NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE ON AN EMPTY STOMACH

Have you lashed out in anger at someone because you were hungry? *it’s called being hangry*

Have you overspent while on a food date because you were eating to fill your stomach and not necessarily to enjoy the food?

Or have you gone to a function, telling yourself that you’ll eat there, only to starve half to death because caterers served the food late? I’m pretty sure you were not only crouching over with hunger pains, but you were tired and pissed off all at once.

Preventing such situations is very easy.

All you have to do is make sure that you eat something before you leave home, even if it’s something as small as a fruit salad.

This hack has never failed me, especially when running errands, which can take up lots of time and energy, because I don’t end up overspending on junk food to fill my hungry stomach.

It also helps when you’re going out on a food date as you can eat to enjoy the food because you’re not gulping it down as fast as you can to silence the monster in your stomach. It also gives you an opportunity to try different dishes because you’re not sticking to what you know to silence the hunger.

And if you’re a student and you’re going out on a food date on a tight budget, you’ll afford budget-friendly treats as you eat to enjoy the food and the company that you’re with, not worrying about getting rid of your hunger with an often large and pricey meal.

If you can’t resist going out on a food date knowing full well that you’re broke, eating at home will make things easier when the bill comes as you can get away with ordering water with ice and lemon (which is free at most restaurants) or coffee, which is affordable.

You’ll be less susceptible to buying junk food to eat on the run if you have something before you leave home. And if you do crave your favorite cheat treat, it’ll be more of a treat than an actual meal, meaning that you won’t have to beat yourself up because of all the calories you’ve consumed.

So the next time you go out to run errands or to meet someone for a food date, eat something, even if it’s light, before you go out. Better to be nibbly than to have a raging monster of hunger in your stomach.