Are You Non-Hunger Eating?

November 15, 2012 | Ashley Bade, RD, LDN, CNSD | Honest Moms | 4 Comments

Non-hunger eating can be a big struggle for many, grabbing a bite out of stress, sadness or boredom can lead to extra calories in and unwanted weight gain.
For the modern moms out there who may be struggling with bored or emotional eating, we’d like to offer you one of our favorite tips for identifying the problem before you grab for your next non-hunger bite.

The apple test is a quick and easy way to identify hunger versus non-hunger eating. When you’re thinking of grabbing that 3 o’clock cookie or after dinner treat take a moment and go through the following test:

First, acknowledge what you’re reaching for or craving. For example, let’s say you’re grabbing for a cookie. Say to yourself, “I really want to eat a cookie right now” but then ask yourself, “but could I eat an apple?”

If you think of an apple, it’s a filling food that most often people don’t eat due to cravings, but rather due to hunger. While foods that we gravitate towards during non-hunger eating are foods we could always “find room for.”

If the answer is yes, you could eat an apple, then you know you are eating for huger and can go for the cookie or this question could inspire you to grab for a healthier option.

If the answer is no, you couldn’t eat an apple, then you know you are reaching for food for some other reason. Try some distraction such as reading a magazine, going on a walk or for some if you can’t get out of the situation try brushing your teeth or chew some gum to avoid those unneeded noshes.

This quick line of questioning can often be just the check in you need to identify non-hunger eating that may be keeping you from reaching your healthy weight.

Other articles: