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                                                                        Unlock The Secret Code To Craving Control
Do you find yourself having a hectic day and reaching for the chocolate? Maybe you find yourself looking for something to eat, but don’t know what you are really hungry for. If that sounds familiar, then drop that chocolate and read on...

Eating for reasons other than true physical hunger is a psychological “hunger”.  Psychological hunger can occur after a stressful event and is recognizable if you find yourself reaching for the cookies, ice cream or chocolate.  It's been called everything from cravings, to stress eating to 'over eating.'

                                 So, why do people overeat?

The answer lies deep within the subconscious mind. The communication between the mind and the body occurs in the form of neurotransmitters. These body/mind communicators have been called many things like, endorphins, hormones, and cravings. The truth is, when the body feels stressed, anxious or angry, the mind does its best to “calm” the body down and bring about a healthier, more stabilized mood. Your brain has learned what foods produce those endorphins, such as chocolate, that help transmit chemicals to decrease stress and increase positive emotions.  In order for your brain to receive the nutrients it needs to induce that more balanced state, it turns on the hunger switch producing a psychological hunger.

If eating only occurred when genuine hunger existed, there would be no weight problems for most of us. Unfortunately, emotions are the driving force behind eating rather than actual hunger pangs. In the short term, overeating may be viewed by the mind as helping fill needs including loneliness, sadness or boredom. The irony is that although over eating may help in the short run, it only adds undue guilt and frustration in the long run…all the while adding  another 20 pounds. The emotions that triggered the overeating are still there to sabotage again when future stress happens.

                            How Do You Turn Off the Hunger Switch?

In order for you to turn off that switch, you must unlock the secret from your mind, your subconscious mind. Journaling to answer these questions will assist you in recognizing some of the reasons the hunger switch is flipped. Whether it be from an emotional issue or a biophysical issue, like an over stimulated insulin reaction or a drop in serotonin, by documenting and keeping a journal, you may begin to get to the bottom of what’s eating you.

1.             When overeating, what psychological or emotional activity is occurring?

2.             What is the usual time of day or night it occurs?

3.             Where is the overeating happening? Home, at parties, in restaurants, or while watching television.

4.             What foods did you have prior to the event?

5.             What circumstances are surrounding you at the time of overeating?

The fact is, in order for true fat loss to occur, you must first find out what’s bothering you. Once you learn this, you can then begin to release the fat that’s weighing you down. When you begin to understand your own mind/body communication, you can start to include strategies to combat overeating.

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