Strategy 1 – Recognise when you are hungry
Before you start eating or even looking for food consider your physical symptoms and ask yourself “how hungry am I?”
- 10 Really full
- 8 Overfull
- 5 Full
- 2 Getting empty
- 0 Absolutely empty
If you score yourself 5 or above, then your desire to eat is probably appetite not hunger. If you’re not hungry then why are you eating? Choosing to eat when you are hungry is the first step in controlling your appetite.
Strategy 2 – Recognise why you want to eat
Maybe you eat at certain times out of habit not hunger – “I’ve always had morning tea at 10:30”. Habits may be broken but it will take some time – be patient!
Perhaps you eat for comfort because you are bored, unhappy or stressed. Comfort eating is commonly associated with the consumption of foods that contain large amounts of fat and energy. – See Tips on controlling comfort eating
Strategy 3 – Implement changes
Once you have identified why you eat to satisfy your appetite, explore alternative methods for managing your feelings, breaking habits and controlling your appetite. By learning to eat in response to hunger and avoid eating in response to appetite you will find it much easier to control the amounts and types of food you consume.
