Are You Eating to Satisfy Non-Hunger Needs?

Dr. Aron admonishes snacking, favoring proper nutritional meals as the signpost to health and happy weight loss. Her prescription for traditional meals favors real table time with place settings and people.

“Building and keeping a structure to your meals maintains a signal to yourself to relax and eat normally, rather than snatch and grab snacking when under duress. [Furthermore] providing a healthy outlet for socialization helps you manage daily stress and foster stronger relationship and communication bonds.”
— Dr. Aron, Weight Loss Expert

Honest Food Needs and Fumbles

Many of the reasons people eat do not relate to true physical hunger. Being aware of physical and emotional needs and eating triggers is a step towards addressing them constructively. Dr. Aron can provide support in learning to address physical and emotional needs in non-food ways.

Address Your Physical Needs

• Tend to your health needs. Discuss with Dr. Aron if you have a pain or problem. Follow your treatment plan. Take your medication(s).
• Drink 6-8 glasses of water per day. You may need more on hot days, after exercise or eating salty foods, or based on medications you may be taking. Often people confuse hunger with thirst.
• Get enough sleep. It has been documented that lack of sleep makes some people eat more.
• Move your body. Human bodies are designed to move. After years of cutting back on requirements for physical exercise, the current recommendation is to exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes/day.
• Make exercise fun. If exercise isn't your thing, combine it with meeting other needs such as:
  
  • Socialization. Bike or walk with a friend. Take a class with a partner. Join a softball league. Learn a new dance.
  • Spiritual. Yoga or walking at the beach can feel spiritually satisfying.
  • Fresh air. Take a 20-30 minute walk—even in winter. Choose a sunny or less cold day, bundle up and walk. It clears your head, leaving you energized.
  • Care-taking. Take your children on a hike. Walk or run with your dog.
  • Personal Growth. Try a new sport. Take swimming or tennis lessons.

Satisfy Your Emotional Needs

Listen to your inner voice and work on giving yourself what you need. Everyone needs the following to varying degrees:

• Companionship/socialization. Spend time with people you love and enjoy; connect with them often. Eliminate (or minimize if that's not possible) contact with people you feel bad or stressed around.
• Time to be alone. This may include sitting in silence for ten minutes per day.
• Spend time doing what you love. If you can't do this every day, make some time every week.
• Find constructive ways of dealing with interpersonal conflict. Take a class or read a book on what ails you. See a therapist or other healer if you need support.
• Identify your stresses and find coping mechanisms. Try new ways of coping if you still feel overwhelmed.
• Pay attention to and work on eliminating negative thought patterns. Re-program negative thoughts such as
  "I'm never as good as X"
  into
  "I'm learning _____."

Healthy Lifestyle is Your Choice

Healthy eating is a lifestyle choice. A physically and emotionally tuned in you will create more positive outlets and feel less need to overeat.

Start Losing Weight Today

You can lose 10-20 lbs per month safely and easily under Dr. Aron's care and supervision. Her medical weight loss plan is fast and effective, and backed by FDA clinical approval.

Call for your first appointment, 718-491-5525

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