Food Cues

We talked about Food Cues a few weeks ago at my WW meeting.  Food Cues is when sights or smells of a food make you instantly want to eat it.

For instance, my coworker just pooped some popcorn.  Now I want popcorn!  I have not yet warmed up my dinner here at work so I’ll be eating that instead.  However, the smell of popcorn always makes me want some, even if I am not hungry.  Going to the movie almost always results in getting popcorn.

 

The other Food Cue that I had not thought about until our meeting was glasses of wine.  Whenever I am watching a TV show or a movie and the characters are drinking wine, I want wine.  I noticed this a few years ago watching The Bachelor/Bachelorette.  The girls are always drinking wine and I always want wine when I watch the show.  The good thing about the WW program is it allows you to have whatever you want as long as you count the PPVs.  One small glass of wine is 4 PPVs so I don’t drink it often.  I do enjoy wine in social settings. 

 

I would also be lying if I didn’t say all the recent recipe posting on Facebook about yummy sugary desserts and treats is also a major Food Cue.

 

Not going to lie...I now want cake after looking at cake photos!

Food Cues can be tough to navigate.  Often if we are truly hungry then what is providing a cue isn’t what our body really needs but rather what we think our body needs.  If it is true hunger, eat a healthy meal or snack first, then if you still want what has been cued, then have it.  Don’t forget to count the PPVs and track it!