Knowing When You are Hungry
How do you know when you are hungry, physically hungry? For some people, the answer is obvious. For others, it’s a dilemma because they are so far removed from their physical sensations or so used to ignoring them, that they really don’t know the answer. If you have been dieting for a long time, you may have “trained” your body not to tell you when you need food.
Hunger is A Message That You Need Fuel!
In the simplest terms, food is fuel for the human body. Humans are designed to consume a variety of foods and the nutrients they contain. Nutrients are nothing more than chemicals needed by the body for normal functioning. These nutrients include the calorie-providing nutrients, carbohydrate, protein, and fat, which are all necessary for healthy functioning. Eating a normal, varied diet provides the body with adequate amounts of these nutrients.
We toss around the term “calorie” and many people have no idea what it means. A calorie is a measure of energy stored in foods. This energy is stored in all foods and is released by the human body during digestion and metabolism. Calories are not the enemy! I often hear people talk as though their main goal in eating is to eat fewer and fewer calories. This approach almost never works. Your body needs calories for fuel and will “fight” you if deprived of its fuel. Trying to overly restrict your body’s fuel source will just make you feel chronically hungry, tired and obsessively focused on food, often leading to bingeing. When you have been overly restricting your food intake and not responding to your hunger with food, binging is normal.
True physical hunger is your body’s way of telling you it needs fuel. I sometimes hear people say that when they are hungry that’s a good thing because they are “burning” fat they want to be rid of. Not true! When you are hungry your blood sugar is dropping, which is a normal state of affairs. This, and other factors, trigger the feelings we know as hunger. That means it is time to eat.
When you are hungry, it’s just a fact, like the sky is blue. It’s no use arguing that “I just ate 2 hours ago” or “I can’t be hungry it’s not dinner time”. These arguments are a little like arguing with your car that is out of gasoline.
Remember that the basic purpose of hunger is to get you to eat thereby nourishing your body
What Does Hunger Feel Like To You?
Feelings of hunger are intensely personal, so my experience of hunger may be very different than yours. When you are starting to get hungry (at “4” on the hunger/fullness scale) you may find yourself beginning to think about food, what you might eat or where you would get food. It’s usually a feeling somewhere between your chest and your pelvis. It may feel like rumbles in the area just above your waist. Some people say they feel “burpy” or start to have a vague headache. It might feel just plain empty and uncomfortable.
I find that feeling hungry is very distracting. I have trouble thinking about anything except when and what kind of food I will get. When I am overly hungry, I find it hard to think clearly and would have trouble following driving directions or carrying on an important conversation. Does this sound familiar to you?
Honor Your Hunger
You honor your hunger when you feed your body appropriate food when you’re hungry.
Treat your body in a loving and friendly way, and feed yourself when you are hungry!
