If you often feel hungry, you are not alone. There are many reasons you may feel hungry on a given day. Of course, the most obvious one is actual physical hunger.
Maybe your stomach is empty, your blood sugar has dropped, or your hunger hormones are having a party.
PSYCHOLOGICAL HUNGER CUES
Sometimes, hunger may not be physical. I could be brought on by emotional triggers. When you eat for reasons other than hunger, it can be a recipe for unwanted pounds to creep on. We’re talking stress ladies. It can also be brought on by a certain type of diet that is too restrictive. Or, things going on in our lives that we have we have no control over.
It’s easy to mistake “psychological” hunger for “physical” hunger.
Physical hunger vs. psychological hunger. Which is which?
Your “physical” hunger is regulated by your hunger hormones. And of course, it should be. You don’t want to be completely drained of fuel and nutrients for a long time.
Humans are programmed to seek food when the body physically needs it. Physical hunger is a sign that you need nutrients, or can also be a sign that you have low blood sugar.
“Psychological” or”emotional” hunger is eating to cope with something outside of the body, most likely an unwanted feeling or emotion. Negative emotions like boredom, sadness, anger, stress, are a part of life and are brought on by our thoughts.
If you see a great food commercial or smell a bakery, and you may feel the urge to comfort yourself with food, because you had a bad day, just know it not from your empty stomach or low blood sugar. In this instance, the urge to eat is triggered by something happening outside the body.
Here are a few steps to figure out if you’re physically hungry or not, or whether something outside of you is triggering your desire for food.
- The first thing you need to do is stop to evaluate. Scarfing down that protein bar at the first sign of hunger isn’t necessarily going to help you.
- Now that you’ve stopped. Question where this hunger is coming from by asking yourself these questions:
- Can you actually feel or hear your stomach growling?
- Did you skip a meal, and haven’t eaten in hours?
- Or are you seeing and smelling something divinely delicious?
- Are you bored, sad, or stressed? Take a peek into all these areas and really pay attention.
- Have a big glass of water. Dehydration is often misinterpreted for hunger. Now observe your hunger feeling for at least a minute. It can be easy to jump to a conclusion, but that may or may not be the right one. So listen to your body and mind very deeply.
- If you do find that your emotions are really what’s underneath the urge to eat, then decide to face them. Learn to manage your feelings in a healthier way. For instance, try deep breathing, taking a walk or writing in a journal. The idea is to give your mind something else do focus on besides the urge to eat. I created a list of activities to break the habit of self-soothing with food.
- If you’re pretty sure that your body physically needs nutrition, just wait a few more minutes to make sure.
- If it’s physical hunger, then eat! Healthy, nutritious, filling food is best of course and portion control is key. Eat slowly and mindfully. Chew well and savor every bite of it.
- Rinse and repeat at the next sign of hunger.
Conclusion
Now you know my foolproof plan to figure out if your physical body is hungry, or if you’re bored, sad, angry or stressed. The feeling of hunger can manifest for many reasons. Listen to what your body needs instead of reacting impulsively.
Don’t forget to address your emotions by choosing an activity that makes you feel good about yourself.
Your waistline will thank you!
Do you find yourself experiencing the psychological vs. physical hunger dilemma? How do you distinguish between the two? I would love to hear from you. Please share in the comments!
References:
https://authoritynutrition.com/ghrelin/
https://authoritynutrition.com/18-ways-reduce-hunger-appetite/
https://authoritynutrition.com/15-incredibly-filling-foods/
https://precisionnutrition.com/dealing-with-mysterious-hunger
