HONOR HUNGER Going for the 3 Increases Increase

HONOR HUNGER Going for the 3 Increases: Increase in Health, Increase in Happiness & Increase in Energy Strategies for Success in Weight Management By: James J. Messina, Ph. D.

Mechanisms that Trigger Hunger l l Hunger is a biological drive heightened by food deprivation resulting in: Heightened digestion - resulting in increase of salivation & digestive hormones Carbohydrate craving - Neuropeptide Y – chemical in brain triggers drive to eat carbohydrates which are primary & preferred source of energy for body ATP triggering hunger – ATP is universal energy for cells derived from carbohydrates, protein & fat & is triggered if deprived of food

You First Must Stop Dieting & Food Deprivation Model of Life You need to reclaim world of normal eating and must free yourself from dieting & food worry l Your body needs to know that it will have access to food & that dieting & deprivation have ended l You must recondition your body from the dieting model of deprivation l

How you have silenced your hunger by any of the following: Numbing - some quell & avert hunger pangs by using calorie-free beverages l Dieting - denying hunger eventually tunes out hunger l Chaos - chronic pattern of ignoring hunger by putting out the fires in your life l Skipping Breakfast - way of allowing body to feel hungrier the rest of the day l

Self-Analysis to determine if you are hungry Am I hungry? l What’s my hunger level? l When was the last time I ever felt hungry? l

Look for these sensations of hunger: ü Mild gurgling or gnawing in stomach ü Growling noises ü Light-headedness ü Difficulty concentrating ü Uncomfortable stomach pain ü Irritability ü Feeling faint ü headache

Rate your Hunger on 0 -10 scale 0 = Completely empty 1 = Ravenous 3 = Hunger set-quite hungry 4 = Hunger pangs-first awakenings of hunger 5 = Neutral – neither hungry or full 7 = Satisfied 8 = Full 9 = Stuffed 10 = Sick

Major Guideline of Honoring Hunger! Go no longer than five working hours without eating! l We must fuel the carbohydrate level in the liver which runs out every three to six hours l

Different types of Hunger l l l Taste Hunger – sounds good or the occasion calls for it Practical Hunger – Planning ahead being practical & not rigid eating based on schedule of events to avoid overeating later Emotional Hunger – to comfort feelings of loneliness, boredom, anger, etc…