Are You "Really" Hungry

When was the last time you were hungry? I don't mean you just wanted to eat something or that you hadn't had anything to eat for a while so it was time to eat. I mean hungry to where you had an empty feeling in your stomach and it was growling.

I'll bet most of us can't remember the last time when we were actually "really" hungry.

The abundance of food in our homes, stores, gas stations, restaurants, cars, entertainment venues, social events and even at work allows most of us the luxury of eating almost anything we want, anytime we want and as much as we want.

And then there are snacks. Snacks are everywhere and snacking has not become not only a way to fill the void between meals but snacking is actually encouraged by diet plans, nutritionists and health "experts."

Now I don't know about you, but I know that I can easily go 4 hours without eating something, especially if I'm eating a meal at each end of those 4 hours. I know that I can make it through a 1/2 day shift at work without snacking or eating something that someone else brought in to share without passing out on the job. And I know darn well that I won't starve to death if I have to wait until dinner without chewing on something just before that dinner.

We are a nation and a society obsessed with eating and it has little to do with hunger. We are blessed by living in a country where food is almost never an issue for anyone. Even the poor and homeless have access to more food than people living in most countries of the world.

The food we eat, how much we eat, where we eat and when we eat are all determined by habits that have developed over a lifetime. Until we are able to recognize just how destructive these habits are to our pursuit of permanent weight loss, we'll never achieve our goals.

So the next time you go to grab a snack or something bigger, ask yourself "am I eating because I'm hungry or just because I want something to eat?" If the answer is the latter, think twice about whether you really want to eat right now. Permanent weight loss can only happen when you reduce the amount of food you eat. Period, end of story.

Recognize that habit and you will be taking a huge step in the right direction.

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