Article -- Coping with Head Hunger

[Guest guest]

Although it is long, I just wanted to share this article and hope others find it

as interesting and helpful as I did.

Jeanne

Coping with Head Hunger

By May, M.D.

Do you sometimes confuse " head hunger " with physical hunger?

Sometimes I want a brownie really means I want pleasure, I need comfort, I

deserve a reward, or I wish I could tell you how I really feel.

Food and Feelings

Perhaps you sometimes eat to cope with stress, distract yourself from difficult

emotions, or stuff down feelings you don't know how to express in a healthier

manner.

However, boredom, anger, anxiety, loneliness, stress, and other feelings are a

natural part of our lives and eating won't make them go away. In fact, eating

disconnects you from important information about what you really need.

The food you eat to deal with feelings comes with strings attached—weight gain

and regret. But more importantly, when you eat to make them go away, you don't

have the opportunity to discover and satisfy your true needs. Since eating

cannot meet your emotional needs, those unmet needs trigger overeating again and

again.

The way to break out of this pattern is to stop judging yourself when you

overeat and instead try to figure out what you needed that drove you to eat when

you weren't physically hungry. Examining your current eating behavior can be a

powerful source of information about your inner self and your true needs and

wants.

Some ideas for exploring your emotional triggers include journaling, talking

with a friend or counselor, expressing yourself through creative outlets like

painting or music, praying and meditating, even screaming into a pillow.

Once you've identified the emotions that triggered your desire to eat, seek ways

to comfort, nurture, and redirect yourself without turning to food. Examples

include reading, gardening, exercising, scrapbooking, and anything else you find

enjoyable and calming. Find out how to download this one-page handout, " 101

Things To Do Instead of Eating When You're NOT Hungry " . Highlight the activities

that appeal to you and add some of your own. Keep your list and any necessary

supplies handy and make a commitment to try one for a few minutes before eating

when you're not hungry.

By learning to recognize and cope more effectively with your head hunger, you'll

begin to break free from old, problematic habits. You'll find yourself eating

less, feeling more satisfied, and meeting your needs more appropriately:

When I'm hungry, I eat what I love.

When I'm bored, I do something I love.

When I'm lonely, I connect with someone I love.

When I feel sad, I remember that I am loved.

Your thoughts....

What are your emotional triggers for eating? How do to cope with them?

May, M.D., a physician and recovered yo-yo dieter, is the founder of Am

I Hungry?® Mindful Eating Program and the award-winning author of Eat What You

Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle. Download the

first chapter of Eat What You Love now for free.