Ever find yourself munching on popcorn or a bag of chips while watching TV, even when you’ve had a full dinner? Do you reach for a snack when you’re having a bad day at work? Determining exactly why you eat when you’re not hungry can help you curb unnecessary cravings.
- You’re bored
You’re in search of happiness – you just want to feel good and you can’t think of anything else you’d want to do. So when there’s a lull in your schedule and it’s quiet, you turn to food to keep yourself preoccupied.
- You want to stop an uncomfortable emotion
Similar to boredom, you’re uncomfortable and you want it to stop. So you eat, which causes a short-term spike in your serotonin (the happy hormone) levels and acts as a distraction – until that moment passes and you’re back in the same uncomfortable situation you were in to start with.
- You don’t trust hunger to show up
Maybe you ate too much at brunch and five hours later, you’re still not hungry. You become impatient, so you eat.
- Everyone else is doing it
Perhaps you’re at a party and you’re not hungry, but there are lots of snacks and everyone is eating, so why not? When the main meal arrives, you realise you’re not hungry at all, but you eat anyway because everyone around you is eating.
- You just got home from the supermarket and want to try all the snacks
You went to the shops hungry and bought lots of snacks. Now that you’re home and feeling ravenous, you want to taste everything in sight.
- You’re having a ‘see-food’ craving
You walk by food (perhaps biscuits) that you aren’t craving, but now that you see it, it looks too good not to eat.
- You feel out of control
Common scenario for this one: you get home from work totally famished and binge-snack while standing in front of the cupboard/fridge/counter. Now you’ve eaten too much to have dinner, but are also unsatisfied. So you shelf the idea of dinner and continue snacking, in search of satisfaction that never comes.
- Your healthy intentions are catching up with you
You’ve had such a ‘clean’ eating day; you’ve suppressed so many cravings that you’ve used up your willpower for the day. It’d feel so much easier and freeing to just eat, so you stop thinking about the rules and you just go for it (which doesn’t leave you feeling great).
- You justify our eating based on doing ‘better’ in the future
You’ll surely do better tomorrow, so who cares? Right now, it’s fine to just eat the whole tub of ice cream. Surely you’ll get back on track tomorrow?
- You’re stressed
Whether you’re frustrated, feeling impatient or nervous, your body is stressed, and you think of food first to calm yourself down. You don’t know of any other options that might be ultimately more rewarding, so you eat.
- You’re moving too fast
You’re not at all conscious of what you’re eating because you are moving too fast and not paying attention. You don’t savour your food or snack and your body doesn’t register that you’ve actually eaten.
- You’re tired
When you don’t get a good night’s sleep or stayed up too late, your hunger hormones are elevated for the rest of the day. This makes you want to snack more than usual, as your body is craving more energy.
- You’re unsatisfied
You are eating a salad or a portion of fruit with the best of intentions, but you are craving something heartier than lettuce. Listen to your body – if you are craving something sweet, opt for a slice of whole-wheat toast with peanut butter. If it’s salt you crave, indulge in a piece of cheese, paired with an apple. If your craving is really specific, rather have the food you really want, savour every bite without guilt and stop when you are truly full. This way, you will get the satisfaction without sacrificing your taste buds.
This article originally appeared on www.healthyhitsthespot.com, written by American health and wellness coach Paige Schmidt
