Babies naturally have an accurate sense of when they’re hungry and when they’re done. As we grow up, when does that ability go away? And why?

So much of our eating behavior is driven by our environment, culture, and society:

1) Nonstop work and activity. In American culture, a leisurely meal does not happen by default. Working professionals may be at the mercy of their company schedule. Family mealtime can be influenced by kids’ schedules. Moreover, our culture generally values convenience over spending time on food prep and cooking, and fast food typically comes with high levels of sugar, salt, and fat and low levels of essential vitamins and minerals.

2) Never-ending availability of cheap, palatable food. Not so long ago in our evolution, food supply was scarce. Not so much today; we can eat whenever and whatever we think we want. Even office supply stores have soda, candy, and junk food in highly visible spots. Sugar, salt and unhealthy fat are a combination that tastes good, but can easily cause weight gain and even become addictive, robbing us of physical and mental health.

3) Marketing and advertising messages to eat constantly. This also plays on our natural inclination to eat when food is available. These visual signals can easily make us think we want to eat, when oftentimes we aren’t truly hungry and don’t need food. The average person is exposed to 5,000 ads in a day in 2020; we can receive and respond to these suggestions without even realizing it.

How can you work around these obstacles?

1. Awareness is the the first step to re-calibrating for more intuitive eating: observe your body’s hunger signals and respond properly to them, just like you did by instinct as a baby. My favorite approach is that when your hunger is a 7 out of 10, you should eat. When your satisfaction is a 7 out of 10, stop.
2. Preparation have balanced snacks on hand, and when you’re truly hungry between meals, eat one!  Healthy choices for you may be a handful of almonds, or a serving of Greek yogurt topped with fresh berries. I personally keep a couple of low sugar fruit and nut bars with me to have when I’m on the go between meals.
3. Savoring helps you slow down and get maximum satisfaction from eating. For snacks, eat a portion and wait about 20 minutes. If you’re not at a 7 out of 10, consider eating more. The same principle is true for meals; eat less of each food than you think you might need, enjoy it slowly, and check in with your hunger after about 20 minutes have passed. Most of the time, you’ll be satisfied with what you’ve had and won’t truly need more.

Using that approach will help you be less inclined to buy and consume the ubiquitous junk food that doesn’t pay you back in value. You’ll also be less responsive to external cues nudging you to eat, and more in control to make healthier choices that propel you toward your goals.