The Difference Between Hunger and Emotional Hunger
When you reach for something to eat, it’s important to know the real reason why you’re standing there in front of the refrigerator. People everywhere are struggling with weight and body image issues, but looking into how you feel about eating can tell you a lot about whether or not you should eat something, and learn how to identify if you’re eating for the right reasons. This article will be sharing a few ways that will let you know the difference between hunger and emotional hunger.
Emotional Hunger
There are certain patterns and indications that you are becoming emotionally hungry. Have you ever been hungry very suddenly only a short time after eating? Physical hunger takes time to develop because it stems from the fact that your body will need nourishment from time to time.
Emotional hunger ignores this process and instead will make you crave foods even after eating a full meal. These cravings often take the form of some sort of comfort food, likely a fast food item or a very specific brand of the item. The most telling sign of emotional eating however is the deep feeling of shame that some express after eating. Food is an enjoyable activity, but if you feel guilty about eating it, that means that there is a deep psychological reason attached to your choices.
Real Hunger
The thing about hunger is that it rarely subsides until you have eaten something. Real hunger is a sign that your body needs nutrients and new components to build and replace old or dying cells. When you feel that growling in your stomach, there’s no doubt that it is time to eat. When you have a healthy relationship with food, you will eat until you are full, but not until you are so full that you feel sick or out of balance. Finishing eating will more than likely also lead to a feeling of satisfaction instead of the feelings of shame mentioned earlier.
What You Can Do
The easiest way to find out what’s going on with you and your stomach is to simply write down a detailed account of what you eat for a few days. This can help you to find out exactly when you eat too much or eat things that aren’t healthy so that you can make better decisions. Learn the difference and you will soon have a handle on your emotional eating.
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Learn the Hunger Scale to Know if You’re Hungry
Do you have trouble finding out if you’re hungry or just trying to fill some kind of need? Eating and the psychology behind it are notoriously complex things even though it’s a common part of life for living things. If you want to be more in control, then it would be a great idea to gain some of the tools that you can use to get a handle on your eating habits. If you continue to read on, you will learn the hunger scale to know if you’re actually hungry.
It’s Important to Eat Slow
One of the important things about making a hunger scale is that you must eat somewhat slowly in order for it to work. This allows you to truly know where you are in the hunger spectrum. For example, we could eat the first course of a meal and rest for about 5 minutes. This will give our body the chance to adjust to the food that we have just eaten. As you eat, be sure to be honest with yourself about how you feel. Honesty is essential for your growth in this self-study.
The Hunger Scale
The true purpose of a hunger scale is to eliminate the possibility that you are eating for a psychological reason, and only for physical hunger. Below, you will find a basic hunger scale.
Starving, low blood sugar, dizziness.
Very hungry, fatigued, frequent stomach growls.
Hungry, some stomach growls, but not quite frequent yet.
Beginning to feel hungry.
Sated, not hungry.
Nice feeling of fullness.
Slight discomfort.
Somewhat stuffed.
Stomach pain.
Nearly sick or vomiting.
As you can see, if you’re experiencing a 5 or 6, you can probably go without eating for a while, but if you’re at a 1, then you might want to eat something soon. If you frequently find yourself at 9 or 10, then that is why you are experiencing weight gain, and it’s even more likely that you are engaging in emotional eating.
During Meals
You can also use the hunger scale during meals to tell you if you should quit eating or continue to have seconds. The key is to eat slowly so that your body has a chance to register the food that you are eating. Pay close attention to how you feel. As soon as you get to a 5, definitely stop. If you don’t stop eating at that point, you could easily end up at an 8 or a 9, so be sure to stay focused on your hunger
Are you prepared to shift your approach to wellness and embrace a healthy relationship with food?
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