Distinguishing Real Hunger from Emotional Hunger
When you have a sudden craving for a candy bar or a big bowl of fries smothered in ketchup, are you really hungry … or is it just emotional hunger?
It can be surprisingly hard sometimes to figure out exactly what we’re feeling! If you’re on a diet after quite a long period of being overweight, you may have to get back in touch with your body’s hunger signals – many of us fall into the trap of nibbling constantly, and not really having much appetite when it comes to meal-time.
So how can you figure out whether that candy bar is calling to you because you’re genuinely hungry or because you’re “emotionally” hungry? Here are a couple of good questions to consider:
Are You Suddenly “Hungry”?
Real hunger takes time to develop. You might notice that slight empty feeling, followed by a light grumble from your stomach. Unless you’re very absorbed in your work, you’re unlikely to suddenly realise that you’re hungry.
Emotional hunger, on the other hand, generally comes as sudden urges or cravings – even when you’ve eaten recently.
Are You Focused on a Particular Food?
When you’re properly hungry, almost anything sounds tasty. I usually eat apples when I need a fill-me-up snack – which I like, but never exactly crave!
On the other hand, emotional hunger tends to be connected to a particular food or type of food. Maybe you really want chips, or chocolate, or a piece of that tempting birthday cake which a colleague brought into the office. Emotional hunger can be triggered by seeing food, whereas real hunger is rooted in your stomach, not your mind.
So if you’ve determined that your “hunger” is more of a craving, what can you do?
Drink a Glass of Water
If you’re slightly dehydrated, it’s easy to mistake thirst for hunger. Try drinking a glass of water, slowly, and see if that gets rid of the feeling.
Wait Twenty Minutes
Cravings often fade quickly: that cookie which seems irresistible right now might be perfectly easy to pass on in twenty minutes time. If you’re being offered food, say a polite, “I’ll take one later, thanks.” You might find you don’t even want it later on.
Go for a Quick Walk
If you can get out and have a brisk walk, that’s a great way to take your mind off food – and to take some positive action towards getting healthier! After a walk, you’re less likely to want to binge on something unhealthy.
Distract Yourself
Often, you won’t be able to just drop what you’re doing and enjoy a walk. If you’re at home with kids or at work, find something to distract you from eating. It might be tackling that email backlog, writing the first draft of that report, or doing some spring cleaning. Anything which occupies your hands (eg. typing) or your mouth (eg. phone calls) is good for preventing “accidental” eating!
Keep a Food Diary
If you regularly find yourself having little extras here and there, get into the habit of writing down everything you eat. This can help boost your will-power: seeing those cookies and snacks in black and white makes it more obvious where you could be slipping up…
What are the signs of real hunger for you? And how can you deal with emotional “hunger”?
Written by Ali HaleRelated posts:
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