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How To Tell If You’re Actually Hungry or If You’ve Just Got The Munchies

How To Tell If You’re Actually Hungry or If You’ve Just Got The Munchies
Carly Jacobs
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ne of my biggest struggles in life is my propensity to over-eat. I’ve learned to control this desire over the past decade but it takes a shit-tonne of discipline and concentration. It’s difficult to explain this to people who don’t have the over-eating gene but the struggle is real. I’m one of those people that can always eat but I’m definitely not one of those people with a lightening fast metabolism that compensates for this, so I need to have a few tactics in place to keep myself from burying my face in a packet of chips every five minutes. If you struggle with over eating,  here’s how to tell if you’re actually hungry or if you’ve just got the munchies. Note: I’m not a doctor so if you have more serious over eating issues, make sure you seek professional help. If you’re just a bit of piglet like me, here are a few things I do to keep myself on track.

HUNGRY

Offer yourself a bowl of steamed vegetables 

If you’re truly hungry, any food will satisfy you. If you walk past a donut shop and suddenly feel ravenous, tell yourself to eat a bowl of steamed vegetables first. If you turn your nose up at the thought of vegetables, you’re having a craving, not hunger. If you are hungry, you need real food and a donut just won’t cut it. Hint: Never eat treat foods on an empty stomach. Having a Tim Tam every now and then is totally fine but if you’re hungry, you’re more likely to eat three than one, so always have lunch before you have a sweet treat.

Watch the clock 

We should really only be eating every three to four hours to give our bodies enough time to go through a full digestion cycle. Try to leave a full four hour gap between eating a meal or a snack and actually set a timer. I started doing this after a trip to a wellness spa in Bali and it was a game-changer. I try to go five hours between meals but if I’m really struggling I’ll bring it back to four. It’s a great way to stop all day snacking and it makes you more aware of how often you’re eating, particularly if you’re a mindless over-eater like me.

Drink an enormous glass of water 

Thirst is a master at disguising itself as hunger. If you’re ravenous an hour after a meal, it’s likely that you’re thirsty, not hungry. I have the Drink Water app that I use to remind myself to drink enough water and it stops those fake hungry moments and keeps me appropriately hydrated.

Wait 

Humans can actually last a pretty long time without food. In modern Western culture we’re all pretty terrified of being hungry so we tend to eat ‘just in case’. I’m not quite sure what constitutes ‘just in case’ eating in the modern world. ‘Just in case’ all the shops spontaneously combust? ‘Just in case’ all the food in your house disappears? I know there are people out there with low blood sugar issues who need to eat regularly but I’m not one of them. I try to make sure I’m properly hungry before I eat and I try my best to avoid ‘just in case’ eating.

Have a nap 

Tiredness is a massive killer of self control. If I get home from the Smaggle office in the evening and I start searching for rice crackers to put honey on, I know I’m tired. I’ll lie down for a super quick 15 minutes nap to stop myself from snacking right up until dinner time. I also find if I get less than eight hours of sleep the previous evening, I will always eat more the next day. Get some proper shut eye to stop yourself from having that 3pm gorge fest you’re trying to avoid.

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Do you struggle with over-eating or snacking too much? How do you keep your eating in check?

 

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13 Comments

  1. Alix 8 years ago

    Some great advice here – definitely going to try the 4-hour timer one. I eat when I’m bored – so much happier when I’m busy and then cruise from meal to meal without raiding fridges and cupboards. Another tip I have is that 99% of things you want to eat – tell yourself you can eat it tomorrow. It will still be there. If, of course, you are on an amazing trip and are given the chance to eat a local delicacy that you can’t get anywhere else – then go for it, but otherwise, eat it tomorrow. And then when tomorrow comes… eat it the next day.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      Oh totally! I’m actually not that bad on holidays because I’m not much of a foodie and I feel rubbish if I over indulge. I just generally eat too much most of the time!

  2. chrisatpb 8 years ago

    Like Alix, I tend to eat unnecessarily when I am bored. When I’m busy I can go for hours without even thinking of food. Our minds are funny things aren’t they. One trick I sometimes do is to brush my teeth. You don’t really want to eat when you have that minty fresh tingly mouth thing happening. xx

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      I’m a massive boredom eater and huge hungover eater too so I tend to avoid big nights on the booze. The problem is that eating is so fun and pleasurable. Sigh! 🙂

  3. I tend to brush my teeth when my daughter does before her bed time so it helps with any late night boredom snacking. Otherwise, I’m more of a borg at meals rather than in-betweener.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      I love late night eating. We haven’t done any of it here in the states and I swear my clothes are looser. Will have to keep that up when I get home!

  4. Lauren @ The Thud 8 years ago

    I did a liver cleanse diet a few years ago which advocates skipping meals altogether. Basically it says that we are such slaves to the three meals a day routine that we eat even when we’re not hungry. It gave me permission not to eat which made me much more aware of when I was hungry and when I was eating out of habit. They say ‘the underfed animal lives longest’ so it’s not always necessary to eat. I discovered I can get by pretty easily on far less food than I think I need.
    Of course, I’m currently breastfeeding so I’m eating every four and a half minutes… Definitely blame that and tiredness for my current arse situation.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      Oh definitely – fasting diets are great for teaching yourself that you don’t need to be full all the time. I try to go a full 12 hours without food each day so I won’t between 7pm and 7am. It’s hard work though especially if you’re going out for dinner. And you’ve got a free pass for AGES love – not that you need it, you’re such a teeny little thing!

  5. Reannon 8 years ago

    I am a bit of a piglet too. Last month I challenged myself not to eat after dinner. Didn’t matter if I ate dinner at 5 ( sometimes I do because toddlers are nuts!) or 7, once dinner was done so was my food intake. Some nights I was starving but for the most part I felt much better not going to bed over full. Ive carried it on this month & it’s actually really easy & not so much of a struggle anymore.

    Now if I could just stop eating lunch dessert I’d be ok!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      Oh I adore the concept of lunch dessert! and I’m guilty of eating it way too. My new challenge this month is not to eat after dinner too! I think going to bed earlier will help!

  6. Dawn 8 years ago

    I’m ok until someone offers me something sweet to eat and my will power runs screaming as I munch down on my 2nd empire biscuit, nom nom. Why do sweet things have to taste soooo good?!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      Exactly! Why does sugar have to be so damn addictive? Not cool.

Pingbacks

  1. […] very easily distracted, so I have to use timers and boundaries to keep myself on track. 2. I have a tendency to over-eat, so I have to practice hard core portion control. 3. I’m very fomo (fear of missing out), so […]

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