Retraining one's brain to respond to the right hunger cue requires an individual to experience pangs of hunger.
In other words, one must learn to go hungry. Why? People that have overeating issues often can't distinguish between real hunger and the desire for food. Over the course of time if one has learned to eat for other reasons than being hungry then behaviors are typified through repeated patterns of response to any number of variables.
One may eat because it is time to eat. Another may eat because they are reacting to an event and it is a nurturing response. Or, perhaps someone eats to distract from life and the realities of tedious existence. Some eat simply to fill an emotional void such as pain or sadness. There are many reasons people eat.
Weight loss may mean understanding why one eats. There are two types of hunger, mouth hunger and real hunger. Mouth hunger can be defined as the cue which says I am feeling hungry. The cue leads to a series of events. Identifying what, when, where, and how one should begin the process of filling the basic requirement of existence becomes an all encompassing task. The process takes place in a matter of minutes and what we have learned happens quickly and without much thought. Everyone has their favorite foods, places they enjoy eating, comfort thoughts related to the process of eating, and then how the eating will be executed. Easy. The cycle of responding to mouth hunger has just taken place.
Real hunger on the other hand plays out like this scenario. It's two in the afternoon, and you fill a gnawing in your tummy, you hear a gurgling or growling while in your business meeting and are sure everyone else hears it as well. You may also experience a light dizziness, perhaps are anxious, feel jittery or tired. In other words the cue of I am hungry is signaled to your brain. This hunger manifests itself differently than mouth hunger. Response to this cue is more survival than desire. It is based on need. One's response becomes more immediate. Finding a balance between mouth hunger and real hunger predisposes one to success or failure.
Learning to differentiate between mouth and real hunger is a fine line for mastering healthy eating habits and long term weight loss goals. If one eats a healthy breakfast including complex carbohydrates and lean proteins with enough nutrient dense calories then one can assume death is not knocking at the door but rather the need to refuel the body and brain. It is time to eat. Mouth hunger is more about feeling hungry rather than being hungry. After years of programmed responses to ones environment the body has learned a new cue for dealing with issues of life. Mouth hunger is an acquired habit. The brain has learned quite smartly how to eat in response to any kind of positive or negative stress.
Retraining, reworking, and rethinking why one eats is the key to success for people that tend to overeat. It is healthy to experience some discomfort of hunger. And, as long as one has eaten a well rounded meal three to five hours earlier then it is safe to assume one will not starve or die from deprivation. The new habit will take time to master but will ultimately lead to one's weight management success.
For more info: Visit www.healthylivingnow.us for weight loss coaching tips.
Terri is a certified wellness coach and an exercise and sport science specialist.