Why You Eat When You're Not Hungry

March 8, 2010

Interview with Michelle May, M.D., author of the book Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle

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Mike Carruthers:
So many people struggle with food and being overweight but it probably wasn’t always that way.

Michelle May, M.D.:
You need to only look at most children and see that from the moment they’re born, they know when they’re hungry, they know when they’re full, they eat what they love, and they don’t obsess about food in between.

Dr. Michelle May, author of the book Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat, says we can get back to that way of eating and it all starts with the question…

Am I hungry? So that simple question of, “Am I hungry?” - helps you determine whether your body needs this food or whether this was an impulse that came from some environmental or emotional trigger. The site of food, the time of day, stress, celebration, what is it that’s going on that’s causing you to feel like eating? And then you can choose to respond however you wish.

And you may choose to eat even if you’re not hungry.

But if you’re eating for pleasure know that that’s why you’re eating so that you’re very intentional about getting the maximum pleasure from the food that you choose as well.

Dr. May says eating when you’re hungry not only helps you eat less it helps you eat better.

If I’m eating because I’m sad, mad, glad, stressed, bored or lonely then naturally I’m going to want junk. The most tasty, the crunchy, the salty, the sweet – when I’m truly hungry I may be more inclined to move toward balance, variety and moderation in my eating.
 

To hear the complete unedited interview, click here