Friday, April 29, 2011

Head Hunger: Coping with Your Triggers for Overeating part 4

By Michelle May, M.D.
http://www.AmIHungry.com

Why am I hungry all the time?

If you find yourself thinking, "Why am I hungry all the time?" you may be confusing "head hunger" with "body hunger." If you're someone who's sensitive to food cues, weight management will be challenging until you are able to recognize the overeating triggers in your environment and break the associations that lead you to overeat simply out of habit.

Let's take a look at just a few of the common overeating triggers and strategies for coping more effectively with head hunger.

TEMPTING DISPLAYS: Seeing displays of food like candy or nuts in dishes and tempting foods when you open your cabinet or refrigerator can trigger you to want those foods.

Strategy: 
Out of sight, out of mind. Don't use food as decorations or leave appetizing foods laying in plain view. Try putting tempting foods behind other foods in your cabinets and refrigerator. If a co-worker keeps food out, ask them to put it in a drawer instead.

So if you've wondered, "Why am I hungry all the time?" it's time to develop new strategies. By learning to recognize and decrease your overeating triggers, distracting yourself and coping effectively with head hunger, you'll soon break free from old habits. You'll find yourself eating less, feeling more satisfied and more fulfilled. 

Discover what you need to know to change your destructive patterns for good in these nine "easy-to-read over a cup of coffee" e-book chapters from I'm NOT Hungry - What Now?