People are conditioned from a young age to eat three meals a day. This does make sense on a nutritional level because your body needs fuel for the day, but eating just because it's lunch time can be hazardous to your health. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with eating at a certain time, but mindless eating can get you into trouble with your weight and general health. You might find you need to eat more than three times a day to maintain your energy level. Consider integrating an intuitive approach to eating.
Listen to Your Hunger
If it is noon and you're hungry, then eat. But, if it's noon and you're not hungry, don't eat. On the other side, if it's long before your lunch hour and you are hungry, you need to listen your body and your intuition and eat. Your body is communicating with you. To follow an intuitive approach to eating you must adopt this principal. This might not seem reasonable for those who have a designated lunch hour, but talk to you employer about accommodating a special diet.
Tune into Emotions
There is a fine line between eating because you are hungry and eating because you are bored, angry, sad or even thirsty. Intuitive eating requires you to be honest with yourself and ask the questions, "Am I really hungry?" If your body needs fuel, eat and reach for nourishing foods. Over time, you will gain a better sense of when you are hungry versus thinking you are hungry.
Stop Calorie Counting
Calorie counting represents the exact opposite concept of intuitive eating. If you are tuned in to your true hunger, then what you eat, how many calories it has, should not faze you. Turn your attention toward recognizing your true hunger versus how many calories or fat grams your food contains. Seek food that supports your body's need for nourishment.
Stop When You're Full
To stop eating when you're full, pay close attention to when you might be getting full. If you are feeling full while you are still eating, chances are you will be beyond satiated by the time you are done. CNN.com reports, "Fill the stomach too quickly, and your body won't have time to recognize messages from the hormones that help regulate appetite."
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