Unfortunately, Appetite Awareness is not something that we are taught as children in school, and if you are anything like me, it's not something that I was taught at home either.
That being said, I would like to share with you one of the most basic ways of maintaining a healthy weight, physique and lifestyle.
Appetite Awareness is very simply ππ’π΅πͺπ―π¨ π°π―ππΊ πΈπ©π¦π― πΊπ°πΆ π’π³π¦ π©πΆπ―π¨π³πΊ, π’π―π₯ π΄π΅π°π±π±πͺπ―π¨ πΈπ©π¦π― πΊπ°πΆ π’π³π¦ π€π°π―π΅π¦π―π΅ - πππ πΈπ©π¦π― πΊπ°πΆ π’π³π¦ π§πΆππ.
Why is this important?
By eating "just to eat", we have unlearned one of the most basic instincts that we all have as babies - to eat when we are hungry. Sadly, most of us don't even know the beginning signs of thirst and hunger because with many of our lifestyles, we tend to suppress these physical cues by eating at "regular meal times", snacking, emotional eating and general overeating.
We all know the feeling of eating until we are "stuffed", or of being busy and not making time to eat until we are "starving".
With a more mindful approach, we can very easily re-learn how to listen to our bodies, how to eat when we only have "20% left in the tank" instead of "running on empty". We can re-learn what it feels like to be Satisfied instead of Full.
Here are 3 ways that you can re-learn Appetite Awareness:
1. Eat SLOWLY. Donβt eat so quickly that you become βstuffedβ and miss the beginning signs of satiety. Your stomach sends signals to your brain as you eat, and by eating slowly, you allow more time for your brain to keep up with your stomach. If you eat too quickly, you may suddenly feel unbelievably full as the signals didnβt move as quickly as your hands!
2. Eat MINDFULLY. Donβt watch TV or play on your phone when you are eating. Instead, pay attention to your stomach and how you are feeling as you eat. Stop eating once you are content.
3. Create a ROUTINE. Whether this means you eat 6 meals a day or 3, create a routine that your body can adapt to so that your body knows when to expect an influx and output of energy, and better regulates your metabolism. Eating random portions at random times will cause greater spikes of ghrelin and cause the dramatic feelings of βstarvingβ and βstuffedβ.
If this is something that you struggle with, then we would love to help you. We've all been there.
Appetite Awareness is a skill that we can all master with a little bit of patience and guidance. It's not easy. It doesn't happen overnight. But with practice, know that anyone can utilize this basic skill and drastically change their life.