Day two Hundred and Nineteen!!!!

Snack Attack


When are you vulnerable to the times during the day when you get hunger pangs? Hunger pangs that tell you when you need to do a snack attack? I remember when I was going to school, every single morning class at around ten o'clock just like clock work, my stomach would sound the alarm ‘YOU NEED TO EAT!’. What really impressed me was that it didn’t matter if I had breakfast or not.


Mid-afternoon is another time in which the snack attack alarm might go off. In between being busy if I have a space in my day, my stomach lets me know that ‘feeding it’ should be a priority. Another time is when I am at home. Even though when I am at work I don’t eat snacks or anything other than a hard boiled egg mostly for my lunch. What happens when I am at home during the day, is another story. If I am at home with family members and they are wanting to have breakfast or lunch or a snack, my tummy and my need to belong jump into gear, and I hear myself answering ‘Yes! I’ll have that! And I’ll have that too!’.


Another time I find I am vulnerable is when I am out of my element, taking a trip, being at the airport or on a plane, or in a hotel, all of a sudden the new experience gets me thinking about food. I have a tendency to get that empty feeling that I need to fill or that agitation that you get when you are faced with a difficult task. Like for example, when it is that you have to study for something or you are working on a project. The other time is after dinner when I sit down in front of the TV, it seems to signal to my head and my heart ‘FEED ME’. 


When doing physical activity it makes sense that you feel like you are doing something that makes you hungry, but the truth is that when you are sitting and thinking, it can actually feel like you are being physically active, because you are using up so much emotional and intellectual energy. 


Another truth is, that boredom is a huge motivator that can trigger your stomach and brain into thinking that you need to be doing something, and eating is an easy answer. Eating can be one of the greatest distractions ever, and when you think about eating, food could actually fill your entire day, such as; planning your meals, preparing your snacks, checking the cupboards, looking for ideas and options, packing your bag for ‘just in case’, going out with friends, cleaning up, and then setting up, not to mention the grocery shopping. 


Distractions are actually a really important coping technique because it takes you away from bad behaviour. Once you start looking at food differently, and stop obsessing about food then you are definitely going to have to find new things to fill your time. It is important to be able to determine when you will allow yourself to engage in the snack attack. For all of the other times that you want to remain in control, and say ‘not now!’ to your grumbly tummy or your sheer boredom. You will need to create a list of options for yourself so that you can redirect yourself away from the snack attack and towards something that fills your day, fosters your good feelings, and your need to belong.