Okay guys, this is a BIG one for me! Overcoming Habit Hunger (aka Mind Hunger) took me nearly 8 months. Which I know seems crazy, but I am such a creature of habit, literally, it takes me forever to change something, especially if it’s worked for me or is still working for me in even the slightest way.
What is Habit/Mind Hunger
I would love to say that habit hunger is the most common of the five types of hunger, but I can honestly say that about all five. It really just depends on the season of life that you’re in.
Habit hunger, is often referred to as Mind hunger because we’re eating according to:
- Beliefs or thoughts
- Rules or reasons
- Timed nutrition habits
- The “6 small meals a day” method
- Counting calories, weighing food, tracking macros or points
Calling this mind hunger is hard for me, because, I personally think that people who are dealing with eating disorders are battling a much bigger mind challenge than those of us who have just become conditioned to eating out of habit.
How Can Habit Hunger Hurt Me?
These are just a few examples of how habit hunger can impact your goals.
You’re over-eating. If your lifestyle doesn’t warrant 1900 calories, but you’re conditioned to eating that amount of food, the scale isn’t going to move in the direction you want. WHAT TO DO: It’s time to recalculate your calorie needs. This is a good thing to do every couple of months or each time you change up your workout.
You’re under-eating. Yep, that’s right, just like over-eating, not getting enough calories is a total detriment to your weight loss and weight maintenance goals. WHAT TO DO: Same thing applies here, recalculate what your body needs. If you’ve been eating a a low calorie meal plan then upping your activity, or skipping meals, your body is storing the food you do consume as fat to use as energy at a later time.
Exercise. When you over-eat before a workout because “you’ll work it off” or eat silly foods and treats after a workouts because “you’ve earned it.” If you still abide by this thinking, it’s time to definitely break this hunger habit.
Old Hunger Habits. Yep, old habits die hard. This is where breaking this hunger habit played the biggest challenge for me. Since I first learned about clean eating five years, everything I have practiced centered around the need to eat 5-6 small meals/snacks a day. That is still a very good nutrition philosophy that delivers great results. But if this is a method you’ve been following for a while and you’ve plateaued with your weight loss goals, now may be a good time to break the habit.
How to Change this Mindset
The best thing I can say is, be open-minded! It is really hard to break the habit when you’re trained and conditioned to each on a schedule, or that you need to eat a certain amount of food groups (macros) in order to meet your goals. I absolutely believe there is a huge benefit to those methods, but if they aren’t working for you, or you are feeling overwhelmed with keeping track, then it’s time for a change!
- Plate it! This is what I love most about the 2B Mindset meal plan. It’s totally flexible, just keep in mind; water first (16oz before each meal, 90oz total daily), veggies most with a balance of protein and fiber filled carbs.
- Track it! One of the best things you can do daily is track your meals. But it’s not in the sense of tracking every macro you eat and at what time. It’s about tracking the foods, as well as the emotions attached with each meal. Ask yourself “did I eat that for a certain reason?”
- Get support! Making a change is hard, but doing it alone is harder.
Mentoring!
As a 2B Mindset Mentor, I’m here to help you find what will work for your body. Even if that’s not the 2B Mindset nutrition program. Maybe you need more structure and want to learn about proper portions. Maybe intuitive nutrition is better for your busy lifestyle right now. No matter, if you feel stuck on your wellness journey or just want to break out of habit hunger, I’d love to help you!
Reach out by comment here or hit me up at tiffany@fitactivelife.com.