10 Reasons You Eat when You're Not Actually Hungry

By Erin Whitehead, for SparkPeople

We've all done it, and sometimes we don't even realize when it's happening. Maybe you graze when you're bored, or reach your hand into the office candy jar each time you pass by. Perhaps when you're feeling sluggish in the afternoon, you head to the vending machine for a pick-me-up. All of these are opportunities to eat for reasons other than hunger. No matter why food calls your name, one thing rings true: We have all eaten something when we weren't truly hungry. While that's OK from time to time, too much eating without thinking can really hurt your weight management goals. And depending on what you eat, hurt your health, too.

Take a look at these 10 situations that encourage you to eat when you're not hungry, plus tips to cope in a healthier way.

To Cope
Out of Boredom
Because Other People Are Eating
Because Food is There
Because It's a Special Occasion
Because You're Tired
Because the Clock Says So
Because It's Free (Or Cheap)
Because You Can't Say No to Food Pushers
Because You Suffer from Clean Plate Syndrome

Now find out what you can do about it!


Related links:

Tame the Emotional Eating Beast for Good

Improve Your Mood Without Food

Take Action Against Emotional Eating


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