So I've recently gotten very much into Intuitive Eating. Thanks in part to a great book called A Course in Weightloss: 21 Spiritual Lessons, I am very much getting in touch with my hunger and listening for the cues that my body give me as to when I need to fuel it, instead of listening to my head tell me when to eat. As a result, I'm enjoying myself and my body far more than I have for pretty much as long as I can remember.
This morning, I went to a farmer's market, got a delicious (sugar-free) vanilla latte, wandered about and sampled some delicious fruit chunks, a few pita chips with homemade hummus, and realized through it all that I need far less food to actually feel full than I ever realized previously. when it came time to eat the cheese bread I had initially purchased for breakfast, I wasn't actually hungry-even now, it's sitting right next to me. It looks delicious and I want to eat it, but I'm just going to wait until my body is actually hungry. And because I'm not doing some strangely restrictive diet or eating plan, I'm eating exactly what I want-no compromises. If I want it, and I'm hungry (very important!!), I have it. And I stop when I'm satisfied, because I can always have more later when I'm hungry again. It's a new way of life for me, and I'm loving it. And it feels right for me. It doesn't feel like a diet, or a real change. It just feels like, well, normal life. And I'm learning to love it again :-)
My point is, I think we spend a lot of time trying to avoid hunger ("I'm on this diet and I never feel hungry!" and "I eat every 2-3 hours so I'm never hungry!"), and as a result we're not letting our bodies do the talking. Hunger is your body's way of requesting fuel, and I think it's far better to let your body tell you when it's hungry, instead of letting your head dictate it. Because to be honest, my head has tricked me into eating a lot more than I've ever needed to eat.
Anyway, just some thoughts to consider :-) A lovely day to all!