A client told me the other day, “I’m never hungry. My stomach never growls.” When someone tells me
that, I bring up my favorite subject: Mindfulness.

You were born knowing when you were hungry and when you had enough to eat. Unfortunately, for
some of us, our hunger and fullness signals get mixed up. Whether it was a well-meaning adult that
made you “clean your plate”, learning that eating chocolate helped you feel better when you were sad,
or ignoring hunger pangs to lose weight—you started to ignore your hunger/fullness cues and now you
might not know what your body is telling you anymore.

What is Mindful Eating?

If you are like my client and confused, then mindful eating will help you. According to The
Center for Mindful Eating, mindful eating is:

Doesn’t that sound really nice? Wouldn’t you like more of that in-tuneness with your body? I think we
all would.

There are many benefits of mindful eating that I could discuss with you, but I just want to focus on one
right now: learning how to tell when your body is hungry.

5 Steps to Recognize Your Hunger

Step 1: Pause and stop what you are doing.

Step 2: Minimize distractions (phone, TV, conversations, driving, etc.)

Step 3: Take 3 big, deep breaths.

Step 4: Scan your body from head to toe, noticing if anything feels “off”

Step 5: Pay attention to the part of your body that doesn’t feel right. Could it be that it needs
nourishment? Let’s say you notice you have a headache, for example. Ask yourself some questions to
figure out if it is related to hunger:

• When was the last time I ate?
• What did I eat today?
• What time is it?
• Am I feeling stressed?
• How much have I had to drink today?

If you determine that your headache could be due to low blood sugar, then go ahead and eat something
nourishing.

Mindful Eating Takes Practice

And that is using mindful eating in a nutshell to learn more about your hunger. I realize it’s not always
as easy as that. It takes a lot of patience and practice. The benefits are worth it! That same client I
mentioned who said he never felt hungry started using mindfulness and determined that when he was
cranky in the morning it was due to skipping breakfast. He started eating a small breakfast (yogurt and
fruit) and is not cranky in the morning anymore!

We’d love to hear from you: How does your body tell you it’s hungry? Share your experience in the comments below.