Are you really hungry?

By Kate Gudorf

It’s Easter time again.  And for some, Easter is a time of feeling over-stuffed with chocolate Easter eggs and weekend BBQs.  

Have you found yourself eating food, like chocolates, even when you’re not really hungry?  Non-hungry eating or emotional eating may be to blame.

What is non-hungry eating?  It’s eating for reasons other than true physiological hunger.  We eat for a variety of reasons, for cultural reasons, to celebrate an occasion, for emotional reasons such as stress, boredom or loneliness.  Sometimes we may feel hunger due to the sight or smell of food.   Think of the smell of a movie theatre or a beautiful display case of freshly baked cupcakes.  There are a variety of reasons that our appetite may be triggered. 

Appetite is different from physiological hunger, which is our body’s natural way of letting us know we are hungry.  Hunger is physical and symptoms may include light headedness, feeling irritable or weak or our stomach growling. 

Learning to distinguish hunger from appetite is an important strategy that can be used to prevent weight gain and it’s one we teach in our 12 Weeks to Weight Loss Program. 

In the 12 Weeks to Weight Loss Program, you will learn how to prevent emotional eating, set realistic weight loss goals, choose healthier options when dining out, use portion control and healthy cooking techniques, and a variety of other topics.  The program includes 6 fortnightly visits with a dietitian.

This Easter, prevent the chocolate Easter egg weight gain by signing up for our special 12 Weeks to Weight Loss program at the discounted price of $450.  Learn a variety of tips to help you achieve your weight loss goals.  For enquiries, contact Kate Gudorf.