PWLP: Week Seven - Lesson Seven

Personal Evaluation

1.  The belief that "being hungry is bad" is shared by most overeaters. How do you feel about that statement? Have your eating behaviors been affected by your belief in this statement?    Since starting PRISM, I have now become to understand and appreciate hunger. It is not 'bad' but a natural, physical function that occurs to signal the need for food. It isn't a feeling that strikes without warning, with extreme and intense cravings for sugary sweets and high-carbs. I used to think that being hungry was horrible, I'd get "food rage" and lash out at others in times when I needed to eat, but now I see how I can grow and learn from these moments of alleged or real 'hunger.'

2. When you have experienced real physical hunger while on the program, how have you dealt with it?    Usually, when I experience physical hunger, I take a reasonable amount of time to weigh out my options - what food(s) will fill me up most? How many calories do I have left to spare today? What would I like to eat later that I must accommodate for now? Should I go for variety or routine? Usually, I try to feed my hunger with foods that I can get/make at home - I don't feed my hunger on the go unless it's unavoidable.

3. When you wait too long to satisfy physical hunger, you have a tendency to eat too fast and in an uncontrolled manner. Describe how you feel when you "gobble down" a meal or eat to the point of being "stuffed."    Usually I feel guilty and ashamed. I hate being the first person to finish my meal, and I feel like everyone's looking at me and judging me for scarfing down my food like I haven't eaten in a week. I feel out of control and crazy when I shovel my food into my mouth, instead of refined and patient.

4. What eating behavior is the most important factor for you to change right now? Why? How will you change it?    I think I need to change the "eat with "shovel" method" first. This has always been my downfall (in my opinion). I never put my fork down between courses or even bites. I use whatever I can get my hands on to shovel food into my mouth in the fastest and easiest way possible. A way to overcome this is by eating with chopsticks instead of the traditional fork, knife and spoon. Since chopsticks are more complicated to use and eat with, they require more time and attention to eat a meal. I think I will purchase a set (or two) of these to have with me at home and at work, and will eat my meals with the chopsticks instead of traditional utensils.