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.