Thirst versus Hunger – Sometimes we get confused When our body sends us a signal that we are hungry, it may really just be thirst. Our brain cannot distinguish between the two. In the group of people that go to the gym on a regular basis and take care of ourselves, there is a small percentage that is really starving. If you are eating your five small meals a few hours a part throughout the day, you may just be craving water. At the first signs of “hunger” you should consume an 8-ounce glass of water and wait 20 minutes. If the “hunger” continues, try eating an apple or some sort of low fat nutritious snack. We all need to know if we are craving a specific food, such as a cheeseburger or French fries or any food that has little to no nutritional value, this is merely a craving. If you are not hungry enough to eat an apple, you are not truly hungry. If you are craving a chicken breast or a steak, your body is craving protein. Likewise if you are craving oranges and grapefruit you are most likely craving vitamin C. We all need to learn to listen to our bodies and not give in to senseless cravings. I am not saying we don’t all need and deserve a cheat day, but it should not be over the top and not for the entire day. It is best to have a cheat lunch so our bodies have time to metabolize some of the fats and sugars we have consumed before we go to bed, but we all get that eating is social and sometimes a Friday night out with friends is in the card. Just remember, all cheating is a setback so make cheating few and far between and within reason. Learning to listen to your body’s hunger symptoms will get easier as you go, as long as you keep exercising and recognizing them. The true secret to looking and feeling great is eating more nutritious and moving more.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 22:21:31 +0000