Am I Really Hungry?

It should be simple to tell whether you're hungry, but that just isn't the case. So many things can masquerade as hunger and have you reaching.
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Here's a numerical scale you could use:. Mildly hungry; you may need a light snack to hold you over, but you could hold out a little longer. And whenever you're about to run to the kitchen or break room or detour to the nearest drive-thru, ask yourself these questions first:. If you find that you don't easily recognize the signs of hunger, schedule your meals and snacks. Divide your eating plan into several small meals, spaced every three to four hours. Rate your hunger each time you sit down to eat, and try to become more aware of what real hunger feels like. Most of us wolf down our food without really tasting it from time to time.

Do you suffer from "eating amnesia" when the hand-to- mouth activity becomes automatic -- usually in front of the television or while reading a book? Bad habits are hard to break, but if you want to control what you eat, you must become more mindful of everything you put into your mouth. It helps to slow down and enjoy your meals, like they do in France.


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Sit down, turn off the television, and create a peaceful environment free of distractions to take pleasure in your meals. Keep in mind that the first few bites are always the best your taste buds soon become less sensitized to the chemicals in food that make it taste so good. Focus on the quality of the food, not the quantity. Be mindful of each mouthful, and appreciate the flavors, aromas, and textures of the food. Enjoying leisurely meals gives your stomach time to signal your brain that you are comfortably full.

Put your fork down between bites, sip water, and enjoy conversation while you dine. The decision to eat is affected by a host of factors: Rating Your Hunger When you sit down to eat a meal, you want to be hungry, but not ravenous. Here's a numerical scale you could use: Practical fashion and beauty tips for arthritis sufferers. Kate Middleton's glossy blow-dry: How to copy her hair. Turmeric, saffron and more spices you need to eat more of. Get rid of a turkey neck without surgery - in 5 easy steps.

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Always Hungry? How to Tell if You Really Need to Eat | Reader's Digest

Why am I always hungry? You ate too much last night Nutritionist Cassandra Barnes says: Has your Windows 10 Start menu stopped working? How to fix it. I should be full! Learning how to unmistakably identify this feeling will serve you far better than carrying a calculator with you. I hope this can give you the courage to leave the calorie counting to hospital dietitians, delete that diet tracking app from your phone, and enjoy food for what it is — nourishing, delicious, satisfying, and something worth celebrating.

The most difficult thing for me to learn was to stop cramming something into my mouth just to get my stomach to shut up. I did this as fast as possible because I took no pleasure in food but somehow managed to get hooked on sugar. Then my nutritionist explained what my body needed, to stop and listen, to feed it more healthy things several times a day in small quantities. And if anyone is interested, my lifestyle change is about saving my life from stroke or heart attack due to incredibly elevated cholesterol levels.

That is fantastic, Donna! I agree, for many people sugar is addictive. Eating it mindfully helps quite a bit, although some do well to avoid the refined stuff entirely. Luckily the healthier we eat and the more in-tune we get with our bodies, the less we want the sugar. More on sugar and cravings: Very informative… I am quite full from eating dinner right now so I will have to try the exercise later.

If I am craving something not good for my body it feels very urgent in my chest… no where near where the food is going to go! When I feel this I try to breathe through it and wait for the feeling to pass. It also helps to remember how I have felt before, after giving into a craving not great and make the choice to not create that feeling again.

How interesting that you feel cravings in your chest rather than your tummy. The fact that you can differentiate between the two and make an informed decision about how you want to handle the craving is brilliant, Ollie. Our bodies are pretty amazing teachers. I totally needed this! Thanks for helping me understand my hunger better. So many people experience the same thing, Halley. Rachel, thanks for chiming in and sharing your story.

5 Tips to Tell if You’re Really Hungry

Happy to hear this has offered you some reassurance. Learning or re-learning how to trust your body can be uncomfortable, but it gets easier with time. Sounds like you have an awesome dietitian. Best of luck to you! I have found that the biggest cue for me is smell. Food is what i constantly think about. I worry every day, what am I going to eat next?

What do you recommend doing? Hi Evelin, I highly recommend seeking professional support as you work through this. Thank you so much for this. Have never thought of it before despite using mindfulness in other areas of my life. Your blog has made me feel way less a loser and more someone who can accomplish and take control back.

Exercise is something that feels way out of my reach and have gained such weight it makes me so sad and paranoid about how much and what I eat that there is no joy anymore.


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Reading your words has made me smile and see a positive future. Hi Lily, Thanks for showing us such a kind approach to hunger, appetite and eating. Instead of feeling satisfied or happy after a meal, I experience pangs of guilt and even overwhelming anxiety at times. After 2 months of self-shaming and perpetual discomfort around food, I have now decided to stop calorie counting for good and turn to mindful, intuitive eating.

How To Know If You’re Truly Hungry

While I am still struggling with food and am fighting the urge to check calories for each morsel, I plan on forgiving myself and accepting that eating is not shameful and feeling of guilt are unwarranted. Your article has given me a step by step strategy to do so and I am very, very thankful to you!

It has also made me aware of the amount of energy that I am taking in and putting out each day, and has made me appreciate my body and how well it does its job. I now feel stronger, fitter, happier, and like I can achieve my goals. Attempting exercises like this in the past has never really worked for me, as I have had too many emotional problems around food and body image to allow me to accept or listen effectively without feeling negative emotions such as shame.

So perhaps, just like different diets or types of food, different weight loss techniques are also neither wrong, nor right — just different for different types of people. I am usually craving some kind of fruit after the time…. Not necessarily, however if you want to stay fuller longer, you may want to look at choosing foods that satisfy your hunger better or simply eating a bit more. For many people, eating the right breakfast is extremely helpful at managing hunger throughout the day.

Read more about breakfast here. Lily, This was perfect for me to read! You inspired me to stop using my calorie counter app on my phone. As a result, I am focusing more on the wonderful foods available to me, and, especially the wonderful family with whom I enjoy my meals. Calories were a trigger for my depression, too. Why did I gain 2 pounds???

Rating Your Hunger

Cheers to many more meals enjoyed mindfully. I look for a little tiredness… concentration pauses ….

How to know when you are REALLY hungry!

More like cramping stomach, shakes and stomach demanding food! And this is if I just had a big meal two hours ago. Most dsys I can grt buy with a sandwich and soup. Then that crazy hunger hits again. If you have any ideas let me know. You might want to check out this post for some insight: