Mastering your hunger signals is a key ingredient in achieving lasting weight loss, plus giving your body the energy and vitality you want.
Because, there’s times you think you’re hungry. And then, there’s real hunger.
Do you know the difference?
Sometimes your body can play sneaky tricks on you. It can make you think you’re hungry, when there’s really something else going on.
How do you know if your body is truthfully giving you the signal that it needs food?
Knowing the difference will mean the difference between eating when needed, healthily and mindfully, or giving in to your cravings and habits that contribute to excess weight and fatigue.
Here’s three hunger signals your brain is using to trick you into thinking you’re hungry:
1. Emotional hunger – the sneaky, tricky habit where your brain has linked an emotion, a mood or a stress response to eating something to make you feel better. You’re not hungry, you’re self-soothing, or trying to distract yourself from feeling the emotion. For example:
- happy, sad, worried, angry, loving, scared, anxious – there’ll be a certain food that make you feel better or have enhanced that feeling in the past
- stressed – stress hormones will have you reaching for a soothing treat
- bored or procrastinating – your brain’s way of distracting you with food instead of being productive (like constantly opening the fridge instead of writing that tricky email).
2. Fatigue – when you’re tired, you’re looking for a pick-me-up to get you through your next deadline like caffeine. You’re not hungry, you need to be better rested for more energy.
3. Cravings – physical or habitual
- physical – when your blood sugar levels have dropped too quickly and your body sends a signal for food to meet insulin level needs.
- habit – brain driven and habitual, these cravings can really derail you. Read about food craving habits here
Then there’s true hunger
When your body has metabolised all the food you ate last meal, and it’s telling you it’s ready for more. This is when your tummy growls and it’s been around five hours since you last ate.
It’s time to eat!
Bite Sized Action
Check in with yourself to determine the reason why you’re wanting to eat when it’s not meal time. By understanding exactly what your body is telling you, you can remedy your hunger by replacing the act of eating with something healthier. Try these ideas:
Emotional, stressed or boredom – give yourself something to do instead, like put on the kettle and make yourself a herbal tea or a simple cup of hot water. This can be soothing to our nervous system
Fatigue – address sleep if that’s an issue. Or, if it’s the dreaded afternoon slump, you need to increase the protein and healthy portions of your lunch. Or you may be dehydrated or lacking oxygen – increase your water intake and take a few minutes to do some deep breathing. If fatigue is an ongoing issues, then it’s time to get that sorted. Read about The Fatigue Solution.
Cravings – a true sugar (glucose) craving is when the level of blood glucose drops in your blood stream and your body is looking for glucose to offset insulin. Most people get agitated, shaky and a bit wonky if blood sugar drops too low. If you aren’t getting those symptoms, then it’s possibly a habit and/or you’re thirsty. Have a glass of water first, and generally try increasing your water intake. Then look at your food intake at the previous two meals making sure you have adequate protein and healthy fats.
If hunger is an ongoing problem, the Metabolic Weight Loss Program is a fabulous way to reach and maintain a health weight with plenty of energy. It teaches you how to eat right for your body. Contact me today to find out more.
Need help with restoring healthy eating patterns, weight loss and energy? Here’s how:
- Book in for a consultation (in Clinic, Zoom or over the phone) to really drill down on why you are so tired – Click here
- Eating the right foods for your body and rebooting your metabolism can really improve your sleep and energy – Click here
- Not sure what you need? Book in for a 20 minute FREE discovery call chat with me – Click here
- Sign up for my Newsletter for regular health tips – Click here
With your health in mind,
Catherine
