Listen to your body they say.
Eat when you’re hungry they say.
Most of the clients I have worked with have lost sense of that. They don’t know how to listen to their body or eat when they’re hungry. Many of them feel hungry all the fucking time and it’s frustrating for them.
Instead, try this to help you get back in tune with your hunger cues.
Improve meal composition (and eat at scheduled meal times). Meals that are made up of mostly whole foods like lean protein, veggies and fruit regulate appetite and promote feelings of satiation better than processed meals do. Protein, in particular, is extremely satiating and also has a thermogenic effect when you eat it.
Here are a few examples of balanced plates from clients of mine.
Use the H.A.L.T-B strategy. Before eating ask yourself if you’re physically hungry or angry, lonely, tired, or bored. We often eat out of emotion or feeling. By slowing down and checking in we can start to identify patterns around this.
Note: It’s OK to eat because you’re not physically hungry. Sometimes it’s going to be the best time for you to eat.
Change your environment. Is your environment influencing your appetite? Is there a delicious-looking, sweet-smelling, cinnamon bun sitting on the counter?
Use the hunger scale. Every two minutes put your fork down, place your hand on your stomach, and ask yourself on a scale from 1 to 10 how much hunger you have.
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Photo by Vadim Bogulov on Unsplash