9 Tips On How To Eat At The Right Hunger Level

Do you eat when you’re not hungry? Or perhaps you do the opposite — you eat everything in sight because you are way too hungry? Either one can pose a problem for health and weight loss. Here’s what you do…

IF YOU EAT WHEN YOU’RE REALLY NOT HUNGRY

1. Wait until you get more hungry. If you rate your hunger level on a scale of 1-5, wait until you get to a 3.
2. If you need to eat at a certain time due to work schedule, family schedule, etc. then plan ahead. Make the previous meal lighter, or maybe skip it if your meals are spaced too close together.
3. Use this as a clue that you are eating emotionally. As you know, this is way different than eating because your body (not mind) needs food. Instead of eating, journal about what you are experiencing. Maybe you are lonely, bored, angry, or whatever. Write it down and also include where in the body you feel the craving. Ask this part of the body to talk to you and explain why it wants to eat now.
4. If you know tapping, self-hypnosis, breathing techniques, or other methods to calm down use them to quiet your mind.

IF YOU EAT WHEN YOU’RE OVERHUNGRY

1. If your hunger level is over 4 on a scale of 1-5, it’s a sign that you need food sooner. Often this happens to people after a workday, while they are preparing dinner.
2. Consider doing dinner food prep the night before or morning of so you can eat sooner.
3. If you know you are getting too hungry, stop and have a healthy snack like a piece of fruit, raw veggies, or a few nuts.
4. One way to prevent this from happening is to eat more at the previous meal.
5. Or, have your meal sooner if it’s too hard to wait this long.