Numbing Hunger With Caffeine- Why It's The WORST Thing You Can Do

'How's your new diet?'

'It's ok, but I'm always hungry!'

Sound familiar?

Whether you're aiming to lose weight, create a healthier lifestyle, or anything in between, changes in eating habits can be really uncomfortable. One of the most common issues I've come across is experiencing feelings of hunger. Online, there is no shortage of well intentioned advice on how to 'stop feeling hungry' when dieting. One of the most common bits of well intentioned advice, is to just load up on caffinated drinks- but here is why it is one of the worst things you could do...

'Just Drink More Black Coffee'

I have to start by saying, I am a coffee lover. But for the sake of numbing your appetite, we hit a big issue.

Caffienated drinks push us into our sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight). A lot of the time we have issues with our bodies for a variety of reasons, is that we are OVER stressed for long periods of time. Chronic stress causes a range of issues, but weight gain, hormonal imbalances, gut disturbances, and mental health issues are just some of those issues- and interestingly enough, those very same issues are the reasons we want to try a new 'diet'.

So now... you're trying to fix the problems, but you've added in extra coffee (a nervous system stimulant) to stop yourself from feeling hungry (a natural expression of the body for a range of reasons), so you're actually worsening your problem.

Make sense?

So How Can I Stop Feeling Hungry?

First, we need to understand that feeling hungry is a great thing, and a sign your body is working well. Hunger tells us:

• We need to fuel up

• Our digestion is working well and we have moved what we previously consumed

• We are missing something important (usually protein and/or water)

• Our metabolism is speeding up and using fuel consumed efficiently

• We are human!

When we DON'T feel hungry, it's our bodies way of saying:

• We have no need for extra fuel at this time

• We are not digesting our food for a range of many reasons (poor digestive function, slow metabolism etc)

It's Emotional

There is a difference between physiological hunger vs

• Feeling bored

• Feeling sad

• Feeling anxious

• Constantly thinking about food and eating

We all go through these things.

The above require more than a diet change on paper. A re-training of our perception and habits takes willpower, resilience, self discipline, and above all, willingness to deal with what surfaces as a result of wanting things to change.

Let yourself feel hungry. We aren't supposed to be full all the time.

Work with a trusted professional- you'll save your precious time, money, and energy doing it the right way once than to be like a hamster on a wheel over and over.

Nanci