Always Hungry? (Part Five)

(If you missed the earlier parts to this series - see the links at the end)

Did you know that your environment can make you hungry all the time?

Just think about this...

Imagine you were not even thinking about food, not the remotest bit hungry and you wander into your kitchen to find a plate of freshly baked cakes on the counter.  Don't you think that you will suddenly feel hungry  enough to eat a cake or two? 

And just try wandering into a bakery when they have just taken cakes or bread out of the oven - the aroma is sure to make you think about food.

And thinking about delicious food, seeing delicious food,  smelling the aroma of delicious food can have you salivating and wanting the food - enough to make you feel hungry.

Research has shown that the more food is on offer, the more you will eat - particularly if there is a huge variety of food available.

If chocolate or cheese or chips (or whatever your weakness) are constantly available and in view then they are likely to make you hungry - even knowing they are there can set you thinking about food and wanting to eat.

Now, of course you can't avoid food all the time - it is everywhere - but you can avoid filling your fridge, freezer and cupboards with temptation. Fill them with the kind of food that you like but know you can eat in moderation.

And don't display food unless it's something healthy like a bowl of apples - treat yourself to a beautiful bunch of flowers instead.

If thinking about food all the time is a problem for you and it's making you hungry all the time - you may also find that this extends beyond the food you actually see.

• Do you watch cookery shows on TV?
• Do you find yourself leafing through magazines looking at recipes?
• Do you constantly think about what you can eat for your next meal?

If you have this problem, then it's just a bad habit you have got into. Make sure you plan your meals and shop just once a week so you don't have to think too much about food all the time and wean yourself off salivating over new recipes until you are more in control of your hunger.   

Links to Always Hungry Part 1, Part 2 , Part 3, Part 4

Comments

[Roberta Barrow]

I found that the best thing to do, if you want to avoid the temptation, is to plan your meals ahead. Decide what you're going to eat and when you're going to eat it and then do your best to avoid the snacks in-between. I actually use meal plans 101 to plan all my meals at least one day ahead (sometimes I manage to plan all my meals a whole week in advance). If you plan carefully it will be much easier to avoid switching your 'good food' meal for a quick snack and a chocolate.

[Janice]

Thanks for your comment Roberta. I do agree with you - a shopping list (that you stick to) is a great tool in any weight loss program.

Janice
editor Think Slim