Our relationship with food is a direct reflection of our relationship with life. If you struggle with your weight, body image, or eating habits just know that this is not a problem. All these conditions are symptoms of a problem that is trying to get your attention.

And so, the more willing you are to take an honest look at yourself and your relationship with food, the more opportunities you will have to not only know yourself better but to make a change. Remember, we cannot change what we do not accept (or see) so the change will always begin with (kind and patient) observation and acceptance.

Understanding the four types of eating and how they relate to you is a great tool to help you gain a clearer perspective on yourself and your relationship to food.

The four types of eating are Fuel, Fun, Fog, and Storm.

Fuel Eating is when you are eating foods that support your body and its needs. This is clean eating. Eating real, whole, natural, minimally processed foods that provide you with energy and nourishment and feel good in your body. You want to eat fuel foods 80% of the time.

 Fun Eating is eating any food that you love to eat that doesn’t necessarily give you anything back. In other words, food that tastes great and you enjoy but doesn't offer any real nutritional value (i.e., cake, wine, potato chips, candy, etc.). You want to pay careful attention when eating fun foods to be sure you are receiving the pleasure that they provide. This could look like one small treat a day or two fun meals a week. The rule with fun eating is that you must enjoy each bite.

 Fog Eating is anytime you eat without awareness. You are munching on chips without even tasting them, you are snacking on your kids’ peanut butter and jelly crusts while making lunch, you finish off a bag of candy before you even realize how much you ate and don’t even remember what it tasted like. Fog eating is not enjoyable or purposeful; it’s an unconscious munch that we are not even aware of what we are doing. The goal is to never fog eat. Stop the minute you catch yourself.

 Storm Eating is binge eating or eating out of control. It is anytime you can’t stop yourself. You are aware that you are eating, and you want to stop but you feel like you can’t stop or like you can’t control yourself. It’s almost like you are watching another person inside your own body. Sometimes this happens if we let ourselves get too hungry and sometimes it happens when we have an overwhelming emotion that we do not want to feel. Storm eating is usually followed by regret and shame. Many times, it’s done in private or in hiding.

And yes, you can experience some of these at the same time or one can led to the other.

Choosing foods that are less calorie dense — meaning you get a larger portion size with a fewer number of calories — can help you lose weight and control your hunger.

Two main factors play a role in what makes food high or low in energy density:

Water. Fruits and vegetables generally have high water and fiber content, which provide volume and weight but not calories. That's why they're low-energy-dense foods. Grapefruit, for example, is about 90% water. Half a grapefruit has just 64 calories. Raw, fresh carrots are about 88% water. A medium carrot has only about 25 calories.

Fiber. High-fiber foods not only provide volume but also take longer to digest, making you feel full longer on fewer calories. Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains all contain fiber. Popcorn is a good example of a high-volume, low-calorie whole grain. One cup of air-popped popcorn has about 30 calories.

And when all else fails try supplements which are known to be block fats and assist with feeling full longer such as:

Maximum Slim Fat and Carb Blocker: Fat and Carb Blocker - MaximumSlim Health Products

Maximum Slim Hoodia: Maximum Slim Hoodia Gordonii Full Spectrum - MaximumSlim Health Products

Maximum Slim Coffee: Maximum Slim Original Green Coffee, 12 - MaximumSlim Health Products