What's Triggering Your Hunger

If you can’t seem to figure out why you have been shoveling an ungodly amount of food into your mouth, take a second to see if any of these factors can be the cause of your so called "hunger." Overeating and binge eating can cause so many different mental and physical health issues. Being hungry is the physiological need for calories, water and salt. So next time you find yourself about to over eat, check to see if any of these are what is triggering your hunger, and take action before it happens.

Dehydration: The excessive loss of water intake, especially if you are exercising. Be sure to consume water before, during and after activities. A lot of people make the common mistake of skipping water until they are actually thirsty, and this is a big mistake. Your body will be very dehydrated before it tells you that you’re thirsty. It’s recommended to drink at least 8 ounces of water before each meal. Drinking water before eating will actually help prevent you from overeating. Many times people will think they are still hungry when really they are just thirsty.

Starchy Carbs: Ever find yourself going for "just one," one but can’t seem to resist. Starchy carbs such as cookies, pastries, white bread and pizza, all spike your blood sugar levels, and soon after they’ll plunge leaving you wanting more of these starchy carbs. The vicious cycle continues, never truly leaving you fulfilled. If you were to opt for complex carbs such as, almonds, apples, sweet potato, brown rice etc... you would be far more satisfied and wouldn't need to keep reaching for that third donut.

Alcohol: You drink way too much alcohol. Let’s face it, not too many great decisions ever come from too much booze. It’s no secret that alcohol dehydrates you, leading back to square one. You are most likely craving a nice cold bottle of water and not pizza. A night out for a few drinks most likely turns into a 3am diner run. You would be lying if you said you didn't then order cheese fries, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, chocolate cake and to top it off, a milk shake. Keep your alcohol intake to a minimum and be sure to stay hydrated while drinking.

Inhaling Your Food: You eat way to fast. A lot of the times people are so busy with their daily life they don't even sit down to eat. You don't give your brain a chance to enjoy or even realize what you are eating. This will then cause you to immediately think you are still hungry and go for more food. But in the long haul, it only causes you to go into a “food coma." If you took the extra time to sit down, and try and actually enjoy your food, you most likely wouldn't find yourself over indulging to the point where you can’t breathe.

Skipping Meals: "Oh I had breakfast this morning." You find yourself saying to a co-worker at 2pm when they ask if you want any lunch. Do not skip meals. Your body is a machine, it needs to be fed to function and work properly. You shouldn't go longer than 4-5 hours without eating. Those who tend to just eat breakfast and then skip their meals until dinner, find themselves overeating at night. "Oh my gosh, I can’t seem to get myself out of the kitchen at night." I have heard this far too often. But if only you didn't skip meals during the day, you wouldn't find yourself having a 6 course meal at midnight.

Hopefully these tips will make you take a second and think  the next time you are about to eat an entire chocolate cake, or go all day without eating and then over indulging at midnight with the cookies you stashed under your bed. A proper diet is a well planned and balanced one. Don't stress yourself, pay attention to your portion sizes, but also make sure you are eating enough throughout the day.  You'll be sure to fight off hunger with these tools.