Hunger Signals

We ALL get hungry.

We ALL overeat sometimes.

We ALL open a bag of chocolate-covered almonds, and eat the whole thing while watching reruns of Boy Meets World… right?

Or maybe that is just me?

You might be thinking, Connor stop lying you don’t do that…

Well, sometimes Mr. Fitness turns into Mr. Wonka and goes HAM on his favourite chocolate just like you.

But these occurrences are few and far between and it’s not just a willpower thing. I have 3 specific techniques I use, that help me significantly reduce overeating and today I am going to share them with you!

Tip #1: Timing My Meals

Essentially this is just eating consistently each day.

Regardless of when you start eating, if you are not eating consistently throughout the day, or on a schedule that your body recognizes then you may tend to overeat at your next meal.

I used to intermittent fast for years so I have played around with the timing of food for a while and this is by far the most optimal strategy (so it may help you, like it has helped some of my other clients).

Truthfully I don’t get really “hungry” simply because I tend to eat at the same times most days. I eat within a half hour of 8:30 am, 12:30 pm, 5:00 pm, and 8:00 pm basically every day. *Your timing can be your own, it just has to be consistent. Also you may eat only 3 meals instead of 4 due to your calorie needs!

So even if that means drinking a protein shake and throwing back some nuts on the way to my next client. I don’t overthink it, I just do it and eat when I’m supposed too!

When I eat like this my hunger is practically nonexistent. My body doesn’t need to remind me to eat, because I’m always on schedule.

So from now on consider the signal of hunger meaning you are passed the point of just hungry and your body is TELLING you that you HAVE to eat. That is why you get more emotionally charged and crave things because your body is signaling your mind to create urgency and fix the problem.

When you eat consistently your body doesn’t need to signal you like this and therefore it doesn’t release cortisol and other stress signals to remind you to keep yourself alive with a meal.

Literally though, your body has no way to know if food is coming soon or if you are actually starving in the desert. It only knows you are below your caloric needs and the longer you wait the more this increases, which increases the stress and hunger signaling.

Conversely, eating on schedule builds consistency and regulation which creates body calmness and calmness leads to better choices and portion sizes.

I know many people skip lunch or skip breakfast and don’t eat until their body is screaming at them. I know some people also delay signals (unknowingly sometimes) with hunger suppressants like caffeine or nicotine so when the hunger signal finally does come, it comes in hard. This leads to BIG cravings and meals that are followed by extra snacks.

Long-term this type of inconsistency can also lead to worsened dysregulation of our mind-body connection, and create chronic problems like excess weight or emotional eating.

So if inconsistent eating sounds like you then understand your body will always stress about not getting enough calories and this only adds to the challenges associated with weight loss.

Your body is always fighting to keep you at homeostasis i.e. keep things stable and eating less feels like instability to your body. Your body doesn’t know you are controlling this change and when the change is BIG like a low-calorie diet your body will fight back with more pronounced signals.

Extreme calorie restriction is not the answer. Not only is it unhealthy for the body it’s flat-out impossible to maintain and leads to overeating and yo-yo dieting which can seriously stress out your system long term.

So no matter your goal, this week try getting better at timing your meals. Start with building an eating schedule that works for you and reflect on how this changes your fullness, energy levels, and food-based emotions!

Click the link below to read tip #2!