If you eat compulsively, hunger can mean many things. In addition to normal hunger the signal your body sends when your blood-sugar is low you also feel compelled to eat when you re not hungry or beyond feeling full. Many overeaters have lost the ability to sense hunger and fullness. Fortunately, it is possible to regain this ability with the practice of mindfulness.

Mindfulness is key to regaining awareness of physical hunger and fullness. It is also the key to recognizing when you are eating compulsively. If you choose to practice this technique, it s important to also practice letting go of judgment. For now, let go of the idea that it

s bad to eat when you re not hungry. Instead, think of yourself as a scientist, objectively watching to learn what makes you eat when you re not hungry.

Pick a day when your stress is lower like a weekend or day off. When you wake up, notice any signs of hunger. These might include stomach sensations like grumbling, a slight ache or pang, or a feeling of emptiness. Some people notice a slight headache or feel light headed. If you are not hungry, wait a little while. Go about your day. Check in every half-hour and notice if you are hungry yet.

When you feel hungry, see if you can identify what you would like to

eat. Again, try to suspend judgment. You may find you want ice cream. Or you might want broccoli. For this experiment, there are no good or bad foods. You are just noticing what you would like to eat. If at all possible, feed yourself exactly what you are craving.

Notice what happens to your body as you buy and/or prepare the food. What thoughts go through your head? What emotions are present? Don t be surprised if you discover something unexpected. Some people feel a sense of relief to feed themselves exactly what they want. Others feel guilt or shame. There is no right or wrong. It is all just information you can use

to understand yourself better.

Eat slowly. Notice the smell of the food. Notice the mouth feel with the first bite. Is this a food that dissipates quickly? Or does it take time to chew and swallow. Notice the texture, temperature, and flavors. Is it sweet? Salty? Savory? Spicy? Notice how your body responds after the first bite or two. Does it make you want more? Do you start to feel relief from hunger yet?

As you eat, see if you can identify the point where the hunger is relieved. This can be difficult, so go slow. It may take several meals to develop this sense. As you become aware of feeling satisfied, ask yourself if you would like to

stop now or keep eating. If you stop now, remind yourself you will be able to eat again the moment you feel hungry. If you choose to eat beyond satisfied, or even past fullness, don t judge. Notice how long it takes to get hungry after you eat to different levels of fullness. Notice what it s like to feel satisfied, full, and stuffed. Notice thoughts and feelings that arise as you experiment with hunger and fullness.

See if you can spend an entire date feeding yourself whenever you get hungry and feeding yourself exactly what you are hungry for. Notice during this day if you have the desire to eat when you are NOT hungry. If this desire

appears, use mindfulness to learn more about it. Is there a feeling or a thought that goes with the desire?

Often we want to eat when we have thoughts or feelings that are illegal. In some cases, it may not be nice to be angry. But anger is part of being human. In other cases, you may find yourself worrying about something, or feeling another strong emotion. A lot of people eat when they are worried about getting fat! I ve had people tell me they thought they ate when they felt sad, but discovered they ate when they were excited. It is fascinating to discover the things we eat over when we

overeat.

As you discover more about your compulsion to eat, you may want to learn skills to soothe the thoughts and feelings you eat over. In this way, you can gradually reduce the frequency and intensity of your compulsive eating. Soothing skills include meditation, distraction, suspending self-judgment, talking with an understanding person, setting limits or being assertive with someone who is being rude or thoughtless.

As you learn to eavesdrop on your thoughts, you ll discover what s bothering you. With that information, you ll have the option to choose how you want to take care of yourself. At times you may want to take care of yourself with food. But it s nice to have the

choice!

Julie Levin is a Marriage and Family Therapist with a practice in Pleasant Hill, CA (near San Francisco). She specializes in treatment of compulsive eating, as well as other addictions and compulsions, by helping clients learn to take care of the underlying feelings like anxiety, stress and depression. Julie also works with couples, helping them form stronger and more loving relationships. She offers counseling and therapy via phone and web-based video conferencing. For more information she can be reached at 925-518-4072 or [http://www.julielevin.com]http://www.julielevin.com.