Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

I hope someone can give me some advice. This may sound like a "no brainer" but my strugle is, my stomach is not hungry but my brain wants something a coookie or sandwich it can be anything, and it will not shut up. I tell myself "I'm not hungry I don't need anything" but the brain will not stop wanting it. Like I said I know this sound dumb, Like all you have to do is not eat but, if you have ever dealt with this you will understand. Any ideals how to deal with this?

How do you know you are not hungry? When your brain won’t turn off, how long has it normally been since you last ate? If my brain kept telling me to eat something I would. Instead of a cookie you could have a piece of fruit or a bit more starch. You could make some cookies with just mashed banana and oats. That would be a healthy snack.

Some strategies I have read that other people use. If you really aren’t sure if it’s hunger or just wanting to eat from boredom, set a timer for 20 minutes and do something that distracts your brain.

Erin

I understand! I still have late evening snacks just about every night. But, usually I can make do with an apple, and I'm ok with that. And if not, because I'm actually hungry, then I will make a small bowl of oats with frozen berries.

It's also true you might be bored, or even thirsty? Try drinking a glass of water and if you're still hungry, have a healthy snack!

Hi Katt,

I recommend that you listen to Molly Zemek's podcast. She does a great job addressing the psychological/emotional aspect of eating. I recommend going back to the beginning and listening from there.

https://www.mollyzemek.com/podcast