Everyone has probably had a situation where you didn’t finish something in a cafe, and the waiter, taking away your half-empty plate, wondered, “Is there something wrong with the meal? Was it not good?” All other things being equal, your parents would rebuke the way they tried and cooked for you, awakening feelings of guilt.
In turn, we are used to this reaction, we become afraid of lack of understanding from the outside and don’t want to jump into explanations to express their desires or position. It’s easier to finish everything without unnecessary questions.
Another situation: when we are in company, we are so caught up in what is going on that we ignore ourselves and stop fixating on our sensations. The focus of attention shifts from internal processes to external ones. According to statistics, during a heart-to-heart talk, on average, we eat 60% more food than in private or in a familiar environment.
What to Do in Both Cases?
Understand Your Hunger/Satiety Signals
When a person eats in a company or while gambling at this casino site and watching movies at the same time, they stop evaluating their sense of hunger and satiety and are often guided only by how much others are eating. Note: the same applies to alcohol. If you know someone struggling with alcohol addiction their is treatment which is called the medication assisted treatment for Alcohol Use that provides a holistic approach in treating your addiction. We assess our neighbor at the table, see that he is okay, and mirror the portions. As a result, in the morning, he is awake and fresh, and you are groggy and ashamed.
At first, it’s hard to learn to recognize hunger and satiety, a skill we often ignore. Laziness. If you overcome it, you learn to masterfully control yourself. Our body is filled with information and has a lot of signals. Take some time to figure out what it’s telling you. Ask the question “how does hunger feel in your body?” and search for answers:
- Is your stomach rumbling?
- Do you feel dizzy, or does your mouth feel dry?
- Does your mood change?
- What happens when you overeat?
- Where in your body do you feel this fullness?
- Do you have a lot of energy when you overeat? Do you find it easy to focus?
Real hunger is a slow onset. You haven’t eaten in hours. Your mood doesn’t change; you can tolerate the sensation without becoming irritated. You feel empty in your stomach, rumbling.
Thirst arises quickly, and not always in your mouth: you feel an insecure emptiness in your stomach. Drink water and distract yourself for 20 minutes.
The craving for food arises quickly or instantly and does not depend on when you last ate. At the same time, you often feel agitation and the need to get a particular food right now.
Hunger and satiety signals are individual. It will take time for you to recognize yours. Treat this with patience. It’s important to observe your body for a while so that you can catch them with ease. Starting to eat when you are really hungry and finishing when you are full is the middle ground that will lead to harmony with your own body. Avoid going hungry when you can’t control yourself, and don’t get so full that you become uncomfortable in your body. Calmly leave on your plate what you don’t want – this is where your release from gastronomic captivity begins.
Separate Emotional Hunger From Physical Hunger
It can sometimes be difficult to know the difference between physiological hunger and emotional hunger, but there are some helpful insights that can help you determine which kind of hunger you are experiencing.
Real hunger is a feeling in the body.
Our bodies give the signal to the brain that food is needed. That’s why it’s important to understand and feel what you feel when you’re hungry or full. Once you understand how your body is signaling this, you can understand the difference between real hunger and emotional hunger.
For example, a rumbling stomach and subsequent irritability are sure symptoms of real hunger. Be careful: this can lead not only to overeating, but also to conflicts with loved ones and colleagues.
Emotional hunger is a feeling.
Like anything else, it originates in the head, in response to thoughts or events, and then moves into the body, where it often mimics a physical state. We mistakenly perceive it as something originating in the body. Emotional hunger can manifest itself as clearly as physiological hunger.
Food, however, can’t take away your emotional hunger for long. If you eat when you are bored, sad, stressed, or irritated, no amount of food can make you feel full. Working on your feelings and knowing how to express them and experience them is the key to overcoming emotional hunger.
What Can Be Done Now?
Working on these two points takes time. While you’re learning to recognize the signals and analyze yourself, use a few simple ways to help you avoid overeating at the communal table:
- Don’t go to a restaurant very hungry. Eat two to three hours before your intended meeting or friendly get-together. This will save you from a long wait for food and help you control yourself.
- Choose something you definitely want to eat. Set aside the gadgets, eat slowly and enjoy the taste.
- Listen to yourself, whether you want more or you are already full.
- Take pauses, distract yourself with talking, dancing and socializing.
- Don’t forget that the pleasure of eating together is characterized not by the amount of food eaten, but by the pleasant company and the joy of communicating with them.
Working on yourself and changing old habits always takes time, effort and patience. Do not be discouraged if something will not work for you instantly. Be attentive to yourself, keep moving in the right direction, despite mistakes or failures, and positive changes will not be long in coming.