Do you struggle with your weight and body image? You are not alone. Many people struggle with weight and body image, but they don’t understand WHY they are struggling. The why seems like the most complicated part, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, 85% of people who have difficulty losing weight fall into four categories. These categories help better explain the struggle. 

Over the next four weeks, we will discuss each of these categories and teach you different approaches in treatment for each one. We hope that with this information, you may be able to figure out where your difficulty lies and take steps to move towards your goal. 

Here are the four categories: 

1.         Hungry Brain- A person doesn’t feel full and eats much more each meal. 

2.         Hungry Gut- A person eats regular portions but feels hungry more often.

3.         Emotional Eater- Person eats when they are very sad & very happy

4.         Slow Metabolism- Person has a hard time maintaining weight because they aren’t burning off as many calories

Hungry Brain

If you have a hungry brain, you tend to eat more during each meal. Sometimes people with a hungry brain can consume up to 1000 calories in each meal. The key approach is to trick your brain into feeling full faster.

So how can you do that??

1.         Drink water- Drink a full glass of water before eating to make yourself feel full.

2.         Eat something healthy and green first—for example, a vegetable soup or green salad with light dressing. After you finish that, eat the rest of your food. This will also help signal to your hungry brain that you are getting full. 

3.         Eat as slow as possible.  The slower you eat, the better. 

Are you a hungry brain? If you fall into the hungry brain category, try these tricks at home and see if they help you feel full and consume fewer calories.  Remember, you can also encourage your child to try these tips if they think they are a hungry brain!

Be sure to check back in the following weeks for tips and tricks on approaching the other categories. 

If your teen or pre-teen wants professional guidance to meet their health goals, please visit our website or email us to make a wellness center appointment today!

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