What are You Hungry For?

Everyone can identify with cravings – that feeling of, “I need to have it – nothing else will satisfy me.” But cravings often aren’t about hunger at all. Over and over again we misinterpret any feeling of discomfort or imbalance as our body telling us that we’re hungry. We choose food (and often bad foods) and temporarily feel better.  Unfortunately, because we didn’t address what our body was really telling us, that craving feeling quickly returns. Correctly identifying what your body is communicating to you will help you come up with a solution that works (and keep you from overeating.) 

Next time you have that “gotta have it” feeling, ask yourself the following:

• Am I really hungry?
• Am I thirsty?
• Am I tired?
• Am I bored?
• Am I upset?

Once you’ve identified what that unbalanced feeling is ask yourself a bit more:

• If truly hungry: What is a good choice to eat?
• If you’re thirsty: What is a good choice to drink?
• If you’re tired: Do I need to rest?
• If you’re bored: What’s something fun to do?
• If you’re upset: Who can I talk to? What can I do to get my mind off of it?