PART 2: STEP 5-
Understand The Types oF hUNGER YOU EXPERIENCE
Whilst it is so important in this process to learn how to not eat for emotional gratification, it is also important to not ignore genuine hunger signs, as your body can only burn fat efficiently if it isn’t fuelled correctly, and that is why it is important to understand the four different types of hunger that you will experience, as each require a different response:
This is the type of hunger that arises from a physical cue and should never be ignored. It’s often referred to as stomach hunger and is triggered when your body hasn’t received enough fuel to function efficiently.
Physical hunger can lead to a lack of focus, food cravings, a gnawing feeling in the throat or mouth, light-headedness, headaches, irritability, low energy, a lowered heart rate (making physical activity more challenging), and an empty or growling stomach.
It usually builds gradually but can escalate quickly. Ignoring this type of hunger can do more harm than good and is a known contributor to binge eating.
I can’t even recall how many times I went to bed extremely early because I was suffering from intense hunger pains and headaches but refused to eat because I was “being good on my diet”. I was literally starving my body and mind — and believed I was being healthy?!
Hunger is not the enemy; it’s simply a cue that your body needs fuel. It’s no different from the fuel light in your car coming on — it’s a signal. And the feeling goes away once you’ve eaten.
The key is to eat balanced and proportionate meals regularly so you don’t reach the point of starvation. At that stage, your body triggers biological responses to restore energy levels, usually through cravings for highly processed, sugary foods — which can lead to weight gain.
The irony? Many people ignore their hunger in an attempt to lose weight, but in doing so, they trigger responses that actually cause weight gain.
Physical hunger can be satisfied simply by eating.
However, choosing something filling and high in protein will keep you satisfied for longer and help keep you on track.
Have you ever smelt something delicious cooking, and even though you weren’t hungry, you started salivating, and suddenly felt ravenous?
That’s the taste of hunger at work. It’s driven by your senses, not your stomach. This type of hunger occurs when something smells, looks, or sounds delicious, and it makes you want to eat, regardless of whether you’re physically hungry.
There’s nothing wrong with satisfying cravings, but it’s important to do so in a balanced and mindful way.
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Tune into your body’s cues and aim to reach what’s known as the satisfaction factor, that sweet spot where you’ve met the craving and enjoyed the food without overeating.
The key is to enjoy the experience of taste without indulging excessively, especially when you weren’t actually hungry to begin with.
Practical hunger is exactly what it sounds like- eating because it’s the right time to do so, not necessarily because you feel hungry.
This is eating in a preventative way. For example, you might not feel hungry at breakfast time, but you know that skipping it will have you raiding the biscuit tin by 11 a.m. So, you choose to eat a balanced breakfast to prevent that from happening. That’s a perfect example of practical hunger.
Practical hunger is especially useful when you’re busy or can’t reliably tune into your hunger cues. In these moments, it’s essential to consistently fuel your body and mind.
This also helps to prevent sudden sugar cravings or binge episodes later in the day.
Emotional hunger is often overlooked, yet one of the most significant barriers to weight loss.
Unlike the other types of hunger, emotional hunger is driven by feelings rather than physical needs. It often stems from emotions like stress, sadness, loneliness, or boredom — but positive feelings, such as joy, excitement, or celebration, can also trigger it.
Emotional eating isn’t always “bad”. Think of a birthday party, a family roast, or a celebratory meal — food is often used to enhance connection and commemorate happy moments. But when emotional eating becomes the default way of dealing with feelings — especially uncomfortable ones — it can sabotage your progress and your relationship with food.
This is where the connection between food and emotions lies: emotional hunger isn’t necessarily about what you’re eating — but why you’re eating.
The key thing to remember is to recognise the difference between emotional hunger and physical hunger, and the following audio will help to train your brain to differentiate between the two.
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