There Really Are Two Different Kinds Of Hunger. With Open Eating, You Can Take Charge Of Both

06.09.23 08:47 AM - By Kristen

Our relationship with food is complex and multi-faceted. We eat for sustenance, pleasure, and sometimes, for reasons that have nothing to do with genuine hunger. Emotional eating, in particular, can be a common and challenging aspect of our relationship with food. It often stems from boredom, stress, or emotional turmoil.

There can be a variety of things that make you "feel" hungry, even though you're not in need of actual, caloric energy. Most often, it's boredom or anxiety. Sometimes it's sadness or just trying to stay awake. When we let our emotions dictate when we eat, we can get into a habit of misinterpreting our body's actual hunger signals. This can lead down a very challenging path. It can lead to excessive weight gain, food addictions, and a simple sense of losing control, and it can be very expensive. But as you embrace the principles of open eating, you'll be able to develop the crucial skill of differentiating between physical and emotional hunger.

Physical Hunger vs. Emotional Hunger

Physical hunger emerges gradually and is closely linked to the time since your last meal. Emotional hunger, on the other hand, is prompted by feelings such as stress, anxiety, or fatigue.

Once you feel that first twinge of "I should eat..." take just a moment to check on the WHY. The first step to any solution is knowing where you're starting, so asking questions is good! Ask yourself: "What do I want to eat, and why do I want it right now?" Your body will begin to answer surprisingly quickly. As you think about eating, your body will respond with a slight emphasis of weakness, telling you that it needs energy. If it's emotional, your mind will start racing, clamoring for a bit of a distraction from whatever is plaguing it.

Emotional hunger serves as your body's way of signaling a need for comfort or a distraction, rather than genuine hunger. I want you to take a moment and close your eyes. Think about what OTHER experiences you have, perhaps that you haven't done in a long time, that bring you peace from the chaos. Sometimes it is a short break or a nice stroll outside in the sunshine. Maybe just take 5 minutes and write a card to someone, or do some stretching and breathing exercises. These are actually energy boosting as well and can help you discern if what you are experiencing is true hunger or emotional. At the end of the activity, you may already feel better. By pausing and reflecting on your feelings, you might discover that your body just needed a quick pause from the current activity or your wandering mind.

Name it to tame it.

If you're stressed, give yourself permission to relax for a moment. It actually can save time because you are able to collect your thoughts and work more efficiently than when your mind spins out over and over again during a project; if you're bored, pause and do something interesting- a logic puzzle or call a friend. Figure out exactly what you need, and allow your mind to focus there even for small moments.

When you're eating, take in the moment.

Eating is designed to be a positive experience where you tune in to your body's actual nutrition needs. It is the only chance it gets to send you messages in your busy day too. If you're distracted when eating, you're less likely to understand what your body is enjoying about your meal, and when you're full. You may be more prone to overeat because you're not as in tune with how your body is processing the food you are giving it.

Understanding Your Hunger Patterns

Part of living the "busy" life puts us at risk for the "hangry" phase. Waiting too long to address hunger can lead to irritability and impulsive eating. You'll grab almost anything to calm the physical twinge encasing your whole body. What you grab isn't necessarily what your body needs. When you get that hungry- your body stops telling you the kind of nutrients it wants because it just needs CALORIES. So we tend to go to foods that will give us calories immediately- fast food, processed snack foods, etc. We sure get the calories, but not the nutrients. So even after you eat, you still have a bit of hunger because now the calorie need has been fixed, but your body still needs specific nutrients to process them well. However, recognizing your hunger patterns and responding to them in a timely way can help you avoid these pitfalls.

Open Eating- all you need to do is pay attention.

Taking a small moment to pay attention to the signals your body is sending puts you in charge of the situation. Instead of living reactively, it puts you into a PROactive process where you can understand what is happening, plan ahead, and take your life back, instead of being subject to chaos. Start with these 3 steps.

Check in regularly- give yourself just five minutes of pause before eating.
Determine if you need food or a break.
Do something awesome.

That said, if you determine in this process that emotional eating is still a strong force you have to deal with... that's why we are here. We have professional dietitians trained to help understand your needs and tailor a plan that works for you. There may be other factors at play, such as underlying physical conditions, mental health issues, or dietary confusion... these all contribute to emotional eating. We can help with all of that. Send us a note and we can help you take back your life!