At 11 a.m. I wanted lunch. I snacked at 10 a.m., so I wasn’t sure why lunch sounded good so soon after my morning snack.
I fixed myself a small bowl of cottage cheese, topped with blueberries and pumpkin pie spice in an effort to hold off on lunch for another hour or two.
It was delicious, but lunch was apparently on my mind and 30 minutes later, I sat down to enjoy my mid-day meal.
I fixed myself a bowl of roasted Brussels sprouts, topped with two dippy eggs and a toasted whole wheat English muffin.
“Yolk sauce” is so yummy. It adds the perfect punch of flavor and moisture to roasted veggies.
After I finished my lunch, I realized something. I wasn’t hungry when I sat down to eat my lunch. Not even a little bit. I just wanted lunch.
I think part of the reason I kept thinking about lunch today was because I wanted a breather from working on two separate freelance articles. I’ve noticed that I’ll occasionally eat as a way to procrastinate doing actual work.
In general, I make goals for myself like “finish this article and then it’s snack time” and that helps me stay on track, but sometimes it’s best for me to just eat, get that “distraction” out of my head and sit back down and plow through the day’s workload. I was much more productive after eating today, that’s for sure. Without dippy eggs calling to me from the kitchen, researching became lot less cumbersome, even though I wasn’t actually hungry for lunch before I ate.
I think that using food as a distraction is something a lot of us struggle with from time to time. I was talking to one of my best friends the other day who said that she almost always eats the lunch that she packs for herself by 10:30 a.m. every day. She said it’s not necessarily because she’s hungry, but because eating lunch is a lot more fun than working and serves as a distraction.
I eat when I’m hungry, that’s for sure, but I definitely eat when I’m not hungry a little too often. Eating and preparing food is just plain fun to me, but I know I should listen to my body’s hunger cues a little more closely at times. I find that I eat because it’s “time” to eat or simply out of habit and this is when I seem to overeat and become uncomfortably full.
I try not to worry about it for the most part, but sometimes it’s good to remind myself to listen to my body’s natural hunger cues, not my mind telling me to eat to get out of real work, cleaning or other not-so-fun activities.
I cannot help but see the correlation between my Sunday baking habit and the fact that Sunday is typically the day that Ryan and I tackle cleaning the house… Am I baking and eating cookies for fun or am I eating cookies to avoid cleaning the bathroom?
The other day I received an e-newsletter from a company that outlined the principles behind intuitive eating:
- Reject the Diet Mentality
- Honor Your Hunger
- Make Peace with Food
- Challenge the Food Police
- Respect Your Fullness
- Discover the Satisfaction Factor
- Honor Your Feelings Without Using Food
- Respect Your Body
- Exercise and Feel the Difference
- Honor Your Health
The Intuitive Eating website goes into much more detail about these principles and I feel like the principles do a great job of highlighting the importance of listening to your body, fueling it properly and being present when you eat.
Eating when you’re actually hungry… who would’ve thought? 
Sounds simple, but in many cases it’s not.
Question of the Afternoon
- Do you find yourself eating when you’re not hungry? When?
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In order to avoid writing an 8 page essay here, I will just say, no, it is not just you.
Ha! I didn’t think so. 🙂
*Raising hand* Nope, definitely not just you. 😉
Love this post! I definitely struggle with this and it’s always nice to hear that other people are facing the same struggles. Sometimes a snack just sounds better than doing work, or we have a specific food “on the mind”. Then there are time when I’m hungry when I don’t have the desire to eat. Our hunger cues sure are more difficult to listen to than they should be!
Isn’t it amazing how something so simple can be so difficult to actually do? I think food is even more of a top-of-mind thought since we blog about food, day in and day out. I’m sure we probably think about it way more than most people! I try (especially lately) to leave the kitchen when I’m finished eating, because I find if I’m doing work, reading, or blogging in there, I tend to find reasons to eat. I also have been making a point of drinking a glass of water before each meal, and actually sitting myself down to decide if I feel hungry. I probably look like a freak doing this, but it’s funny how our minds play tricks on us and we think we’re hungry when we’re not!
i love the idea of actually sitting down every time you eat… i feel like i do so much eating standing up in the kitchen, or when i’m just passing through the kitchen because something catches my eye or sounds good at the moment, not because i’m actually hungry.
I definitely DO eat regardless of if I’m hungry or not, particularly if chocolate or some other treat is sitting right by me! I also HATE the feeling of being hungry. I get all shaky and out of it and so I try to avoid that feeling by.. constantly snacking 😉 hahah!
my sister is the same way. it actually makes my family laugh and we always ask her if she has some kind of “emergency snack” with her just in case. 🙂
Hahah omg yes. I’m glad to know there are others out there! I literally always have to have at least two “emergency” snacks with me! Lara bars are the JAM for that!
I feel like I do this, especially in the afternoons after work. For me, I need to make sure I am consciously aware of my hunger cues and decisions I’m making (I blogged about a similar topic this morning). Sometimes though, you just really want your yummy food!
I definitely eat when I’m not hungry – I go through phases where I’m good about listening to my hunger cues, and then other phases when I’m eating all the time. I think it’s usually when my schedule changes and I’m kind of out-of-whack, and my eating patterns get thrown off, so I start eating when I’m bored/ procrastinating/ stressed, etc. Sometimes it seems easy to stay on track and eat according to my body’s needs, and sometimes it’s really difficult for me. I also eat more when I’m around a lot of food, i.e. staying at my parents’ house instead of my own apartment. Thanks for posting those bullet points for the principles behind intuitive eating – great reminders.
if you like the bullets, i’d definitely check out their website. i think they do a great job of laying it all out there regarding listening to your body and hunger cues in a healthy way!
Will do – thanks!
I read Intuitive Eating last fall– it has helped me a lot!
I find myself eating when Im not hungry sometimes. Its sort of like when Im bored or when I am distracted. So I have started chewing gum after every meal to have something to keep me occupied :). That lunch looks so yummy 🙂
If I can make it to 11:30 without eating my packed lunch, it is a miracle! Snacking and lunch time are definitely the highlights of my work day, so I feel ya. I’ve started taking “walk around the block” breaks instead of snack breaks to try to combat that feeling. Usually I feel satisfied with that and can get my mind back on work instead of food.
I was seriously just thinking about this the other day! I definitely have this problem, especially when I’m at work. Just today, around 10:30 I was like “man, I’m tired of working… I need a breather.” So what do I do? Go get a a piece of candy (jolly rancher or three?) and it was like I instantly felt better. I don’t keep candy or other snacky foods at my desk for that very reason though, it’s so easy to get lost in a bag of treats! (I do keep fruit & granola around though :))
I eat when I’m not hungry when I’m bored or parked in front of the tv (which can sometimes be the same thing). I also tend to eat more when I’m stressed out. It’s weird, because when I’m nervous about something I can’t eat!
I almost bought cottage cheese at the store this week but I’m still a little too afraid of it. I picked it up and put it back on the shelf. One day! And I think we all struggle with intuitive eating, especially at work.
I can so relate! Also I find that I sometimes eat to avoid getting ravenous later (despite my current hunger levels) if that makes sense.
I’m definitely guilty of eating when I’m not hungry. For me, it happens most often when I’m at work. I also eat an early lunch, or snack earlier than I should. I try to make deals with myself, too. Finish X at work, and then have your morning snack.
I struggle with this a lot. Sometime if I had a big lunch while at work, come 6pm I’m just not hungry yet. However, my husband is ALWAYS hungry, so I think a lot of times I eat with him thinking that I “should” when I’m not really hungry at all.
I use the “apple” test. Basically think of a food you aren’t super crazy about. For me I don’t really like granny smith apples but if I was stuck somewhere and hungry and needed food I would eat one. So whenever I think I am hungry I use the apple test. Would I eat a granny smith apple? If the answer is yes then I will make myself a snack of quality foods. However if the answer is no I wouldn’t eat the apple but I’d eat cookies I know I am not really hungry but probably more bored. If that’s the case then I try to find something else to do. Read a book, take a walk, just something as a mental break that doesn’t involve food but still gets me up and moving for a brain break.
Great tip!!
I struggle with this sometimes while I’m at work. I’ll hear a bag of something opening and instantly I’ll want to eat the same thing even if I’m not hungry. I hate that.
Heck yes I eat when I’m not hungry! Out of boredom sometimes, but mainly I just looooove to eat!….but I love to work out too, so I think it all balances out! :o)
I definitely fall victim to eating when I’m not hungry. When this happens, it’s usually because I’m tired, stressed, or PMSing, ha. I’ll eat when I’m not hungry if people around me are eating; it almost feels rude not to :/
this is a great post, I often would eat because I was bored or wanted to put school work off. Over the years I have tried very hard to listen to my actual hunger cues. My days at work can be very buys or very boring and on those boring days I find that I think of food often and want to eat, even though I am not hungry, I am making a very conscience effort to only eat when I am hungry. I also tend to stress eat and my job can be very stressful at times so I am always making a conscience effort to not acknowledge that I am stressed and not really hungry. It is hard and sometimes I fail at it but the best thing to do is acknowledge it and move on because dwelling on it wont work in your favor.
I’ve been working at intuitive eating for a while, but it’s an ongoing battle as a recovering anorexic. At the moment a rough eating schedule is what works best for me because it helps combat bored eating and also makes sure that I get enough to eat even if I’m not feeling hungry so I don’t binge later.
Lunch time is the worst for me when it comes to eating even though I’m not hungry, because I’m usually working at my computer. I’ve tuned my body to “expect” lunch at 11am so even if I’m not yet actually hungry I almost always find myself reaching for my lunch at that time. I’ve been trying super hard to focus on when I really start to feel hungry these past couple weeks and funny enough my stomach doesn’t usually start growling until 12 or 12:30!
I also have a tendency to eat when I’m bored. It drives me so crazy! It’s something I have to constantly work on or else I find myself snacking on something without even realizing I’m not yet hungry!
Intuitive eating is harder for some–especially those who have struggled with an ED or disordered eating habits. As a coach, I see this very often!
You’re right though, it takes practice, and it IS important to honor hunger cues and trust your body. Now, for me, it’s not hard at all to only eat when hungry. Of course I’ve eaten ice cream or a snack when I wasn’t necessarily ‘hungry’, but I do it consciously. Usually, now, when I don’t want to do a task, I write it down, so I can check it off. Makes it WAY easier to tackle 🙂
This is actually my biggest food “issue.” I don’t really eat when I’m stressed, but I DEFINITELY eat when I’m bored or want to procrastinate. I also eat when I’m “supposed” to, even if I’m not super hungry. In the winter, I find that my boredom eating gets kind of out of control (probably because it’s dark out so early!), and I try to find other ways to keep myself distracted/busy: reading a good book, writing a blog post, talking on the phone with a friend, etc. I know it’s so simple to just eat when you’re hungry, but it’s pretty fascinating how so many of us have drifted away from that very basic concept.
i try not to eat when i’m not hungry. but sometimes i do anyways. especially when I was trying to gain weight.
i never thought of adding eggs to roasted veggies. genius!
oh, i’m definitely guilty of eating when i’m not truly hungry. i love food, and it’s a way to escape boredom! 🙂 intuitive eating is something i’m constantly working on. however, i’ve also learned that sometimes i need to eat whether i’m actually hungry or not. like yesterday for example… i didn’t have much of an appetite almost all day for whatever weird reason, and if i would’ve truly stuck to my hunger cues, i probably would’ve hardly eaten anything. instead i made myself eat because i know i needed to – hungry or not.
A lot of times, I will eat just because I know I have good food in the pantry. Lame!
I eat when I’m not hungry just to make sure I’m refueling and keeping the energy going. I spent too long starving myself when I suffered from an eating disorder and I still find it hard to recognise cues.
It is important to listen to your body but a routine of eating is no harm! 🙂
I try to only eat when I’m hungry too, but I’m the same way. If I’ve packed a particularly delicious snack for work, I find myself thinking about it and thinking about it and so eventually, I eat it to get it out of my mind so I can focus on work! Sounds kind of crazy now that I’ve written that out haha.
I do the exact same thing that you said. Yesterday I was working on two reports, and I didn’t want to do them, so I snacked instead. And then last night, even though I wasn’t very hungry, I just kept thinking about my dinner. So I eventually just gave in and ate it, and then I was good for the rest of the night!
I actually started reading a book on intuitive eating a couple weeks ago and have found it really helpful. Like any lifestyle change, it takes a while to implement, but it has really made me think about why I eat. I’m in grad school and I get a lot of pressure to work 24/7, so I think I’ve been eating more because it is the one thing that seems to be a universally accepted excuse to not work! I’m really working on challenging that thought process to give myself other more fulfilling breaks and not to lean on snacking as a crutch! I’m so glad you mention this Julie, and I’d be interested to hear any more thoughts you have on intuitive eating in the future!
I definitely fall into this trap too. I like my 11 AM blog-reading time and I start to get a little stir crazy without it! I try to postpone eating until Im physically hungry, but that’s tougher than it sounds!
I was hungry for lunch early today too! I get up early and eat breakfast early so I usually have a morn snack, but today I missed it so at around 11 I was hungry and thinking about lunch. I was going to just have a snack and wait till my “normal” lunch time, but I knew as soon as I finished the snack I would still be thinking ab lunch so I went ahead and fixed it! Snacking can help avoid other things, but I think my bigger prob is that I will be ready for a snack or meal and instead of fixing that I grab a handful/spoonful,ect of this and that instead of going ahead and making my meal or snack.
I know that in the morning, especially, I eat my snack when I’m not hungry, but because I really don’t want to do my stuff at work…or I need a break from the early morning tedium. In the afternoon, for whatever reason, I wait until I’m hungry. Sometimes I’ll eat sooner than later because I just LOVE food and am excited for whatever it is I have with me. I feel like I’m snack bi-polar.
Yes! I did this all the time when I was writing my thesis! Every time I would sit down to work I’d decide I needed food first. Thankfully I finished grad school a few weeks ago and haven’t been doing nearly as much mindless eating :)!
Sometimes I get sooo stuck in my routine of eating lunch at a certain time and dinner at a certain time that I forget to listen to my bodies natural hunger cues too. Some days it’s like “it’s one o’clock, time to eat lunch!” whether I’m hungry or not.
And by the way, at 10:30 this morning, I also had a bowl of cottage cheese with blueberries but I added a handful of purple grapes and some sweet cherries. Stirred it all up and it was yummmmay 🙂
Thank you so much for posting this – the responses really have made me realise that I am not alone with this problem. I have no faith in my abilities and am in a field I have no aptitude nor love for. I will literally eat because it’s a task it’s impossible to fail at – I can ‘pass’ cleaning my plate, but I can’t face struggling with my work and failing at that. I have a degree of OCD and I like ticking tasks off lists – sadly one of those tasks includes eating, and it’s affecting my weight and sel-esteem so badly.
I definitely eat when I’m bored, but I find almost everything boring! Having a career I actually cared/was passionate about would help, but that’s easier said than done. People always tell me that I overeat because I have nothing fulfilling in life and I need to get out/volunteer/be less self-centred etc. but I’ve tried all of that (for eighteen months) and it didn’t help one bit. Seeing that even people with wonderful husbands and far better lives than me struggle with this makes me less self-loathing about the whole thing.
I don’t know you, but I don’t think you give yourself enough credit! You need to have more faith in your abilities! Maybe start with shifting the goal to “pass” cleaning your plate to only eating until you’re satisfied and stopping. It feels good for me to feel full, still have food still on a plate, and have enough self control to stop eating even though I want to finish it.
Little goals like that help me so much. Self control is the toughest thing sometimes but usually makes all the difference! 🙂
Thank you – self control is definitely something I need to work on – as is reversing the ‘clean your plate’ mentality from childhood. Maybe I need to employ some childish methods of reward for leaving some food, such as a star chart of other reward system.
Jessica,
I’d definitely encourage you to read Geneen Roth’s books on emotional eating. It makes me sad that someone would tell you that you over eat because you need to be less self centered! The exact opposite is frequently true – we overeat when we don’t know of other ways to take care of ourselves! I hope you find more ways to care for yourself, including therapy if you find you need it.
Thank you so much for being so kind in your feedback. I’ll certainly have a look at Roth’s books – I am open to anything at all that might help 🙂
I think we all feel that sometimes! All our lives ebb and flow differently, and we all struggle and cope differently. Recognizing it is step one!
I used to ALL the time and it is probably one of the reasons I became overweight, well that & other issues. Since I started developing a health lifestyle I only eat when I’m hungry. I try to listen to my body but I agree with you Julie it can be hard. I was the kind of person that ate for any emotion LOL(i.e., anger, happy, sad, depressed, bored, etc) and the list goes on. Now though I try only to do it when I’m hungry but know when there are things I don’t want to do I try to find other things to do and that is when eating can be an issue. Procrastination is an ugly thing LOL. Thanks for sharing this:-)
Great Post!!! I loved reading this. I struggle with not listening to my body. Thank you for writing this.
I eat when I’m bored. I avoid this by thinking all the good stuff that I would rather spend my calories on when I get home from work… like margaritas!
I don’t struggle with eating meals when I’m not hungry as much as with snacks! Put basically any snack food in front of me (cheez-its, popcorn, sweets, etc) and I will usually grab a mindless handful.
I definitely have to monitor myself when I’m at a shower or party with a bunch of finger foods. I can do some damage!
I definitely snack out of boredom sometimes. The worst is if I’m home alone and my to-do list is either empty, or full of boring chores. I’ll just snack in order fill the time or procrastinate!
I can definitely relate to the eating at work thing that so many people tend to do. I’ll realize that I’m not actually hungry, I just want a distraction from the work in front of me!
Guilty. Especially during the school year. 10+ page papers involve some major procrasti-eating.
And sometimes I just eat because I get really excited about my food sitting in the fridge. Especially after going to the grocery store, all that new delicious food calls my name!
Like many of the commenters, I’ve noticed I sometimes get the “must eat-itch” if I’m stressed with lots on my to-do list. Fixing snacks temporarily removes me from that stress and I’m sure the feel-good chemicals released as you eat yummy stuff has something to do with it. I’ve also been known to get the snack attack when I’m lonely. I don’t plow through a half-gallon of cookie dough or anything like that (although the thought intrigues me 😉 ), but there is just something comforting about letting go and treating yourself when you’re feeling a little blue. There are definitely more constructive ways to do this, but eating is a quick, cheap fix.
I definitely have this problem!! Especially now that I’m doing an externship where my day is at a desk, getting to eat lunch or my snacks is the highlight of the afternoon!
haha!
Whoops — that’s meant for comment 48!
I’m always wandering around my kitchen opening the fridge, or cupboards to see what I can snack on. One of my friends once had a fridge magnet that said “Fridge pickers wear bigger knickers” 🙂
On a daily basis, I have trouble distinguishing between “hunger” and “boredom”.
I freelance as well, and I find that the days I am home all day (or at the library), I’m starving, but not for food. I think it’s the boredom of being at home, a way of avoiding what has to be done.