How sad is it to realize that, at my age, I have NO idea how to tell if I’m actually hungry.

What I DO know is that it’s time to figure it out if I wanna stay healthy and not gain weight every year, just because I’m a year older!

First, there’s the “I want something, but I have NO idea what!” kind of hunger.

You know the one. The one that keeps you standing with the fridge door open, blankly staring at the contents. The one that keeps you opening all the kitchen cabinets as you search for “something” that you’re hungry for.

I finally figured out a few years ago that when THAT’s what I’m doing, I’m thirsty. It’s time to. Step. Away. From. The. Kitchen.

Then there’s the “Mmmmm, THAT looks delicious!” kind of hunger.

That’s the kind of hunger that typically accompanies holidays, banquets, and parties…. places where someone ELSE has done the cooking so it looks REALLY good.

And then there’s the “Geez, my head is killing me!”, “Oh my gosh, I’m exhausted!” or “Today SUCKED!” kind of hunger.

When that happens, I find that I stuff my face until I’m super full, with anything and everything I can get my hands on, in an effort to make the pain stop. By the time I’m done, I usually feel worse than I did before I got started.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with eating for reasons other than hunger. But I feel like it’s a part of the reason I’ve been gaining weight over the past 15 years.

And given my predisposition to breast cancer, the extra weight’s gotta go!!

So, right now, I’m reading and researching about how to listen to my body again. My goal is to learn to recognize what it’s like to be truly hungry.

And since I’m guessing I’m not the only one who eats for different reasons, I’ll let you know what I find out as I go.

Until then… keep being you!