In yesterdays blog I talked about will power vs. habits and their role in weight loss and building a healthy lifestyle pattern.
One habit we all have in common and I’d dare say we all enjoy, is eating.
Food is good. Food is also the source of fuel for our bodies to perform daily tasks and live life. Food is meant to be enjoyed and savored!
There are lots of things to eat, and hopefully, you are making choices to eat healthy and nutritious foods the majority of the time.
In the ways of developing habits I’m sure most of us have habits of eating at scheduled times during the day to keep our energy level up.
We have an amazing God given built in system that tells us when we need food.
Ever get that grumbly, growly, tummy ? That’s the signal you need to eat. Once we’ve eaten enough to be (comfortably) satisfied we stop…or we should.
Unfortunately, many can go to either extremes with this. Either the hunger signals are constantly and frequently ignored which can lead to possible eating disorders, or one can eat often and frequently enough to not even remember what natural hunger signals feel like.
I know when I do long runs, my appetite can sometimes hit the roof and I feel like I can’t get it in fast enough. It feels good when it hits bottom!
Why? Because I’m genuinely, truly, hungry. I always joke food tastes so amazing when you are really hungry.
What I want to ask is this… do you eat when you are really truly, hungry? Or do you eat as a habit ? Because it’s a scheduled meal time?
We do need to schedule and eat adequate meals, but we also need to learn when enough is enough to take care of our hunger but not send us into that “I ate to much” feeling. Balance is what we’re seeking, balance in meeting our needs, but not over doing it.
Get this… you don’t have to eat if you aren’t hungry. Or if it’s a scheduled meal time and you aren’t hungry.
However, if you get balanced, adequate meals in your day you should be experiencing those natural signals before your next meal. Allow yourself to understand, feel, and act on those signals.
Developing a habit to eat, when hungry, and stop when your hunger is comfortably satisfied is a big step towards losing weight and moving into healthy lifestyle patterns.
Is this easy for you to do ? Or will you need some practice to make it a habit ?
sassyfitnesschick 
“You don’t have to eat if you’re not hungry” is such an important lesson especially because so many social activities revolve around eating especially at this time of year 😉
I finally accepted that my breakfast habits vary, sometimes I’m hungry when I first get up at 5:30 but most days I wait to eat until later in the morning usually around 8 or 9. Great post!
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Yes, I understand that morning issue thing. I think it’s always best to find what works for each person. Thank you for your kind words =)
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I’ve been trying to drink a cup of green tea when I feel hungry. I know I often eat out of boredom, so I’m trying to trick my mind. Great post!
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Yes, it’s so important to learn to define what is really hunger, or is it thirst or fatigue/ boredom making us look for food ? Thanks for you kind words!
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