Why we eat when we aren't hungry

If you're feeling hungry, you may want to take a moment to do a reality check. True hunger comes from the stomach, but as this Time.com slide show points out, there are several other triggers that may make you feel like eating, like:

• time of day
• the sight and smell of foods you like
• craving variety (which is why you may reach for something sweet, even after a big meal)
• drinking alcohol
• being cold (maybe that's why I gain weight every winter!)
• eating refined carbs

Regularly eating when you aren't hungry is a surefire way to add inches to your waistline. The next time the thought of food enters your head, make sure that you're truly hungry and not being tricked into eating by one of these triggers.