hunger signals Archives - Diet Free Radiant Me | Intuitive Eating | Emotional Eating

What Do You Do When You’re Just Not Hungry?

Interesting question, isn’t it? I teach intuitive eating to women and men who are tired of dieting. And their initial understanding of intuitive eating is to “eat when hungry and stop when full”. But the question I hear all the time is “so if I’m not hungry, I shouldn’t eat?”

The answer is yes, and no. Allow me to explain.

To Eat or Not to Eat

When you are coming off dieting, it’s very possible that your hunger signals are silenced. That means they are there, but you don’t hear them. You probably only hear them when you are realllly hungry and your brain is screaming at you “feed me, feed me, I’m starving.” But when the first signals of hunger begin, you probably don’t hear them.

This means you need time to attune to them, to recognize them and to answer them. So, if several hours have passed since you’ve eaten and you don’t necessarily hear those gentle signs of hunger, then yes, it is important for you to eat anyway as part of your self-care plan of nourishing yourself throughout the day.

On the other hand, if you have become familiar with those gentle signs of hunger and “lunch time” comes around and you don’t feel hunger, then it’s totally cool to wait until you feel and hear the hunger.

Remember, “lunch time” as dictated by a clock is still dieting.

Silenced Hunger Signals

There are several reasons why your hunger signals may have silenced. Here’s the top 3:

Dieting: You’ve been dieting for a while and you begin your meals based on when the diet tells you to eat. Even if you’re not hungry, you stop and eat to “stay on plan”.

Numbing: You decide to drink a non or low caloric beverage such as coffee, tea, diet soda or water INSTEAD of eating because even though you are hungry, you’re not “supposed” to eat now so you’ll drink instead. The fluid then numbs your signals and tries to fool your body into thinking you ate. But there’s no fooling your brilliant body.

Chaos: You don’t make the time to hear your hunger signals because you are so busy running around working, chauffeuring the kids to their extra curricular activities, shopping etc… So you push off eating and before you know it, you don’t hear those signals anymore.

Can Hunger Signals Return?

Yes, absolutely yes! You need to practice listening for them and they will return. It’s important to be patient with yourself as you learn to reacquaint yourself with your body.

First Step?

Pop your name and email into the boxes below and start to break the spell that diets have over you. Then, you’ll have the space to work on reigniting your hunger signals.

Managing the Cold and Flu Season on Your Intuitive Eating Journey

Now that fall is upon us, so is cold and flu season… Do you ever worry about what will happen the first time you get sick while on your intuitive eating journey? Do you worry that you’ll find it hard to listen to your body and may fall back into old habits?

Unfortunately, it can be harder for you to eat intuitively while you’re sick, but that doesn’t mean you have to fall back into old habits.

Let me tell you a lesson I learned a few years ago about a time I was sick and how it affected my intuitive eating journey.

I don’t usually get sick so when I do, it really throws me for a loop.

I woke up one morning from a difficult night sleep with a sore throat, coughing, and achy body. I went into the kitchen to prepare my breakfast. What I realized as I tuned into my hunger signals was that I wasn’t really feeling hungry. I stopped to think about this. The last time I ate was dinner the night before, and I am usually hungry in the morning. Yet, I just wasn’t feeling it that morning.

I could have left the kitchen and said I’m not going to eat because I don’t feel any hunger. But that’s not what I did. I changed up my breakfast a bit by having a smaller breakfast of “sick-friendly” foods, which included a small bowl of pastina and a cup of tea.

A few hours later, I sensed a gentle hunger, but still not typical of my usual hunger mid-day. Yet, I realized that it’s been some time since I’ve eaten, and it’s very important to keep my energy levels up with proper fuel. And so again, I tweaked what my usual lunch would be, and had a smaller lunch with another cup of tea.

The lesson I am sharing with you here is this.

While I encourage you to tune into your inner hunger signals as your guide to eating, there are times when those hunger signals might be blunted.

And, one of those times is during illness. Therefore, even if you don’t hear and feel the hunger signals like you normally do, it’s still so important to eat so you can properly nourish your body.

The best option when you’re sick and don’t feel or hear your hunger signals, is to choose healthful “sick-friendly” foods. These types of foods are easy on the stomach (and in my case, easy on my throat). But do keep in mind while you are eating that this might be one situation where you just don’t hear those hunger signals as sharp as when you are feeling well. And that’s okay!

The most important thing to remember is that when you’re sick, your body needs nourishment to feel better, which is why it’s necessary for you to eat, even if you have trouble hearing your hunger signals.

If you are on your intuitive eating journey and struggling with this journey while you are sick, please reach out to me. I can help you navigate this hurdle and continue on your intuitive eating journey.

Email me at Bonnie@DietFreeRadiantMe.com to learn how to navigate intuitive eating through all that life throws your way.

How to Help Your Friends Who Can’t Stop Dieting

I received an email from a young woman (let’s call her Susan) this week who follows my work in intuitive eating. She was sharing with me how thankful she is that she never fell prey to the dieting gimmicks and fads that so many of her friends have, and still do. She is also thankful that I share so much with my community by way of blogs, videos, trainings, as it has helped her stay true to herself in trusting her body.

With her permission, I am sharing an excerpt from her email below.

________________

Growing up, I was never exposed to fad dieting at home. My mom had a great relationship with food and taught me how to live my life as an intuitive eater. This was especially helpful when I was in high school, and lunch periods were consumed by friends talking about which new diet they’re trying and how many pounds they were “supposed” to lose by the end of the week. Thankfully, I was rock solid in my beliefs and always brushed off the diet talk.

I was excited to start graduate school and be part of a program with many intelligent individuals and advance in my career. Yet, the dieting talk followed me here too!

“I wanna lose at least 2 pounds by Friday, think it’s possible? I didn’t bring any food for lunch so I’m hoping that’ll be at least one pound down today” read a text I received last Tuesday from a classmate. I thought being 25 years old and in a notorious graduate program, most people moved past the “dieting stage” and wouldn’t give into the pressure of restricting themselves. Apparently not.

I replied to the text and explained that restricting your intake of food will not cause you to lose weight. In fact, it will actually slow your metabolism down! Plus, starving yourself throughout the day will ultimately backfire when you get home and see the food that was prepared for dinner. You’ll be so famished that you’ll eat too much too fast, ignoring your inner body cues.

“Nah, I have a lot of self-control” was the reply. I shrugged and moved on, thinking “oh well”.

Fast forward a couple of hours, I received a text that read “Help! I inhaled my food and ate too fast. I was just starving! I’m in so much pain”.

I feel bad for my classmate. I really do. She has been on and off many diets in her life, and she’s only 25 years old! As you can see, I tried discussing intuitive eating with her, but she doesn’t understand it. She really believes that she needs to restrict her food and deny her hunger as the way to “change her body”. I texted her your website, DietFreeRadiantMe.com, and gently suggested she read some of your blogs and watch your videos. I hope she does.

Thank you for all you do, Bonnie.

________________________

Wow, emails like this pull at my heart strings for 2 reasons:

My heart is warm and fuzzy that I have helped Susan stay true to herself and maintain the trust in her body and her food choices. The fact that I have put myself out there online and am able to reach people that I might not have been able to reach with my important message makes my heart sing.

My heart aches for those who are still struggling with diets, still struggling with loving their bodies, and not yet trusting that if they listen to their body, it won’t let them down.

So, where do we go from here?

I will continue to put myself out there and continue to spread my message that no form of dieting is going to work for losing weight and keeping it off.

And as scary as it is to stop dieting, it’s time!

I encourage you to be brave and take the leap of faith. You don’t need to go it alone.

I’m here to support you every step of the way.

How to Slow Down the Pace of Eating

In today’s fast paced society it’s only natural that we rush around trying to get everything done before the day is over. You rush to work, school, and everywhere else you have to go. While moving fast may be a necessity for you, eating fast can be detrimental to your health and body.

Did you know that eating your meals quickly can actually lead to overeating and weight gain?

Think back to your last meal… did you inhale it or take the time to enjoy every bite? How long do you think it took you to finish your meal? If it’s less than 20 minutes then keep reading.

Don’t worry you’re not alone, most people devour their meals in about 5 minutes. They put a forkful of food in their mouths and before they even swallow, the next forkful is ready to go. Do you do this too?

When you do this you’re not savoring your meal and you’re not being mindful as you eat. Slowing down as you eat will allow you to really taste every bite and get the most satisfaction out of the meal as possible.

Eating quickly also prevents you from eating until you are comfortably satisfied because you don’t pay attention to your inner fullness signals, instead you eat until the food is gone. It takes the brain 20 minutes to realize that your stomach is full. If you eat fast you can completely miss that fullness cue and you can overeat. It can even cause bloating, gas and heartburn.

In a Japanese study of over 3,000 people, both male and female, those who ate quickly until they were completely full were three times more likely to be overweight than those who ate slower.

Slow down your eating by:

Setting an allotted 30 minutes to sit down and have a good meal
Putting your fork and knife down between bites
Chewing slowly
Using your non-dominant hand to hold the fork
Eating with someone else
Eat without distractions (meaning no T.V. or Phone)

Challenge yourself

Set the timer on your phone and see how long it normally takes you to finish a meal. It might be 5 minutes and you might think that stretching it out to 20 is impossible. It’s not! Continue to use the tips above every time you sit to eat to help lengthen your meal minute by minute. Before long, you will be eating slower and using your inner fullness signals to guide you when to stop. And, you’ll enjoy your meal a whole lot better.

Comment below and let me know how this goes for you!

How to Be an Intuitive Eater When You Are Sick

Learning how to be an intuitive eater after years and years of chronic dieting is certainly a journey with twists and turns. But it’s those twists and turns that lead to movement forward on your path towards food freedom.

Some of these twists and turns we can expect and plan for, such as an upcoming wedding, party or night out on the town. We think ahead, set intentions for the evening and stay aware during our night out.

But there are some twists and turns that we do not plan for. One such is getting sick. Now, there’s all kinds of sick. There’s the flu that keeps you in bed, the stomach virus that keeps you in the bathroom, and there’s migraine headaches which keeps you under the covers. And, then there’s laryngitis.

I am writing this blog as I sit at my desk with no voice. I open my mouth to speak and nothing comes out. Zero, zilch, nada! This happened last night after I finished a 90 minute webinar training on my 5 Step System to Break Free of Dieting (if you didn’t catch the webinar, you can listen to the replay here!)

I could tell my voice was starting to go earlier in the day, it felt a bit scratchy. I drank hot tea and sucked on throat lozenges all in hopes of preserving my voice so I can host the training that hundreds of people signed up for.

And, my voice held out! Until right after the webinar. It was so strange. Within a half hour of the training ending, I lost my voice. The universe really wanted me to share my 5 Step System with as many people as possible, as it is really a life changing process towards eating without guilt and achieving a body you love without dieting.

I was grateful. I took a cup of tea and headed to bed.

Then, this morning, when I awoke, I noticed something. I wasn’t experiencing my hunger signals for breakfast like I usually do. And, throughout the day, I noticed that I was having a hard time identifying hunger. I knew, however, that illness blunts or dulls the hunger signals and in these types of situations, it is important to eat and nourish my body with wholesome foods to aid in my healing.

So this is what I did. I chose soft foods that wouldn’t irritate my throat, and I took the time to sit at my table and eat in a mindful fashion. I found that I became satiated a bit earlier than usual, and I stopped eating at this point.

It takes a bit more effort to tune into your inner signals when you are not feeling well. But your body deserves to be nourished, especially when it needs to heal. And, food is thy best medicine.

Your turn to take action: If you missed my free webinar, request access to the replay here.

How Illness Affects Your Hunger Signals

I’m writing this blog today with a cup of tea to my left, a box of tissues to my right and a throat lozenge in my mouth.

Yes, I am sick. My throat hurts, I am coughing and overall I just don’t feel well.

I don’t usually get sick so this is really throwing me for a loop. But I realize that there is a lesson here that I am eager to share with you.

After I woke up this morning from a difficult night sleep, I went into the kitchen to prepare my breakfast. What I realized as I tuned into my hunger signals was that I wasn’t really hearing hunger. I stopped to think about this. The last time I ate was dinner last night, and I am usually hungry in the morning. Yet, I just wasn’t feeling it this morning.

What do you think I did?

Well, I could have left the kitchen and said I’m not going to eat because I don’t hear my hunger. But that’s not what I did. I changed up my breakfast a bit, and had a much smaller breakfast with a cup of tea.

A few hours later, I sensed a gentle hunger, but still not typical of my usual hunger mid-day. Yet, I realized that it’s been some time since I’ve eaten, and it’s very important to keep my energy levels up with proper fuel. And so again, I tweaked what my usual lunch would be, and had a smaller lunch with another cup of tea.

The lesson I am sharing with you here is this.

While I encourage you to tune into your inner hunger signals as your guide to eating, there are times when those hunger signals might be blunted. And, one of those times is during illness. Therefore, even if you don’t hear and feel the hunger signals like you normally do, it’s still so important to eat so you can properly nourish your body. Choose healthful “sick friendly” foods that are easy on the stomach (and in my case, easy on my throat), but do eat recognizing that this might be one situation where you just don’t hear those hunger signals as sharp as when you are feeling well.

Your turn to take action: How does illness affect your hunger signals and how do you respond?

Willpower is a Dieter’s Word

How many times have you used the word “willpower” when you’ve been on a diet? “I wish I had more willpower not to eat the cake”. “Why can’t I just have the willpower to say NO?” I am NOT going to eat the chocolate, no, no, no! I must have the willpower!”

How has this strategy of willpower worked for you?

I bet it’s worked for a short time, but inevitably when you try to “will” yourself to not eat something that you really would love to eat, you break down and eat it. The only problem now is that you just don’t have one piece of cake or chocolate, you have many.

There is no place in intuitive eating for the word “willpower”.

I explain more in the video below. Just click and watch. Then post your comments below the video and/or right back here.

Shake the Excess

We live in a world that unfortunately tends to judge us based on how much we have. Whether it’s having the most money, the most property, the nicest car, or the most possessions, having a lot is usually a reflection of success in our culture. Interestingly enough, excess in your life may have translated into excess on your plate as well.

When you choose a restaurant or a place to eat out, do you feel like you‘re getting “gipped” if your portions appear to be smaller than what you expect? Do you prefer to buy items in bulk to save money, but then feel guilty at the thought that the food might go to waste so you eat more than you need to just to finish it?

These behaviors are a product of the excess you feel you need to have in your life. You take on too much, you potentially spend too much to “keep up with the Joneses’,” and it is not too surprising to find yourself eating too much.

Sometimes it is important to remember that not just in eating, but in life, having all that you need, not necessarily what you want, is enough. For example, let’s say you had a nice meal and you feel very satisfied from it, but there is a delicious dessert on the menu that you really want to have. You decide to eat the piece of cake because you want it and you think, “When do I ever get to have a nice dessert?” But the thing is you have options in this situation:

Chances are, this meal is not your last, and this item that you want to eat will still be around tomorrow when you wake up. Sometimes you say yes because it seems like this food will never come around again, however there is always another time to try it, and there is no need to go overboard if you are really satisfied. This is easier if you have successfully given yourself unconditional permission to eat when you are hungry what you want (note: this is one of the core characteristics of being an intuitive eater)
Another option is to have a bite or two, and then take the item home. This can work for a main course too. You can always wrap food and have it tomorrow. You can also do this with dinners you make at home. You don’t have to eat everything tonight, in one excess quantity, there is always tomorrow.
There doesn’t have to be a lot on your plate to consider it a good meal or a good portion. Listen to your inner signals and when you have had enough, even if it doesn’t seem like you ate a sufficient portion, then it is enough, for now.

So while excess may seem to find its way into your everyday life, try not to let that idea trickle onto your plate. If you are getting what you need, giving into what you want may not be the answer to making you feel your best.

Your turn to take action: Respect your fullness this week by eating only what your body is telling you it needs. You might be surprised how good it feels to shake the excess! Please share your experience below.

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