“AM I REALLY HUNGRY, OR AM I JUST BORED?”
Have you ever had this question popped up in your mind?
Food is a very common source of comfort ??????. There is this one quote by Virgina Woolf – “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” We use food not only to nourish our bodies, but also our minds and our souls.
And now, in the middle of the pandemic, we’re stuck inside our house with unlimited kitchen access. You’re bored/stressed/anxious than ever, just because of the situation itself. And then you realize you start eating again ??. That’s exactly how overeating occur.
So how can you tell if you’re physcally hungry, or if it was some external cue making you emotionally hungry?
On the one hand, physical hunger comes gradually, and you can actually wait to satisfy your needs. Lots of foods will sound appetizing to you, but you will just eat the right amount to make you full. Of course, eating for physical hunger will leave you with a sense of satisfaction.
On the other hand, you notice your emotional hunger suddenly, and you have the urge to satisfy yourself immediately. You crave for a very specific type of food – pizza, ice cream, cakes, etc.), and you are likely to stuff yourself. And eating for emotional hunger will make you feel guilty and powerless afterwards.
Understanding your eating habits and hunger cues can be a key factor in your path of staying healthy. Let’s practice rating your hunger and satisfaction level. You can use a scale from 0 to 5, with 0 as ravenously hungry, and 5 as uncomfortably stuffed to rate your hunger. You would want to start at score of 1 or 2, but stop at score of 3. You definitely don’t want your body to reach 0 or 5.
Another way to identify your hunger is to have a meal schedule. If you last meal was less than 2 – 3 hours ago, it’s likely that you’re not truly hungry. Or you can try drink a glass of water and wait for 20 minutes to see if the hunger’s still there – sometimes, the brain can mistake thirstiness with hunger.
We hope these tips can help you ?? to stay in track for your fitness goals ?