Are you eating compulsively or are you really hungry?

I vividly remember a lecture given to us by an expert on weight management. She herself had tried many, many ‘diets' only to fail at each one. It was only when she learned the ‘art' of eating according to true stomach hunger and not respond to the sight, smell or taste of food, that her weight came under control.

For those of you who are struggling or feeling guilty because you aren't sure how much you should eat, or you are feeling guilty because you perceive that you have eaten too much, it might be worth a try at trying to respond to true stomach hunger.

Simple as it may sound, the question "Are you hungry?” is a profound one for those who overindulge. Most of the time you are reaching for food, when hunger is the last thing you are thinking about. A lot of us reach adulthood being without being able to identify the feeling of stomach hunger or if they can, the signal is very dim.

The whole notion of eating in response to stomach hunger is so alien that we might be shocked to hear another person turn down the offer of a meal with "Thanks, but I'm not hungry right now.” What does hunger have to do with it you say?!

Try making a conscious effort to tune into your hunger. As long as you continue to eat because of mouth hunger, the ability to identify the signals for stomach hunger will be few and far between. Your stomach is unable to tell you that it's hungry if you've just filled it to deal with some other feeling. The more you look forward to the experience of stomach hunger however, the more apt you are to find it.

Some people are genuinely frightened by the idea of stomach hunger. This may be because they cannot feel hungry without recalling all the other emotions that accompanied hunger in their memories. Others may feel that if they allow themselves to feel hunger, they may eat uncontrollably.

Learning to eat from stomach hunger after many years of eating from mouth hunger is not simply a change of habit, nor is it a mere reconditioning of your eating behaviour. Each time you feed yourself out of stomach hunger, you are demonstrating your ability to respond to your needs. Think of it this way: As you become more in tune with yourself, you will feel more secure. As you practice this, you become very self aware and much more unlikely to be sabotaged at unexpected exposure to food. Thus, your mind will learn to respond to "Am I really hungry?” versus "Oh, there is some food, I want to eat it”.

Now, this all may sound easy, but what is true ‘stomach hunger'? To me, it is an empty feeling or a ‘growling'. When it is there, I will eat something to settle it, but I have to try hard not to over eat. It does not take much food to settle a growling, empty stomach. You must also realize that you can always have more. But the art of learning to eat small quantities to satisfy true hunger is what we want to learn to do.

I'm not sure when the shift in our society occurred for the need to respond to super sized foods or excessive portions. There is no question; we have lost the ability to know what a true portion is. One way other than measuring and weighing, is to eat when you are hungry, but stop when you are satisfied. Eat slowly, because that feeling of satisfaction is delayed.

So, try the art of listening to your stomach (not your eyes or nose, or time of day). If it's really and truly empty, then eat. If not, wait, because you are not in need of food. If you are feeling tense and simply want to fulfill that oral gratification of putting something on your lips or tongue, have some something to drink like water, tea, or coffee.

None of this is easy, but if you practice you will feel in control because you will now be eating according to your needs, yet not overeating based on portions determined by someone else

Keep trying different techniques. Find out what works for you. It's not easy, so never, ever give up on yourself.

Dr Doug