HUNGER TROUBLESHOOTING
During the last two weeks, you may have found you have one or more of these habits:
· A habit of ignoring hunger – associating hunger with a desired outcome, like weight loss, can lead to denying hunger until you are ravenous. · A habit of avoiding hunger – if hunger triggers fear or panic, it can lead to eating at close intervals to avoid experiencing hunger altogether. · A habit of eating on a schedule – if you eat at scheduled times or when others are hungry (like children), you may never check in to see if you are hungry or not. · A habit of relying on calories or points - If you've followed a diet that gives you an allowance of how much you can eat per day, you may undereat and ignore hunger.
Ignoring hunger cues
Some individuals purposely ignore their hunger cues, trying to white-knuckle their way through hunger sensations, while others accidentally ignore their hunger cues due to being distracted. The cues will get stronger and stronger until suddenly, the individual feels faint, irritable, and ravenous. Over time, both scenarios can leave someone with no connection to early hunger cues and experiencing hunger only as "hangry." If this sounds like you, you could try setting a timer to check in with your hunger signals regularly.
Eating determined by external factors
An overreliance on external factors as your cue to eat can make you feel disconnected from your hunger and folders cues. This is common in chronic dieters who rely on being told when and how much to eat in a day. It is essential to understand that your body's cycle of hunger and fullness exists for a reason. Our hunger cues are a brilliant tool to help you gauge how your caloric input is holding up to your output. No rules or calculator needed!
For those eating on the work or family schedule, you can still master experiencing hunger, but it takes some thought and planning. You can use a technique coined by George Fear, RD - "Reverse Engineer." Reverse engineering your hunger ensures you are hungry "on time "for your next meal. It does take trial and error, but it can be an excellent tool for those who do not have the flexibility with eating times.
For example, an individual may only have a lunch break at 1 PM even though they feel hungry by 11 AM. The next day at breakfast, they could try eating a larger meal or experimenting with increasing protein, so they are satisfied until closer to the time they take their lunch break.
Does any of this resonate with you? If so, are you finding any strategies here that you are planning to try?