Do you watch the clock?

I had a pretty decent day today. I’ve been having a pretty good week-actually, plan-wise. That entry is coming up.

But I noticed when I got home at around 3:30pm, after having eaten lunch, that I was VERY hungry. As in, meal-hungry. I looked at the time and thought, “Well, I had lunch already, and it’s not dinnertime, so I guess it’s snack time.” But I was so hungry, I ended up eating a small meal’s worth of calories, but getting only half the psychological and physical satisfaction that would have come with eating a real meal.

All because it wasn’t “time.”

I’ve done the opposite, too. I’m not QUITE hungry, but I check the clock and it’s 10:45 and I haven’t had my morning snack yet...and isn’t it TIME to have a snack?

So far, the only strategy I’ve devised for those times when I start to assess my hunger and ask myself whether I should eat something is to consciously avoid looking at the clock while I assess my hunger signals. I try to come to a determination of my hunger that is independent of time.

I’d be interested to hear whether you face this challenge as well---and if you do, what are your strategies?