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Jun 26, 2022 · Lesser-Known Hunger Signs. 1. You’re Fatigued. Picture this: You skip breakfast in a rush to get to the office and by 10:30 a.m., you're feeling ultra-fatigued. There's a good reason for that. When we skip meals or eat too few calories, our blood sugar (or glucose) levels dip.
- Feeling Bloated
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- Feeling Bloated
- Overview
- How to Know if You're Hungry
- Curbing Psychological Hunger
- Managing Emotional Eating
Are you actually hungry, or is it something else you're feeling, like boredom? Sometimes, we eat because we’re upset, stressed, or anxious, not because our body actually needs food. It's not always easy to tell the difference between real and psychological hunger, which is why we’ve created this article to help. Read on to learn how to know if you’re really hungry or not.
When you’re physically hungry, you’ll likely experience a feeling of emptiness in your stomach, stomach growling, and/or headaches and irritability.
When you’re emotionally hungry, you may experience intense and sudden cravings when you’re sad, bored, or stressed.
The best way to know if you’re actually hungry is to do a “self-scan,” where you rate your hunger on a scale of 1 to 10.
Do a “self-scan” to see if your hunger is physical or psychological.
When you feel hunger, it can come from 2 things: physical or emotional cues. Physical hunger occurs when your body sends you physical cues (like a growling stomach) that your body needs food. Psychological hunger is often a symptom of boredom, emotions, or advertisements. Decoding what type of hungry you are can help you determine if you’re actually hungry or not. Before eating a meal or snack, take a minute or 2 to ask yourself these questions:
What level of hungry are you on a scale of 1 to 10?
Is your stomach growling? Does it feel empty? Do you feel irritable or have a headache?
Are you bored? Did you have a stressful day at work? Are you tired?
Do an apple test by thinking about eating an apple.
Believe it or not, drinking enough water can help you stop psychological hunger. Aim to drink around 8 c (1.9 L) of water a day. The more hydrated you are, the easier it’ll be to manage and listen to your body’s hunger cues.
Thirst or low-level dehydration can feel like hunger. If you're not drinking enough each day, these hunger-like symptoms may trigger you to eat more or more often than you normally would.
Keep a water bottle close by and monitor how much you're drinking each day.
Wait for 10 to 15 minutes before reaching for a snack.
Although emotional hunger can come on suddenly, it’s even quicker to go away.
Before grabbing your craving, wait at least 10 minutes to see if you still crave it. You may find that your desire to eat has subsided and is more easily controlled.
Journaling is a great and easy way to learn more about yourself and your emotional patterns. Use your journal to write about how your feeling each day, if you’ve had any cravings, and what you’re doing to distract yourself from emotional eating.
Instead of reaching for food when you feel sad or stressed, reach for your journal.
You don’t necessarily have to write about food in your journal. Fill the empty pages with details about your day and overall life. Remember, the more you learn about yourself, the easier it’ll be to identify why you’re emotionally eating.
More often than not, you reach for food when you’re not hungry because you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or worried. Managing stressful triggers can help you avoid eating when you’re not hungry. Try to control stress by:
Taking breaks from watching or reading the news.
Doing things you enjoy or that make you happy every day.
May 11, 2023 · Most people think of hunger as residing in the stomach and struggle to notice other subtle (or not-so-subtle) signs and symptoms of hunger. Here are some other signs that might mean you’re hungry! Some of these signs overlap with signs you may not be eating enough. 1. Stomach gnawing, grumbling, feeling empty.
Apr 7, 2020 · Some ways to check in with your body about your hunger levels include: Pausing and asking yourself if you’re hungry – and doing your best to be honest. Doing a head-to-toe body scan to evaluate your physical state and mood. Eating more slowly and allowing your body time to let you know when it’s full. Distracting yourself with something ...
Jun 17, 2024 · The feeling of being hungry comes from movements in your stomach signaling to the body that it needs nutrients. When the body signals symptoms of hunger, the feeling is in the stomach area. There are additional feelings that can vary from person to person. Many people experience low energy, irritability, shakiness, headaches, and problems focusing.
Nov 11, 2024 · Stomach cramping or pain. Moody or irritable. Some of these signals occur just as you start to get hungry, while others may be a sign that you've gone too long without eating. You can tell if you are really hungry because nearly any food will satisfy you. Your body wants nutrients regardless of where they come from.
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Oct 15, 2020 · Hungry but can't eat. Bottom line. Many people struggle with boredom eating, or eating to pass the time — even if they’re not truly hungry (1, 2). In fact, boredom eating and other forms of ...
