Get a Hold of Hunger

We reach for food for so many reasons: Because it's around, because other people are eating, because we're bored or sad or stressed. But for the next two weeks, you're going to be asked to try to eat only when you feel true, physical hunger. The first step to doing this is to learn how to distinguish real hunger from emotional hunger by using a tool called the Hunger Scale.

At the same time, you're going to have to explore why you get the urge to eat when you're not truly hungry. Once you do this, then you can try to find a healthier way to deal with the emotion. For example, if you discover that stress drives you to the fridge or vending machine, you'll have to figure out a better way to cope, such as going for a walk. Or if you turn to food when you're feeling lonely, maybe you can plan to call or email a friend for support during those times.

The bottomline: Other things can "feed" your brain's hunger to be soothed and calmed besides food. Exercise is a powerful substitute, but anything you love doing, including listening to music, reading a book, writing in your journal and doing a crossword, can substitute for food. At first, these non-food substitutes may not work so well, but keep at it. Eventually, you'll get used to them. In fact, you'll even get to a point where you won't miss those cookies or ice cream.