Ponder on this for a moment. If you never allow yourself to feel hungry, are you effectively managing your hunger and cravings, or just simply overeating?
As you may know from reading my personal journey, I’ve had my own struggles with weight. One of the ingredients to overcoming this was to manage hunger. By keeping myself reasonably hungry throughout the day, I was able to ensure that my body was tapping into its fat stores rather than adding to them.
“But isn’t that just starving yourself?” Nay, my friend. Reasonably hungry. Please don’t starve yourself. It’s not healthy, and I’d imagine it’s not too fun either.
1. Listen to Your Body
Our bodies are much smarter than we give them credit. We are constantly getting signals in the background, which we often ignore. Understand how to use these signals to lose, or maintain, weight depending on your needs.
Body Scan Meditation
Here is a little trick I want to teach you…
Whether you’re sitting or standing, I want you to put both feet planted on the floor. Arms at rest, close your eyes. Think about how the top of your head feels. Make up whatever adjective suits you. Now do the same as you move down the rest of your head, to the neck, and go until you reach your feet. You should feel different sensations as you go.
This is called Body Scan Meditation, and it’s something I use regularly to ease any anxiety I might be experiencing. In American culture this can all sound very Eastern, Yoga-y, or only for women; but I assure you it’s for everyone. It’s just simply taking a moment to slow down, and think about how you feel at this moment. Maybe you’re tired, and didn’t realize just how much. Maybe your shoulders are stiff and you should change how you’re sitting.
Differentiating Between Hunger and Cravings
Now that you understand this concept, we’re going to use it in a slightly different way. Your eyes can be open or closed – I personally keep them open. This time, instead of starting at the top of your head, I want you to only scan down your mid section, your stomach. How does it really feel? I’d suggest specifically doing this when you’re feeling hungry or craving something.
Are you really hungry, or do you just feel like you want to eat? Do you have a craving for a particular food choice? Think about eating something else, something you don’t feel like eating. Are you all of a sudden not so hungry? Try occupying yourself by changing activities, such as going for a short walk. Chances are, you’ll forget you thought you were hungry.
Are you really hungry, or are you thirsty? Imagine drinking water. Is it off-putting because you’ve already had plenty of water recently; or are you practically salivating at the thought of crystal clear water, with condensation on the glass? It may be time to drink some water.
2. Understand what foods gel with your body
Begin taking mental notes of what foods make you feel hungry soon after eating and which keep you satisfied for hours.
Everyone’s body works a bit different. Some may have a couple of scrambled eggs and will be good for a while. Me? I’m hungry 2 hours later. Now, put those two eggs with some sausage, cheese, and an English Muffin and that 350 Calorie sandwich will keep me satisfied for about 8 hours.
Now don’t get me wrong. the important foods are ones with balanced nutrients; any expert will tell you that. But for the moment, let’s not let perfect get in the way of better. If you’ve given up on eating more veggies, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on losing weight. Who is healthier – a fit person who doesn’t eat vegetables, or an obese person who does the same?
Saying that, I don’t mean to devalue the importance of getting the nutrients your body needs. If you are eating less, consuming foods that are nutrient-rich become even more important. Those Snickers you used to chow down on had peanuts. Peanuts have protein. May not have been much, but you’re no longer getting that extra protein that used to be in your diet.
As you remove foods from your diet, be sure to be mindful of what nutrients you’re taking out with it. Maybe you used to be a cereal killer, or a slayer of sandwiches. That’s fiber you’re missing out on.
3. Mindful Eating
My day job is stressful. It’s mentally taxing and includes decisions that spark uncertainty. I used to find myself going to grab a candy bar when things got especially taxing. I’d think to myself, “Today is a hard day, I deserve this.” Wait- screech.. did I just say I deserve a treat? I wasn’t even thinking that I just crave it. No, I deserve that treat.
The day I realized the lie I had been telling myself, I took up a new philosophy. Need or don’t need, there is no deserve. I call it Mindful (or Intentional) Eating. Listen to the body, and then choose: to eat, or not eat, depending on the situation.
Not only should you think about whether or not you are going to eat, but how much. Our eyes are bigger than our stomach sometimes, and we think we need more than we really do.
Just last night I ran into this, when my wife was making rolled tacos with guacamole. Reflecting on my daily intake, I considered the amount I should eat – an amount that would allow me to lose weight without leaving my stomach rumbling as I tried to fall asleep.
In the end, I made the decision to have one more than I should have. I felt a bit bloated afterward, and I could tell I would have been satisfied, had I not eaten the last one. But that’s okay – as long as I’m being mindful about how much I’m eating, and how that affects me that day, I can learn from that. It’s still a win, because I’m not giving up.
Sometimes I still do reach for that candy bar – but it’s usually when I’m working on maintaining my current weight. Whatever the reason, I always think about the choice. Every time.
4. Stay Hydrated
It shouldn’t be a surprise that water is on the list. Health professionals the world over stress its importance, and for good reason. Not only is drinking water the most effective way to manage hunger and cravings, but your body overall.
Importance of Hydration
Not having enough water is like your car not having enough oil. It lubricates our joints, regulates our body temperature, gives us energy, and that’s just to name a few. We’ve all heard the benefits, but we tend to forget to drink water throughout the day.
When we are focused on trying to drink enough water, we tend to overcomplicate the matter. We buy giant bottles to carry with us, so that we can keep measurement. Some actually try to manage their intake by looking at the color of their urine, to make sure it’s a particular shade of yellow. Kind of gross, right?
If those tools work for you, great! I know I measure my water by 32oz bottles. But if you also have trouble keeping track of how many of those bottles you’ve drank today, I’m right there with you.
How to Drink Enough: Listen to Your Body’s Cues
Despite hydration being the most important item on this list, there is a good reason it’s not #1. That’s because it goes hand-in-hand with listening to your body, and mindful eating. See, you already have a nagging, panging, alarm clock inside you that reminds you to drink water – the feeling of hunger.
Uninstall that water app, you don’t need it. Just follow the simple rule: when you’re hungry, take a gulp.
You may find that you forgot you were hungry after that first gulp. In part, because the feeling of hunger and thirst aren’t so different from one another. Often when people say they are “thirsty,” they are actually dehydrated. “Dehydrated,” they are actually severely dehydrated.
Keep at it, and it will eventually become second nature. I don’t even consciously think about drinking water anymore. The only time I do, is when I reach for my bottle when it’s empty – and let me tell you, it gets empty pretty often!
5. Change how you think about hunger
All of this is well and good, but staying hungry sounds uncomfortable. Possibly even miserable. Well, it doesn’t have to be.
Recognize that we often play victim to our emotions and sensations. We see hunger as something inflicted upon us. Something you run from until you get a chance to satiate that scornful belly of yours. Retribution for taking too long to check out at the grocery store, surely.
What if, instead of running, you turned and faced it? Face it, and name if for what it is.
A deficit.
An opportunity.
A good thing.
When hunger comes, I get excited. It’s the time of day where I get to see if I planned the amount of food to consume, and timing, correctly. It means I did something right, and that good things are coming.
I think of not eating as an activity, not inactivity. Don’t let hunger take you off guard – expect it.
Your emotions should not have the driver’s seat in your life. Take the wheel and make responsible decisions. If you need to lose weight, that feeling of hunger represents the reversal of all of those times you enjoyed overindulgence.
Putting it all together
Once you have a positive view of hunger, use it to your advantage.
Stay slightly hungry for an amount of time that is suitable for you, where you are losing weight. Be sure to weigh yourself every day to see what works and what doesn’t.
Drink water whenever you feel hunger pangs. Often the feeling will go away. Either way, it is helping you drink the amount of water you need to stay healthy.
When it is time to eat, choose foods that work well with your body. Otherwise, feelings of hunger will get more frequent, intense, and extremely uncomfortable after a while.
Don’t take it too far
I personally eat the most at dinner time, because I don’t like going to bed hungry. This is about finding what works best for you and your body. You may find that you need to eat the most in the beginning of your day. If it works for you, do it.
Keep in mind, there were times when I felt I wasn’t eating enough, and I responsibly decided to consume a bit more on those days. This sometimes meant maintaining my weight rather than losing it – and that’s completely fine. Managing your weight is a lifelong endeavor – it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s about striking a balance that is sustainable and nourishing for your body while supporting your weight management journey. Don’t shy away from those days when you need a bit more fuel, they’re part of the journey.