Hunger Games - Are you really hungry?
How to stop guessing what your body is trying to tell you.
I have always been an eater, most of my life actually. As you can imagine, I had a weight issue that came along with that as well.
People would ask me if I was hungry and I would answer yes almost every single time. Even if I had recently gorged on carbs and sugar. Candidly, I was always hungry.
But what was I hungry for? Obviously my body had plenty of calories - in my stomach and on my hips.
When I first dieted for longer than a month I realized what true physical hunger was. My stomach would actually growl for food!
What an odd feeling that was for me, for someone who had a history of eating constantly and was almost terrified of feeling empty.
Since I was sticking to a rigid food plan that ensured I had adequate nutrition while creating a calorie deficit for weight loss, food was no longer an answer for “hunger”.
I was forced to start figuring out what I was really hungry for. Yes, I could eat more food, but I had to have a compelling reason since the nutrition was on point for my physical goals.
Trying to figure out what these hunger feelings were really trying to tell me was frustrating, aggravating and…. freeing.
Today I’m pretty consistent in how I eat so if I feel hungry I don’t automatically assume it’s physical hunger. Instead I check to see if it's other “hunger” signals.
Types of Hunger
Some of the common "hungers" I experienced, and still do at times, are:
Boredom Hunger
Eating can be entertaining, a moment filled with foods that offer fleeting pleasures.
Stress Hunger
This type of hunger was the worst! There was something so soothing about the constant chewing on crunchy items. Gnawing and chomping. I could go deep into a zone of binging that would temporarily soothe me. But once I came out of that state, I would still be stressed and then I would feel physically horrid from the junk food.
Loneliness or Love Hunger
Another self-soothing hunger. Sometimes I would be seeking the dopamine hit to soothe the pain of being alone. I'm an introvert by nature so this one was incredibly hard.
Habitual Hunger
It took a long time to train myself to not crave night time treats. I was so used to late evening snacks that it was hard to learn to have dinner and then tell myself no more eating - I’m done for the night.
Once I learned to identify real physical hunger vs. emotional hunger, I started making permanent changes with life coping strategies.
This also helped me learn that being hungry would not kill me. It was okay to feel hungry.
I had learned how to feed not only my body but also my heart and soul. This was so essential to freedom from a lifetime of mindless hunger..
Next Steps
It’s critical to understand why you are hungry. Is hunger physical or another type of hunger? Without this understanding it’s almost impossible to achieve permanent weight loss.
Easier said than done.
For me, a couple of things helped to figure out if what I was experiencing was physical hunger or not.
Establishing a Routine
Regular meal times at a set location. This helps set intentional eating and environmental cues for hunger. It also helps you know biologically when hunger is real or not.
Example - it usually takes 2-4 hours for food to move from your stomach. Tip: higher protein meals take longer to process.
Pause Before Eating
Some suggest taking a walk, others journaling. For me the answer is plain herbal tea. By having something to sip that is stimulating and soothing (peppermint tea is my favorite), it helps me to pause and do a self check.
During this time I think on my cues. If no apparent reason for physical hunger (i.e. I had been more active so I was hungrier or hormones surging) then I use my other coping strategies.
Seeking Professional Support
You might be like me and many hunger signals are related to emotional issues. Professional support from counseling and support groups helped me learn how to process emotions. Now I recognize emotions for what they are instead of feeling them as hunger.
Once you’ve learned your personal types of hunger you can develop a game plan for success. You will no longer be a victim of mindless hunger feelings.
After all that, if you still feel physically hungry and it’s not the other hunger types, it’s time to tackle your food plan macros and hormone balances. But that is another article for another day.
Take the time to learn what your hunger signals mean. This is an essential key to freeing yourself from a lifetime of weight issues. I believe in you and you’re worth it!
Hugs,
Jami
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