolving the extra weight they have put on from it or from the rest of the year that is now behind them.

Well, most people end up starting the year with good intentions but soon fall off the Wagon and back into their habits from the year before. This is evident from the fact that those who sign up for a Gym membership will drop out by April. It’s sad but true and you may even realise your own attempts faltering off after a week or month last year from your own resolutions. So what gets someone to stick to his or her resolutions? How can you make sure you stick to yours, especially when it comes to weight loss, this year?

Well, first of most Resolutions are made on a whim or spare of the moment and not given much more thought than that. Once the Resolution has been established no planning is put into it and most people think they can just wing it. Unfortunately habits aren’t that easy to change, which is further reinforced by the saying that it takes 21 days to make a habit. Change is difficult and has humans we hate change – we like familiarity. What we eat and what we do in our routine will have to be changed in order for successful weight loss to happen. At first, these changes we make have to be fully and consciously committed to until we have made them a habit or a lifestyle change. Until it comes naturally and becomes part of our normal routine, we are in a very sensitive position. It is very easy to fall back onto the take aways, junk food and the no-exercise lifestyle.

People also mistakenly think that a weight loss Resolution is something easy to resolve, however many people find losing weight extremely difficult and one of those reasons is likely to be because of habits. The notion of weight loss being easy, being able to eat healthy and exercise as a doddle, also prevents people from truly preparing for their weight loss journey. Why do you need to plan for something that is straight forward as making a few dietary changes and getting off your butt? Well it is much easier said than done. As we have established, habits die hard.

So if you want to be successful with losing weight in 2011, you have to make sure you have some sort of plan. If you truly want to lose weight and keep it off, then making sure you make small changes over time is a much better approach and something you will be able to cope with a lot better than forcing yourself to change your entire diet over night. There are simple ways you can do this. Start by making sure you have a good grasp of what you are eating and drinking first. Write down everything you eat and drink, including snacks, over a few days. This is the best way to see what you are really eating instead of relying on your memory. Life is so rushed and busy that acknowledging everything we eat and then remembering it is actually really difficult. We might even miss out things as we go into auto-pilot for snacks etc. So get a good grasp of what you are eating

Once you know your eating and drinking habits you can then make a plan of things you can change. Maybe make month one to cut out all fizzy drinks and soft drinks and just stick to water and herbal tea. This might seem like a very small step to changing your habits but despite how small it may seem, it might be the only thing you can stick to. Also just because it is small doesn’t mean it won’t have a huge impact on your weight. Many people find simply by cutting out soda and sugary drinks they lose a lot of weight. If you drink a lot of soda then you may find this occurs to. Of course though, it is best to focus on obtaining healthy habits as opposed to weight loss initially as you can easily get disheartened or eager to push forward when you aren’t ready to. If you think that drinking just water will be easy, try it for a week then add a new healthy habit in. Again this should be something you can manage without feeling like you make freak out and go back to insanely bad habits.

For some more examples of easy to manage changes, you may want to have fruit for breakfast or eat fruit before every meal. You can also incorporate in a salad every day at some point. The goal should be at first to add in more fruits and vegetables. Fruits will help satiate you and thus you will eat less of your main meal (Having your dessert (fruit) before your main meal will spoil your appetite!). Doing it this way allows you to continue to enjoy those everyday junky foods you love but on the condition you get in your fruit first. You will then know when you are ready to give up a junky meal for something healthier.

This should also be applied to exercise and getting active. Exercise doesn’t have to be just going to the gym or running or a sport. Exercise can be dancing around the house with your kids, or chasing them at the park. It can be checking out a different dance class every week or going for a walk with the family. Use your imagination and make it fun because sticking to something you hate doesn’t work.

It might take you until the end of 2011 to have a radical lifestyle change i.e. for your dietary habits and exercise habits to be completely different to when you started the year, but that is a good thing. Doing things over a period of time ensures that you stick to them. You also won’t be hit with that “wow this is totally different to what I am used to” doing things slowly. On reflection at the end of the year you may be utterly shocked at how different your lifestyle is now compared to when you started. That’s a good thing.

So if you want to lose weight in 2011, take it slow and enjoy every step. Don’t overburden yourself just love the experience of getting fit and healthy without the panic.

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