Reasons Why We Eat Without Hunger

Surely at some point you have devoured the first thing you have seen in the refrigerator or the pantry. Even, perhaps this same thing has happened to you while on the street and you have fallen into the temptation of buying a package of cookies, snacks, or in summer some ice cream.

But do you know if you really felt hungry at the time?

To explain it, we start with an almost standard definition of hunger that many dictionaries give and that is taken as a reference:

If you look back at those moments we talked about at the beginning, you may feel like eating again on that occasion, even when you had not yet finished digesting the previous meal.

Surely you did not notice the movements of the gut or in more serious case a drop in glucose that causes fatigue and dizziness.

The important thing is to realize when we eat out of hunger and when we eat without provocation. That will make a difference and help us control those temptations.

Now you will realize how many times you eat without a real appetite. And the reasons for acting like this? They are highly influenced by mood and different everyday situations.

Situations we h acen eat when they feel hungry:

1. The stress of work or exams

These situations can cause physical manifestations such as smoking, eating or drinking excessively.

In addition, at these times you can lose control to a different extent: the most common is unconsciously choosing unhealthy foods (fats, salty or sweet products).

With this you are already adding eating at the wrong time and doing it in an unhealthy way. We must add the fact that the notion of the amount that is eaten is also lost, an important aspect to take into account when snacking.

The sum of snacking, unhealthy food and an excessive amount will once again generate stress, anxiety or even regret and / or frustration,  making you even regret what you have eaten.

2. Concern about changes

It is very common to hear someone say that they could not sleep well because of worry and that they got up for a snack in the middle of the night.

Sometimes when we eat we try to “shut up” the nervousness as if it were the roaring of the stomach.

This is what we referred to above, we need to identify the situation we are experiencing as stressful or out of the ordinary, to know why we have this desire to eat.

The concern about the fact that something goes well and achieving the objectives of said change are those that cause concern or stress, those that make us not sleep well or spend all day thinking about the consequences of said change, and this situation too It can influence us when it comes to eating.

3. Ads influence our hunger

The world of advertising knows very well how to provoke certain emotions and takes advantage of it to get more sales, that we hum its melody or know its slogan.

Based on this, when we see or hear the advertisement for a food product, we can be tempted to consume it, whatever time it is. How many times have you seen an ad for a soda and went to the fridge for one?

What to do to get these reactions under control?

• Count how many hours you have not eaten. If it’s less than 3 hours, try not to take anything, sure you don’t feel hungry yet.
• Stop for a second, take a deep breath, identify if you are nervous or have been under stress throughout the day. If so, surely it is not hunger, but a need to get rid of that emotional turmoil.
• You are watching a movie, series, or anything on TV and after watching some food you have craved. It may be because you are thirsty and you can check it by having a glass of water before drinking that glass of soda. Check it out, you might save yourself that drink.

In general, whatever the reason for eating without hunger, the important thing in the first place is to recognize and accept it, to later identify the cause and try to face the situation to solve it.