Food, Hunger or Excitement?

Emotional hunger is different from physiological hunger. It is stimulated through the thoughts, feelings, and environmental stimuli that you have come to associate with food. The problem with emotional hunger is that no matter how much you eat, you will not be satisfied because the hunger is not for food but for other forms of food. Physical hunger occurs when your body needs food to convert into energy. We recognize it through physical signs such as headache, noise in the intestine, weakness, etc. It is important to recognize the difference between these two types of hunger, so that they can be satisfied appropriately. Identify emotional hunger The most effective way to identify these feelings and situations that trigger hunger is to keep a journal. This will not only allow you to record what you eat but also makes you aware of the emotions that lead you to eat. The diary should be a very precise analysis of everything you eat, where and when you eat, what you are doing and how you feel while you are eating and if you are really hungry. If you keep this diary for at least a week, some eating patterns will emerge. You will be able to observe what feelings the eating triggers in you and whether you are eating for physical or emotional reasons. Once you identify the emotions that trigger your eating, you can develop strategies to manage these feelings. When you feel emotional hunger, take some action to get it under control. Two ways to handle them is through confrontation and distraction. Choose the best strategy for you. How to confront it Confrontation is an offensive strategy, in which you confront the desire to eat beforehand. The emotional need to eat must be perceived as a threat to your control and therefore you will have to determine not to be defeated. Not giving in to emotional hunger means winning and this weakens the desire to eat in the future. Distraction is a defensive strategy. When you feel the need to eat, do something different to get food off your mind. For example: you can call a friend, do relaxation exercises or walk. Other ideas to distract yourself from emotional hunger are: Listen to a CD with relaxing music, read a book, take a bath, read a magazine or newspaper, fix the garden or do a hobby or pastime.