Hungry, or...?

While there are other factors that complicate things, in general, there are two ways to address weight loss:  eat less and move more.  Weight loss occurs at a healthy rate when we average a calorie intake about 500 calories fewer than we expend.  For example, if a person eats 2500 calories per day and uses 3000 due to normal activity and exercise, that person would expect to lose about a pound each week.

Eating less sounds simple enough.  Yeah, right.  Food is not just fuel, but a powerful emotional and cultural signifier—this is why we believe in things like “comfort food.”  There are times when we eat not because we are hungry, but because we think we are hungry.  Here are a few questions we can ask before we choose whether or not to eat the cookies.

• Am I hungry, or am I thirsty?  Sometimes what we actually need is more water.

• Am I hungry, or am I bored?  Maybe we could use a change of scenery, at least for a few minutes.

• Am I hungry, or am I lonely?  Call, text, email, chat, send smoke signals to a friend.  Bonus points for physical contact with another human being.

• Am I hungry, or am I sad?  We can take ourselves for a walk instead to get the benefits of cardio plus the ones from going outside.

Maybe we are hungry.  Maybe it is the right choice to eat the cookies or the celery or the spoonful of almond butter.  If not, let’s choose what actually helps the issue at hand.