{"id":35073,"date":"2014-02-26T14:15:08","date_gmt":"2014-02-26T14:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=35073"},"modified":"2017-04-27T08:28:32","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T13:28:32","slug":"really-hungry-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/really-hungry-part-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Am I Really Hungry? (Part 3)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"iStock_000008575905Small\"<\/a>In Part 1 of this article, we pointed out that there is a difference between true hunger as opposed to cravings and emotional eating. \u00a0In Part 2, we talked about emotional eating triggers and how to deal with each of them, which we will now continue discussing.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Habit<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Symptoms:
\nYou’re standing in front of the freezer with your hands on the ice cream. Your eyes are glazed over. You take out a spoon and begin eating. Dinner is over and the evening eating has begun.<\/p>\n

The Solution:
\nStop what you are doing and focus. \u00a0We need habits in our lives. Habits help us make it through the day without having to relearn a lot of stuff. That’s the good news. But when we develop bad habits they keep us as prisoners, acting out old scripts without thinking about what we are doing. We get so used to eating ice cream after dinner that we begin to believe we can’t get through the night without it. The first time you do something different than you usually do, it might feel strange. The 10th time you perform your new positive behavior, it will be a habit. Be firm and tell yourself that dinner is over and you are finished eating tonight. Be conscious. You can do it!<\/p>\n

Stress<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Symptoms:
\nAre you easily agitated? Do you have aches, pains and tense muscles? Are you getting sick frequently? \u00a0Feel like you’ve got a one-shot chance to complete this project and you’re not prepared? Welcome to real life.<\/p>\n

The Solution:
\nStress is a factor in our modern lives and we start to think that it’s natural. Not only do we blindly begin accepting this stress, but many of us deal with it by overeating. Stress kills. We certainly don’t want to add to our stress by gaining weight and stressing our hearts and bodies. Exercise is a great stress reducer. \u00a0If you can find just 20 minutes each day to do some stretching and relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation, you will notice a big difference. DO NOT EAT! Overeating is a stressor all by itself. \u00a0We can try to control the factors that stress us, but many times we are caught up in deadlines and other situations that we can’t control.<\/p>\n

Real Hunger<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hunger, cravings and emotional eating all end up with the same result- overconsumption of calories, overweight, and down the road, ill health. There are probably multiple reasons why we can no longer rely on the hunger reflex for eating anymore. \u00a0Our food is different than it used to be and has addictive properties now, particularly processed foods. \u00a0Be mindful in your eating and put your fork down between bites, sip water, and enjoy conversation while you dine.<\/p>\n

Here are a few more tips to help you get in touch with real hunger:<\/p>\n