Week 5 Friday Meeting (February 5)

Hunger or cravings?

Is it hunger? Cravings? Are you an emotional eater? How do you decide what is going on?

First, ask yourself these two questions:

§ When was the last time I ate?

§ Would I be satisfied with a snack of nuts and string cheese or raw veggies and hummus?

If your answer is… “I ate more than four hours ago,” you’re likely feeling a sensation of hunger because it’s time to eat. Pay attention to what your body is telling you.

To get back on the Beach, have a SBD-friendly meal or snack. Put together a combination of proteins and veggies with a starch or fruit if you are in Phase 2 or Phase 3. Perhaps you’d enjoy cooked chicken, raw veggies, and a pre-made salad mix stuffed in a whole-wheat pita. Add in dairy and beans, naturally balanced sources of carbohydrates and protein—they are standard SBD fare.

If your answer is… “I would be satisfied with a SBD snack, and it has been less than four hours since I last ate,” you might be suffering from cravings! Cravings hit when your last meal was not SBD friendly and something caused a rise—and then a rapid drop—in blood-sugar levels.  When this happens, it creates cravings earlier than when you should be hungry. 

To get back on the Beach, think about what caused the blood-sugar issue so you can avoid it in the future. Did you have white rice instead of brown rice, cereal without enough fiber, white bread instead of whole grain? Once you identify the root of your craving, have a healthy, balanced snack and move on with your day.

If your answer is… “String cheese and nuts or veggies and dip is not going to cut it!” then it might be emotional hunger.

Emotional eating is an inappropriate response to uncomfortable feelings. Eating food for emotional purposes does not make you feel better. You may temporarily feel full, but you won’t feel satisfied. In fact, it probably slows you down and dulls the feelings.

To get back on the Beach, identify that underlying feeling: is it frustration, anger, boredom, loneliness, fear, happiness, shame, or something else? Once you’ve figured out what feeling you’re trying to cope with, get creative! Ask yourself what you need in that moment instead of food. Perhaps you want a glass of ice water or a hot bath. Maybe you should do some yoga, take a walk, read a book, or go window shopping. You might write in your journal, work on your favorite hobby, clean the junk drawer, look at photos, e-mail or call a friend, or meditate. Find what works to fulfill those emotional needs.

Hunger, craving, or emotional eating—which one do you feel most often? How can you approach it differently next time it happens?

Hey there, great advice...I'm going to copy and post this somewhere near the snack cupboard!  LOL

Hi Sheri,
Thanks for taking the time to advise us on this topic.  I fell into a  "bored" eating dilemna earlier this week, I didn't even realize what I was doing until it was over.  Maybe you could call it an "unconscience" eating binge I don't know, followed by guilt you wouldn't believe.  I don't know if it was because my eating schedule, well lack of one, is so inconsistent.  could this be why?  I sometimes have to tell myself outloud "NO" to something I think I want.

Another question I have is:
Are Cravings OK if you can control them?  If I eat a SF choc pudding, I do get cravings but if the chocolate taste is worth it and I know I will have a craving, is it OK to not avoid it as long as I don't eat non SBD food?