The Hunger Monster
Have you seen the new Weight Watchers ad? The little orange hunger monster is so cute! And Slim Fast ads have a woman kicking ”hunger” around like a martial arts master! We think controling hunger must be the new watch word in weight loss for 2009. Just so you know… we’re on it. Here’s a look at our thoughts on our own Hunger Monster. (Originally posted on 11-25-08.) What does your Hunger Monster look like?
There’s a theory of diet and weight loss that contends you shouldn’t let yourself get hungry. That if you get hungry you will overeat. I disagree. Sometimes hunger happens no matter what you’ve already eaten.
I submit that if you are trying to lose weight there are times you are going to be hungry. Further, I submit that sometimes you have to live with hunger, ignore it, and even move past it without eating.
I’m not talking about meals. I’m talking about The Hunger that some days creeps up out of nowhere and other days hovers over everything.
Most times I don’t need food. But The Hunger wants it. Intellectually I know I’m not going to pass out on the spot if I don’t have a sandwich but The Hunger isn’t an intellectual. I can hear The Hunger screaming GET SOME PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY IN HERE NOW! I’m afraid of what The Hunger will command. What if it screams START A CAREER AS A RAPPER? WEAR A TUBE TOP!
While I do believe learning to make good food choices and enjoy healthy snacks is important, occasionally you just have to not snack. No matter what The Hunger is screaming. I used to think that mowing (rhymes with cowing) on popcorn or veggies when I’m calorie counting or cheese when I’m carb counting meant that I wasn’t cheating. But make no mistake it was a binge, on plan or not, it was appeasement of The Hunger.
I’m trying to learn to ignore the irrational demands of The Hunger. The Hunger can sit there a minute. The Hunger can simmer down until lunch. The Hunger can put a tube top on its own self ’cause I’m not doing it.
So come get me. What do you think? Do we have to learn not act on every passing thought of eating? OR do you feel if you deny yourself food (snacking remember, not meals) it will lead to big trouble?
***DISCLAIMER** I’m not recommending skipping meals. Skipping breakfast, working through lunch, or neglecting a nutritous dinner isn’t healthy. As I’ve said before I’m not a doctor I am a dieter.***DISCLAIMER***
I agree that we need to learn to ignore that passing twinge of hunger. But it also helps if we learn to differentiate between actual hunger and boredom, stress, or even thirst. I find that if I really stop to consider it, it’s rare that I am truly hungry. More often, it’s something else pretending to be hunger. Cheers!
Cindys last blog post..Beyond Goal Setting
I think the Hunger Monster is at its most ferocious after a binge. Maybe that is why it is so hard to STOP a binge once you’ve started. My goal this week: Whip that little monster into submission by drowning him with fat-free milk!
The Orange Monster on the Weight Watchers Commerical looks exactly like an orange alien on a science fiction TV show I saw one time. I wonder if the Orange Monster used in the Weight Watchers Commerical is the same orange alien that was used on that science fiction TV show that I saw that time.
Very nice information. Thanks for this.
I have a good friend who gave me what she thought was excellent advice on NOT giving into to cravings. Don’t give in immediately. If you wait it out, it’ll usually pass…This seemed to work for her everytime. Then i actually was with her once when her cravings hit—she waited it out just like she told me all the while consuming about 75 cups of strong black coffee and double that in cigarettes. As i left her house in a gray haze,smelling like i spent the night in Lucky’s Bar and Grill, i decided to just give in to my next food urge. It seemed healthier in the long run…SB
Here we go again. I am reading about hunger pangs.I found the way to lose weight without starving and without having any hunger or cravings at all. I know why you get hungry and I know how to stop it. Marilyn’s Plan is designed to stop the hunger and allow you to eat 3 good meals a day. So you can forget about the diet scene and getting Psyched up to lose weight. You don’t need to. You just eat. It is a most wonderful way to lose weight. Unique in it’s concept. And the bigger weight loss companies are now copying MY claims but they will not copy my Plan because I discovered and devised it. Stop throwing your hard earned money away on diets which are too hard, too expensive and too darned boring. Check out the website for Marilyn’s Plan.xxx
There is physical hunger and emotional hunger to consider. This is over simplified, but:
Physical hunger has its roots in simply being hungry because the stomach is empty or there have been severe glucose imbalances caused by spikes and steep falls in blood sugar levels.
Emotional hunger is a factor of anxiety, depression, stress, etc.,. During a meal, this type of hunger can extend eating beyond the chemical signals that tell the body you are full. When you haven’t eaten, emotional hunger causes cravings for comfort foods high in sugar or fat. The brain uses these foods to self-medicate with a natural food high or more simply to ease the problem. It’s the brains desire to self-reward that causes the urges or cravings.
If you are physically hungry and emotionally hungry at the same time, as most dieters are, ignoring the hunger signals will lead to overeating at some point. For example, if you have a few alcohol drinks after a sustained period of ignoring hunger signals, you will overeat by a substantial amount more than a person who eats when they are hungry.
You’re so right! I totally let physical hunger go unchecked and it led to cookies after a perfectly good day today. Urgh!