Styling by Chana Rivky Klein  
Photography by Reuven Schwartz of Ruby Studios

Daylight Savings Time just ended. That means the clocks are back to normal. But you might not be feeling very normal at all.

Some people don’t even notice the clock change. They eat and sleep just as usual. If you’re one of those lucky ones, great! But there are many women who are more sensitive. For those women — and I’m one of them — the clock change brings on some challenges; specifically, feeling hungry at odd hours and trouble winding down for the night.

Now that we’re a few days in, let’s talk about how to manage these challenges.

Signaled Sensations

One reason the clock change throws us so much is that we’re used to eating by the clock. Since elementary school, twelve meant lunchtime. Six meant dinner. And for many women, it still does — whether or not they’re hungry.

The truth is, though, that our bodies have a phenomenal ability to let us know what they need. When we nourish our bodies with wholesome, balanced meals that keep our hormones aligned, we can actually depend on getting clear signals for hunger and fullness without worrying about what the clock says.

This time of year is a great opportunity for breaking out of clock eating. The clock’s not right anyway — so what better time could there be to start paying attention to our bodies’ cues?

Don’t Clock It, Cue It!

To make a long story short, my advice for women who have a hard time with meals after the clock change is simple. Ignore the clock. This means that if your body signals hunger at 10:30 or 11:00, don’t ignore the cue because “it’s too early.” Instead, respond by nourishing yourself with a wholesome, well-balanced lunch.

You might get hungry again a few hours later. When you do, have another satiating macro meal or snack. And if you need an extra macro meal here and there until your body adjusts to the new rhythm, that’s fine. Eventually, your body will adjust, and you’ll be more appreciative of and in tune with your body’s cues as well.