Several “Hungry” Days Didn’t Stress Me Out!

Are you like me? I’ve been on a diet in the past, and had several days in a row when I felt hungry seemingly every minute. I would also feel stressed, frightened and anxious. After all, I was intelligent enough to know that I could not live my life in a constant state of hunger. Most times, I’d give in and break my diet. Then, I’d use that as evidence that I was weak and would never overcome my overeating behaviors and feel that familiar sense of hopelessness. Well, this week I had several days of feeling hungry seemingly every minute. But, prepared with the wisdom of this Am I Hungry?® approach to mindful eating, I reassured myself that this was part of my normal hunger rhythms and there was no need to feel distressed. I listened to my body’s messages and responded by going back for seconds when I was still hungry, and by adding some additional snacks each day. Then, I calmly waited for the hunger level to return to my regular pattern. My previous fears, self-doubt, and self-condemnation have been replaced with awareness, confidence, patience and self-care. This is surely a better definition of wellness.