10 tips to stop eating when you're not hungry

Have you noticed that you continue to eat when you're not hungry? Discover why you do it, along with the best ways to stop.

Emotions:It’s a well-known fact that our emotions compel us to devour food even when we aren’t hungry. It’s like we are trying to fill a void or that we want access to some kind- any kind of positive feeling in the middle of an emotional crisis.Eating gives us pleasure, even if this feeling doesn’t last long, it is good for us. For example, sometimes it can remind us of our childhood of how we enjoyed it when our mother made us our favourite meal. As a result, food becomes synonymous with reward seeking and comfort.

Boredom:Who doesn’t like to nibble from time to time while watching a movie or TV? In fact, for some it’s practically a reflex, anything to avoid just sitting there doing nothing. It’s the same thing when we surf the Internet aimlessly, when we sit on a train, or wait for a bus or are at a boring conference etc. All these scenarios can lead us to eat mindlessly.

Social pressure:We eat because others are eating. We watch someone eat something and think “Wow, that looks really good." Then we remember the pleasure we felt eating delicious pastries or delectable cheeses. So why deprive ourselves?It’s pretty difficult to avoid temptation and eat only when we are truly hungry (which is a physiological need, not a psychological one).

There are plenty of copying techniques to help, but it is our willingness, motivation and perseverance we need to focus on. Here are 10 suggestions that should help you:.

1. Just don’t bring extra food into the house. Don’t fill your pantry with store-bought snacks; instead keep plenty of fruit, yogurt, nuts and vegetables on hand.
2. Keep your hands occupied, keep a bottle of water close by, or if you prefer a cup of tea.
3. At the moment you’re about to give in and grab come chips or chocolate, hold out for about 10 minutes and see if the impulse passes.
4. If you're trying to lose weight, don’t completely cut out certain food groups. Deficiencies, such as with carbohydrates, can quickly manifest into uncontrollable cravings.
5. Eat all your meals at the table, including snacks.
6. When you feel a craving coming on, and you realize you’re not really hungry, tell yourself "I eat because ..." and fill in the blank. This will help you understand the reason why you want to eat.
7. When boredom is almost too much to stand, go out for a walk.
8. If anger or sadness make you want to eat, call a buddy to talk to instead of taking it out on a tub of ice cream.
9. Keep the reasons why you eat between meals in a journal. This can help you make an honest assessment of your eating habits.
10. As the evening is coming to a close, instead of raiding the pantry, just get yourself to bed.