She's Back - Honoring our selves and our Hunger!!!!

Am I Hungry?

Good Morning All...

Last week was a tough week...I think I over did it!! (Surprise, Surprise) and began getting an infection in my foot.  Needless to say I stayed low for the week and am much better this week.

This week's topic is about honoring hunger...When do we eat?  Are we really hungry?

There are many reason why people tend to eat:  Their bodies may need food, they may go by the clock, sitting down for meals on schedule whether their stomach is rumbling or not; or they may eat in response to emotions-not just sadness but also stress, boredome, anxiety, even happiness.  But eating for one of the latter reasons can easily lead to overeating.

This week we are going to learn to listen more carefully for our body's hunger signals, track them and honor them.

Here's some questions to ask yourself:

• Do you ever eat just because the clock says it's mealtime?
• Are you stuck in a three-meal-a-day run?
• Have you ever eaten at a certain time just because it was convenient?
• When have you found yourself at the fridge for reasons other than hunger?
• What happens when you ignore hunger signals?
• Even when you are full do you remember what our mothers and grandmothers said "Finish everything on your plate!"

So often I remember hearing that when I was growing up so I thought I had to always finish everything on my plate.  I would eat until everything was gone and then I would feel so stuffed I couldn't sleep or move...When I joined Weight Watchers I found ways to erase those old tapes and eat until I was satisfied and be okay with leaving food on the table.  I can take a bite of something and be done with it, and if I am not hungry and I can "No Thank-you" and not feel guilty about turning down food.

I realized that most of my eating was in my head and not really in my stomach.  I honor my hunger when I am really hungry, but I also think about what is going on.  Am I really hungry or does the clock say it is time to eat.

Take this simple test:

When I am hungry I feel ______________
When I am satisfied I feel _____________
When I am full I feel _________________

Now compare it to what the experts say:

Hungry:  Classic hungry symptoms include a rumbling stomach, decreased energy and mental distraction.
Satisfied - When you've eaten enough your brain knows it.  You're neither too hungry nor too full, but somewhere in the middle, just right.
Full: If you override the signals that you've had enough and keep eating, you feel full.  It's uncomfortable, like your stomach is about to burst.

Before Weight Watcher's I think I owned stock in Tums.  But my brain didn't get it.  At night I would eat, I would get ready for bed and I would grab a handful of Tums.  I couldn't understand why my stomach hurt every night, maybe I had an ulcer, maybe I was just stressed.  This past week I cleaned out our medicine cabinet and realized we had a full bottle of Tums that had expired.  I look back now and realize that it was the overeating that caused my stomach to hurt and I didn't have an ulcer!!!  Amazing what hindsight can show you!!!

I have a poem for you and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I read it...

How do I know when to eat?

Do I go by the clock
Or when I see my favorite treat
Sometimes I eat, when I'm feeling down
And sometimes I eat in secret, when no one's around
I often eat when I have the time,
Or when my schedule, allows me to dine.
It is not very often though
That I listen to my hunger signals for a yes or a no.
I would do much on better on my weight loss plan
If I eat when my body needs fuel,
And not just because I can!

Enjoy your week and I look forward to seeing you on Thursday if you can make it to the meeting!!!

Carol