Does hunger control you or do
you control your hunger? Even more importantly, do you have healthy ways to
satisfy your hunger pains? Healthy eating is extremely important at all stages
of life.
Is hunger pain when dieting real?
Yes, hunger pain when dieting
is real, but there are different kinds of pain, including physiological pain or
hunger pangs, and psychological pain.
Physiological pain
Are you dieting by not eating
or drinking anything all day, in order to lose weight? You will suffer
physiological pain, as the acid in your stomach begins to irritate the lining of
your stomach. You may suffer a low blood sugar, which can turn into a
life-threatening situation, as well as result in permanent physical damage to
your body. This kind of dieting will not control your hunger, but will increase
your hunger-related pain.
Psychological pain
Psychological pain has to do
with your psyche or self. Mental and emotional pain may occur when you try to
change your dietary habits. If you persist, you will gradually learn how to
cope mentally and emotionally with dietary changes. For example, psychological
pain can occur if you deny yourself potato chips, after eating them regularly
for many years. You may suddenly experience feelings of fear, loss or panic and
sense that you have to have them. Eating chips in excess is a compulsion. You
do not need to eat them, at all.
Ideally, you should learn to eat something
healthier and then, you will find that your hunger is satiated. For example,
try eating grapes, cheese or raisins to ease psychological pain associated with
hunger. Did you ever stop to think that eating in excess may be causing you to
experience what you think is hunger pain?
Learning behaviors for
controlling hunger
Dieting can be exciting,
challenging and fun, but your attitude to dietary change is important. Being
positive and constructive about weight loss, as well as later, weight loss
management, will enable you to learn new behaviors for controlling your hunger
and hunger pain. For example, drinking water can help you to replace the
learned behavior of consuming excessive amounts of soft drinks and reduce your
sugar intake, at the same time. Ask yourself if what your body is craving is
something sweet or simply fluids. Having a glass of water with a squeeze of
lemon or lime, may be all you need to satisfy your hunger, at that moment. Try
one mint for that sweet tooth craving.
Why are some learned behaviors so problematic?
Previously learned behaviors
tend to be problematic in dieting because your physical body and your psyche
accept them as normal. Conditioning by repeated patterns of behavior that are
potentially harmful to your health, like the regular consumption of excessive
desserts, is a bad habit that is hard to break. Note that these patterns of
behavior may also leave you unsatisfied and hungry with hunger-related pain.
How to change learned behaviors into healthy ways to control your hunger
Diet tips encourage healthy
eating habits that lead to satisfying your hunger and help you to avoid
hunger pain on a
physiological, as well as on a psychological level.
The article entitled, "5
Foods that fight hunger pains" may be helpful.
Learning to consume three to
four small meals a day, instead of one huge one, will satisfy your hunger and
ease hunger pain. It may take time and a conscious effort on your part. Eating
healthy snacks in between meals, like celery or carrot sticks and other fruits
or vegetables regularly, may seem difficult at first, but you will reap
potential health benefits in the end.
You will have more energy, be happier
about yourself in general and love your new appearance, as well as no longer
have hunger pangs.
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