Do you eat because the clock tells you its time? Or do you skip meals because its not convenient to eat? Do you wolf your meals? Listen to your hunger signals and learn to Intentionally Eat.

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Hunger Signals and Intentionally Eating

I realized that I have been Intentionally Eating, but not wisely eating. It suddenly occurred to me that I was eating bars, nuts, fruit, etc. before teaching my classes and training clients – “just in case” I got hungry and wasn’t able to stop and eat.

What’s wrong with being hungry?

It’s not like I’m going to starve. Yes, I was eating healthy, but not at the right times. Have you ever eaten just because you were concerned you might become hungry or because it was dinnertime/lunchtime/tvtime?

Now, I have started  paying more attention to my hunger signals and it hasn’t been that easy. For instance, the other night I had class and I wasn’t hungry before, so I waited to eat. Well, of course I was hungry in the middle of class and it’s not possible to eat. I made do and let my thoughts wander to the dinner waiting for me at home. By the time the class was over, I was a bear and had a headache.

It’s okay to be a little hungry. Your body is signalling you that it is time to fuel it. However, hangry is another story. We can become grouchy, snippy, maybe we develop a headache or even become shaky. It is definitely time to eat. That’s when it is vital to have planned ahead to Intentionally Eat. (Don’t know what that means? Click HERE.)

You HAVE to know what your are going to eat and it has to be convenient, otherwise you are going to drive thru and shovel in. At least that’s what I do. Pin

So, I realized that waiting didn’t work for me. I would rather split my meal in half and eat it at two different times when I am slightly hungry, then eat the whole meal at once when I’m starving.

For example, If I’m planning to eat a sandwich, carrot sticks, and grapes at noon, I will eat half of the sandwich and save the other half for 3 or 4 p.m., whenever I become hungry.

We have to figure out what works for our bodies; what gives us sustained energy and satiety. (Remember, the more fiber and water a food has the more satisfied we will feel, a.k.a. veggies and fruit.) We also have to remember that eating is good for our metabolism and Low Calorie Diets can be causing us harm – find out how.

Do you eat your meals behind the wheel?

I’m also concentrating on slowing down while I eat. I’ve noticed that a lot of my meals are behind the wheel. I wolf my food while I drive to the next class, client, or speech. Now, I am paying more attention to the time it takes me to eat. I am parking the car when I can and eating slowly, chewing thoroughly, tasting, and enjoying the food. I am trying to take 20 minutes to eat, since that’s how long it takes to register feeling full.

Do you have bloating, gas, and/or intestinal issues? This is a great article to help you, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/31/chewing-foods.aspx

So, I’m eating slowly and when I’m hungry. Wow! What a concept, huh?!

Intentionally Eat,

Cindy