Are you a clock watcher, waiting for the next meal? Or do you eat only when your body tells you it’s time to eat?
You ate your last meal because you were hungry… right? Maybe not! Although physical hunger may be the motivation, for some it is merely the time on the clock, an enticing food commercial, and the aroma of cooking food or merely habit.
What if you only ate when you were truly hungry? Then you would be listening to your body’s signals. Some have lost touch with paying attention to their inner wisdom, instead focusing on external stimuli. Do you recognize physical hunger symptoms? Or have you not allowed yourself to get to that point?
- Gurgling, growling stomach
- Empty, gnawing feeling
- Difficulty concentrating
- Low energy
- And if too hungry- shaky, headache, irritable
Here is a sample of a hunger scale that can be helpful when first getting back in touch with the physical sensation of hunger. Rating the level of your hunger prior to eating, whether it’s a meal or snack, will clearly demonstrate whether you are being triggered by external stimuli or listening to your body.
If you respond to only true hunger, eating nourishing foods most of the time and only to the point of comfortable fullness, you will be using the wisdom of your body to maintain a healthy weight… or lose weight if that is what is needed for your health. It is a gradual process if you have not been using this natural insight, but the rewards are gratifying. And NO dieting…