Are you Eating Compulsively or are you Really Hungry?

I vividly remember a lecture given to us by an expert on weight management. She herself had tried many, many ‘diets' only to fail at each one. It was only when she learned the ‘art' of eating according to true stomach hunger and not respond to the sight, smell or situations surrounding food, that her weight came under control.For those of you who are struggling or feeling guilty because you aren't sure how much you should eat, or you are feeling guilty because you perceive that you have eaten too much, it might be worth a try at trying to respond to true stomach hunger.Simple as it may sound, the question "Am I hungry?” can be a profound one. Many of us tend to eat when true hunger is the last thing we're feeling. A lot of us reach adulthood without being able to identify the feeling of stomach hunger or if we can, the signal is very dim.The whole notion of eating in response to stomach hunger is so alien that we might be shocked to hear another person turn down the offer of a meal with "Thanks, but I'm not hungry right now.”Try making a conscious effort to tune into your hunger. If we continue eating in response to emotional or "head” hunger, the ability to identify stomach hunger signals will wane. Your stomach is unable to tell you that it's hungry if you've just filled it to deal with some other feeling. The more you look forward to the experience of stomach hunger, however, the more apt you are to find it.Some people are genuinely frightened by the idea of stomach hunger. This may be because they cannot feel hungry without recalling all the other emotions that accompanied hunger in their memories. Others may feel that if they allow themselves to feel hunger, they may eat uncontrollably.Learning to eat from stomach hunger after many years of eating from head hunger is not simply a change of habit, nor is it a mere reconditioning of your eating behaviour. Each time you feed yourself out of stomach hunger, you are demonstrating your ability to respond to your needs and fuel your body properly. Think of it this way: As you become more in tune with yourself, you will feel more secure. As you practice this, you become very self-aware and much more unlikely to be sabotaged at unexpected exposure to food. Thus, your mind will learn to respond to, "Am I really hungry?” versus "Oh, there is some food, I want to eat it.”Now, this all may sound easy, but what is true ‘stomach hunger'? To me, it is a physical, slightly "empty” feeling in the stomach. It is not about feeling ravenous or shaky; it is about recognizing your body's signal for fuel. It does not take much food to settle a truly "hungry” stomach. Protein and good fats will satisfy this physical hunger more efficiently and for a longer period of time than easily-digestible starches. The art of learning to eat smaller quantities of nutritionally-dense food to satisfy true hunger is what we want to learn to do.I'm not sure when the shift in our society occurred for the need to respond to super sized foods or excessive portions. There is no question; we have lost the ability to know what a true portion is. Other than measuring and weighing, one way to always be in control is to eat when you are hungry, but stop when you are satisfied. Eat slowly, because that feeling of satisfaction is delayed. Also eat foods that won't spike your blood sugar and will keep you full longer.So, try the art of paying attention to the stomach's signals (instead eyes, nose, time of day, stress levels, tiredness, etc.). If the stomach is asking for fuel, then eat. If not, wait, because you are not in need of food. If you are feeling tense and simply want to fulfill that oral gratification of putting something on your lips or tongue, have some something to drink like water, tea, or coffee.None of this is easy, but if you practice you will feel in control because you will now be eating according to your needs, yet not overeating based on portions determined by someone else.Keep trying different techniques. Find out what works for you. It's not easy, so never, ever give up on yourself.Dr. Doug