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It’s so easy to eat because the food is there, or because it’s meal-time, without ever noticing whether we’re hungry or not.

Why We Eat When We’re Not Hungry

In nature, eating is something that usually happens in response to hunger; without hunger, it makes no sense. But we humans eat for all sorts of weird reasons:

• Habit: If it’s 12.30pm it must be lunch time! We mightn’t have done a thing all day, but without even wondering whether we need food or are feeling hungry, we head for another meal
• Comfort: From babyhood, many of our needs are met by being offered food. It soothed us then, and we continue to hope it will now
• Boredom: Eating can be a way to fill in time
• Emotions: Food is often used as a way to deal with difficult emotions like anger, frustration or fear

What Makes Us Overeat?

Eating without hunger is the first step towards over-eating, and on to weight gain.
It can be something we learn. If parents insist children eat everything on their plate without regard for appetite, it can set up a lifetime pattern of always ‘cleaning’ the plate.
Not drinking enough can lead people to believe they are hungry when in fact they’re thirsty, and a drink would satisfy them.
Eating on the run encourages people to eat without thought. Portion size is difficult to monitor, and you may be immersed in work or a conversation that takes your attention away from the food you’re eating.

Is Quality or Quantity The Problem?

People often complain that they feel hungry despite eating normal amounts of good food. Individual bodies respond differently, and many common foods are not the ‘good food’ we think them to be.

• Highly processed foods like white bread and sugary foods all rapidly cause a spike in blood sugar which causes the body to produce more insulin. This makes us feel hungry and lethargic even though we’ve recently eaten.
• Fruit, especially sweet ones like watermelon, though a healthy choice, can cause as big a blood sugar spike as a chocolate bar. It may not satisfy hunger despite having plenty of good nutrients.

You get varying amounts of energy from different foods, and that’s a trap when trying to keep weight off. People eat normal portions of good quality food, but find they continue to gain weight. Many foods are extra high in kilojoules or fat, and have to be eaten in moderation. Foods such as dried fruits and nuts make an excellent healthy snack, but have to be counted as part of the daily energy intake, not an add-on. 30g each of nuts and dates gives you around 2000kj which is about ¼ of a whole day’s energy requirement.

What’s The Glycaemic Index?

As the food we eat is absorbed, it causes blood sugar levels to fluctuate.

• High glycaemic foods - when the carbohydrate breaks down quickly, and blood sugar rises rapidly. We soon feel hungry, and don’t have energy for long.
• Low glycaemic foods - when the carbohydrate breaks down slowly, and blood sugar rises evenly. We feel satisfied for several hours, and have sustained energy levels.

The more processed the food and the more sugar it contains, the higher up the index it will be. Processed doesn’t only mean having nutrients removed as we see with potatoes – whole boiled potatoes are low G I, but when they are mashed, and easier to digest, they become high.

Get a G I table, and see at a glance which are the good foods. Foods rich in fibre such as wholegrains are at the low end, and it is these foods that are key to maintaining ideal levels of both weight and energy.

Tips On How To Feel Satisfied Without Over-eating

• Eat low G I foods, including plenty of fruits and vegetables for a stable blood sugar
• Eat wholegrain breads and muesli – watch for sweet additives though, such as dried fruits
• Eat slowly – when you take time to chew food, it aids in digestion and gives the body time to produce leptin, the hormone which signals satisfaction after a meal
• Eat smaller portions – use smaller plates or have an entrée size, and never notice the difference; don’t fill the plate; stop eating before feeling completely full
• Add small amounts of protein to meals more often
The benefits of having a diet rich in natural, fibre-filled foods are huge. We can expect to have much greater energy reserves, and less frequent hunger pangs. And of course, we’ll be healthier and have less trouble staying lean.