3 questions to ask yourself when the hunger pains show up!

3 questions to ask yourself when the hunger pains show up!

Do you find yourself randomly going to the refrigerator or poking through the pantry? Do you find that you’re in the kitchen more than any other room in the house?
Even worse, do you see yourself doing that right after having a HUGE meal?
I know deep down you feel some guilt, but worse yet, you may not even NOTICE that you’re doing this. This is where we need to watch our patterns and live and eat CONSCIOUSLY. This is where you master your own personal power around food and learn to “eat to live”- “not live to eat”.
I caught myself doing this just the other day… and I started a pattern too! Yikes! I KNOW better! I rarely EVER buy ice cream or sweets because I don’t believe in sabotaging my home environment with temptations. I know that when 10pm hits I will want something bad…which having that “bad” item in the pantry or fridge will result into easy access to bad habits… which equals a bigger bum (for me anyway).
So I bought ice cream and my daughter is away for the summer so I can’t even use her as an excuse. I started making that my nightly treat and guess what I found out? I wasn’t sleeping well with the added sugar and also I seem to not be so tolerant of the added dairy in my diet. The most dairy I ever consume is my Greek yogurt that I have in the morning for added protein with my fruit. So guess what? I threw out the ice cream and broke that habit quick before it started to become an unconscious pattern.
That’s how we gain weight…it sneaks up on you little by little with each little habit that we do subconsciously.
Next time you start trotting off to the kitchen in search of something to munch on, I want you to ask yourself these 3 questions:

3 questions to get CLEAR ON:

Question #1
When did you eat last? If it’s been well over four hours then by all means, listen to your body and start making something to eat that’s nutritious and satisfying. I get caught up with back to back coach calls and working on projects and I hate to break the energy and many times I look at the clock in shock that I forgot to eat something for lunch… so be mindful of the last time that you ate.

Question #2
What are you REALLY hungry for? This one is a tricky one and my favorite spot to tackle with my clients and group coaching divas. This is where EMOTIONAL EATING comes into play. Are you eating to fill a void somewhere in your life? Is it boredom, loneliness, lack of love… lack of purpose…? Anywhere that you’re feeling on empty in your life we tend to fill with food or other vices. Get REALLY clear on this one… For me I eat less when my relationship bucket is full. When I feel loved and adored by my family and friends. When I feel connected to God, the universe, my spiritual source I rarely feel hungry. I feel more fulfilled emotionally so I don’t look for that in food. This one I could coach on for hours…but start asking what is missing and trust me, it’s not the bowl of ice cream. That is only a temporary fix that will do more damage than good.

Question #3
Have you been eating nutrient dense foods? Your hunger pains can be a sign that your body is craving certain vitamins. Perhaps you’re lacking micronutrients that are only found in WHOLE FOODS such as fruits and vegetables and your body is begging for that sustenance. I’ve noticed a huge shift in my eating habits when I fill my body with right combination of fiber, protein and natural energy found in vegetables.

I hope the next time you have a hunger pain, you think of me! And of course…these 3 questions.
It’s time to take control of your eating habits and most of all, start to live and eat CONSCIOUSLY!
GET YOUR POWER BACK GIRL!

Live life abundantly,

Karie Millspaugh
Wellness Coach