• Home
  • Nutrition advice
  • Fitness advice
  • Beauty advice
  • Recipes
  • About the Experts
English | Español

Discover Good
  • Nutrition
  • Fitness
  • Beauty

Your Go-To Guide to Not Eating When You’re Not Hungry


 Posted by Susan Bowerman, M.S., RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND – Senior Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training  0 Comment

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars
Loading ... Loading ...

Push back on temptation.

Everywhere you go, it seems, there’s pressure to eat. Here’s how to push back and not eat when you’re not hungry.

For most of us, the last thing we need is the pressure to eat more. But it happens all the time. A few years back, one of the fast food chains in the US began a push to add a whole extra meal to your day—“The meal between dinner and breakfast.” I do understand the desire for an occasional midnight snack. Sometimes you eat dinner early, you stay up late and you get hungry. But once that midnight snack morphs into the “fourth meal,” it starts to sound more like an everyday need—which just makes it easier to justify why we cave into the pressure to eat it.

This pressure to eat faces us everywhere we go, and it seems as if we’ve come to expect it—and accept it, too. I’m no longer surprised when I see free donuts at the dry cleaners, or a plate of cookies at the bank. When I go to a restaurant, I expect that the server will offer to “start me off” with some deep-fried something or other, or ask me if I’ve “saved room for dessert.” You’ve probably experienced the occasional pressure to eat from friends, family or co-workers. Even when you shop for groceries, there’s pressure to buy more (“Buy two, get one free!”), which just means more food in the house—and increased pressure to eat it.

With this constant pressure to eat, it means that we have to spend a lot of time trying to stop ourselves from giving in. And that isn’t easy to do, since it’s almost expected that we should be eating more, not less. When was the last time a server in a restaurant tried to discourage you from ordering appetizers or dessert?

But you can push back when you’re really not hungry. Here’s how.

Push back when there’s food where you least expect it

Like the donuts at the dry cleaners or cookies at the bank, you can probably think of dozens of unlikely places where you’ve encountered food. This situation is probably the easiest one to deal with, since you really weren’t expecting the food to be there in the first place. Ask yourself: “Am I hungry?”, “Is this something I want?” and “Would I walk across the street right now to get this?” Pay attention to your answers, which are most likely some combination of “No,” “Not really” and “Probably not.”

Push back when you’re grocery shopping

Grocery shopping is a minefield of temptations—there are literally thousands of items there to entice you. This is why making a list—and doing your darnedest to stick to it—is so important, since it will curb your impulse buying. When you’re faced with ‘value pricing’—which encourages you to buy more than you need—consider how you’ll deal with the extra. If it can be stored out of sight, or repackaged into smaller containers, that’s fine. But if having more around means you’re likely to eat more, that’s a bargain you don’t need.

Push back when restaurants offer you more than you want

Just like value pricing at the supermarket, restaurants like to offer you value, too. Free bread or chips doesn’t cost them much, but the cost to you could be a few extra inches on your belly and hips. Instead of those “deep fried something or others” as a starter, just ask for some water with lemon to sip on while you look over the menu. Turn down the offer of an extra ‘side’ for just pennies more—unless it’s an extra side of veggies. And when the dessert menu comes around, don’t even open it. If others at your table are indulging, order some coffee or tea to sip on while they eat.

Push back when family, friends or coworkers put the pressure on

You’d think it would be easy to be straightforward with the ones you know best, but eating with those you’re close to is often emotionally charged. There’s the family member who prepared something nice and high calorie “just for you”—and, since you don’t want to offend them, you feel pressured to eat it. If you just can’t bring yourself to say no, then ask for a small piece and take just a bite or two. Because if you finish it, there’s a good chance you’ll be offered another helping, and you’ll just have to start the process all over again. When you’re out with friends or coworkers and you feel the pressure to have something “just this once” or because “everyone else is having some,” keep this in mind – being sociable doesn’t require that you have a drink in one hand and an tempting morsel in the other.

« How to Be Heart Healthy – Your Essential Update
Are Your “Bad” Diet Habits Healthier Than You Think? »

    Share This


Susan Bowerman, M.S., RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND – Senior Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training
Susan is the Senior Director of Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training at Herbalife, where she is responsible for the development of nutrition education and training materials, and is one of the primary authors of the Herbalife-sponsored blog, www.discovergoodnutrition.com. She is a Registered Dietitian and holds two Board Certifications from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, and a Certified Specialist in Obesity and Weight Management. Susan is also a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Susan graduated with distinction in biology from the University of Colorado, and received her master’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition from Colorado State University. She then completed her dietetic internship at the University of Kansas. Susan has taught extensively and developed educational programs targeted to individuals, groups and industry in her areas of expertise, including health promotion, weight management and sports nutrition. Prior to her role at Herbalife, she was the assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, and has held appointments as adjunct professor in nutrition at Pepperdine University and as lecturer in nutrition in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Susan was a consultant to the (then) Los Angeles Raiders for six seasons, and was a contributing columnist for the Los Angeles Times Health Section for two years. She is a co-author of 23 research papers, 14 book chapters, and was a co-author of two books for the public: “What Color is Your Diet?” and “The L.A. Shape Diet” by Dr. David Heber, published by Harper Collins in 2001 and 2004, respectively.


Related Posts


5 Calorie Counting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

What Exactly Is a Calorie?

Your Essential Guide to Counting Calories


  • Search

  • Sign Up for Updates

  • Meal Plans

    • 1200 calorie diet
      Try This 3-Day 1200 Calorie Diet Plan
    • Streamline Your Diet With This Healthy 1500 Calorie Plan
    • 2200 calorie diet
      Sample Menus for a 2200 Calorie Diet Plan
    • personalized diet
      How to Create a Personalized Diet Plan
    • 1800 calorie diet
      Healthy 1800 Calorie Diet Plan
  • Fitness advice

    • post-pregnancyBye-Bye Baby Weight: Regaining Your Figure, Post-Pregnancy
    • Smart fitnesSmart Fitness: 5 Tips to Get You from 'Fit' to 'Fitter'
    • fitness testHow to Create Your Own Fitness Test
    • wedding workoutHow to Get in Shape and Look Great for a Big Event
    • muscle massWeight vs. Muscle Mass: The Importance of Body Composition
  • Beauty advice

    • skin resolutionsTry these easy tips for better skin
    • How to get rid of eye bags | Herbalife beauty advice from Jacquie CarterHow to Get Rid of Under Eye Bags
    • look your bestHow to Always Look Your Best at Any Event
    • dry skin5 Effective Ways to Moisturize Dry Skin
    • bright smileBright Smile: 5 Tips to Keep Your Teeth Looking Good
  • Nutrition advice

    • supertasterAre You a Supertaster?
    • Chefs' diet secrets
    • healthy behaviorHealthy Behavior: Making Healthy Diet Changes that Last
    • diet techniquePopular Dieting Tools and Techniques
    • Heart healthHeart health: How to fine tune your diet in 5 easy steps



Privacy Policy | CCPA Suplemmental Notice

Copyright © 2019 Herbalife International of America, Inc.