Is It Time to Eat Yet?

Do you find yourself eating simply because of the time of day?

If so, what happens when you don’t know what time it is?

I’ve been thinking about this since my watch battery died. I’ve been having trouble finding the right battery replacement, which means I’ve been without my watch for a week or so now.

And it’s given me a strange sense of being disconnected from time.

What’s also fascinating is that, more often than I expected, I’ve found myself wondering, “Is it time to eat?”

To be clear, it’s not that I can’t find out what time it is. My phone has a clock. So do my home and work laptops. I have a clock on the living room wall. My stove, microwave, alarm clock and car all tell me what time it is.

But none of it is as simple as glancing at my wrist. Which is probably why I hadn’t noticed before how often I checked the time in relation to food. It’s more conscious now, so it draws more attention.

I don’t exactly eat by the clock, but I do know my body well enough to usually gauge when I’ll be hungry again, depending on what and how much I ate. Not always, but usually.

This means that I normally get hungry for lunch between 11:30 and 12. And I find when I’m at work, I more often watch the clock to know when that time is getting close.

The thing is, it’s not really because I’m hungry. When I check the time, it’s more about wanting a break.

What that made me realize is that I probably need to let myself take a break every now and again, just for the sake of a break, rather than as an excuse to eat.

That way, even though I’ll likely get hungry the same time I do now, I’ll be more likely to notice my hunger first, rather than watching the clock and counting down until lunchtime.

So it’s been a good reminder – but I’ll still be glad when my watch is up and running again.