How to prevent stress eating: Manage cravings with an ‘appetite meter’


Does your stress arise from the worries of school going children in front of your children, the worries of getting sick, as we spend more time at home this fall, not the ongoing fight for social justice or the US presidential election, it all makes sense that we ‘ Stressed. Uncertainty is not a favorite human emotion.

That’s where the appetite meter – a tool to help create space between you and the fridge or kitchen cabinet – can come in handy. Take a holy break and by asking yourself where you are on the hunger meter, you can increase your awareness, which can allow you to make conscious decisions about what to eat. This can be especially helpful if you have an overdose of stressful or stressful foods.

“There is a massive discomfort at this point, which can give itself a nd for a more emotional diet, which makes perfect sense,” Darpinian said via email. “But feeding the body without asking to feed on a regular basis leads to a more emotional and more emotional head turn than ideal.”

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Instead, when you take a break from becoming aware of what you do, awareness is a very powerful motivator for change, if you realize that certain behaviors will no longer serve you, explains Wendy Sterling, a registered dietitian and supporter. “How to feed your baby with an eating disorder” and Darpinian’s co-author “No Wait!”

How the appetite meter works

“When you feel a pull towards food, create a space between you and the food to see where you are on the hunger meter,” Darpinian said.

Here are the numbers on the hungry meter:

. = Starving, vague, dizzy, cranky, low blood sugar, can’t think clearly

2 = Very hungry, throbbing in the stomach

3 = Managed appetite; A happy place you want to reach at meal time; Calm and conscious about eating

4 = You can eat, but you are not hungry; Snack

5 = You probably have to eat right now, and not be hungry

6 = Imaginary stopping place; Your stomach feels happy and at peace, it is not overly stuffed

7 = Your taste buds lose more interest from this point

8 = You are on your way to perfection and feel anchored by your meal

9 = Thanksgiving Day

10 = Uh oh. Time to unbutton

The key is to match your fuel to your hunger. For example, if you are “4”, you will need small snacks, such as small fruit nuts. If you’re “1” on a hungry meter – i.e. basically starving – you may need a full meal. Just an apple won’t.

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“You’ll probably need something more like something more fertile and a chipped turkey sandwich.” “As your blood sugar returns to normal, you should ask yourself, ‘Why was I so hungry? I missed something that day? Wasn’t my lunch enough?’

Whether it’s mealtime or breakfast time, experts recommend eating when you reach a manageable appetite, called a “3” on the appetite meter – a place that isn’t somewhere very hungry and not very full.

“You feel calm and sweet about the decision to eat. You are not silly, but you may feel a little pain in your stomach, a little emptiness telling you that your body needs food. You were the last few hours. The meal, and you Ready to find food so your brain and body can perform at the maximum level, ”Sterling said.

Factors such as what taste, texture and mood of the food you eat – such as sweet, smooth, creamy, crunchy, hot or hot – can help you figure out what to eat.

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If you pause and recognize that you are at the end of the fullness of the hungry meter – say “8,” “9” or “10”, you’re curious why you’re putting a few cookies on the plate.

“If you’re ‘9’ on the hunger meter – that means you’re too full – you’re not physically hungry,” Sterling said.

Between “8” and “10,” “not so much focusing on whether you eat … but strengthening your ability to create space and cultivate curiosity about why food is. ‘Not hungry,’ Darpini said.

Sometimes, a simple question and answer with you can help you see what’s really going on. For example, if you are not hungry for food, what is it that makes you really hungry?

“Maybe it’s a nap you really want, or maybe a day off.” Said Sterling.

Then again, all you need is cookies, even if you’re overwhelmed. And that’s exactly it.

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You can definitely have a dessert without hunger, and in that case it can fulfill the need for pleasure. “But if it happens in a ron or habitually way, in a way that makes you uncomfortable, you can ask yourself, ‘If it wasn’t for the cookie, what was it?'” Darpinian spoke.

“If you decide that eating cookies is the basis for you in these stressful times, you’re turning it around a bit and sometimes writing it down as a way to anchor your ideas on paper in yoga or your journal.”
Other activities you may want to consider include walking, calling a friend, painting, or taking a shower.

“I coach my customers to add more food-free fulfillment – things that really excite them – fill them from the inside out in a way that food without appetite can never do,” Sterling said.

All foods and occasions are appropriate

It’s important to remember that all foods fit as part of a healthy diet, experts say, and not so much about what or how much you choose to eat or not.

“It’s about becoming more self-aware,” Sterling said. “Awareness gives you a choice. Only you, as the parent can know for sure what your destination is going to be, is very personal.”

In your favorite restaurant, for example, you can feel a little more anchored by your food, and stop saying “8,” while on a workday, staying at “6” at lunch time can give you more energy. .

And it’s not about judging your choices. “Diet culture likes to make monsters (choices) – but I teach my customers to really accept all foods. You’ll probably catch cookies one night and cucumbers and hummus the next night.”

“The goal is to make the cookie a cookie again, not a way to feel good or bad about yourself.”

Lisa Dreyer Nutritionist, author and contributor to CNN Health and Nutrition.

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