Hello,
Hunger can be physical, but it can also be psychological. We are physically hungry when we skip lunch, work all afternoon and it is 7:00 at night. But we are psychologically hungry when I am feeling fine, but then my co-worker starts eating left-over dessert right next to me. With physical hunger working with a registered dietitian to develop a personalized meal plan can be helpful. For psychological hunger, distraction or positive self-talk are recommended. To identify our sense of hunger, we usually recommend that the person start with keeping a food journal. For example, ask yourself: What am I eating, but also where am I, how am I emotionally feeling, what is my hunger level, and am I alone or with other people? This could help you identify any potential mood triggers to your eating. Once you identify the mood that triggers eating, you can problem solve strategies. So if I stress eat in the evenings after a busy and stressful day, can I meditate, write in a gratitude journal, call a friend, or nourish my spiritual side, as possible solutions. The first step to learning more about our hunger is personal self-awareness, identify the potential mood triggers, then problem solve and experiment with different strategies to minimize those triggers.

There are a variety of resources available, ranging from free weight loss information on mayoclinic.org, the Mayo Clinic Diet book, and the Mayo Clinic Diet online program.

The Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program also has a variety of comprehensive and focused experiences that can be customized to fit your goals, lifestyle, and health needs. The two that come to mind would be the Mayo Clinic Diet Experience or the Signature Experience. Here is a link: https://healthyliving.mayoclinic.org/offerings.php

Here are a few links to articles on healthy snacks that might also be helpful: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/snack-recipes/rcs-20077251
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/healthy-diet/art-20046267