Does it ever feel like you’re hungry all the time and just can’t stop eating or thinking about food?
Chances are you are experiencing Emotional Hunger. The main difference between Emotional Hunger and Physical Hunger is where you feel the hunger. If you are physically hungry, you feel it in your body. Your stomach growls or you have stomach pangs. If you’ve gone too long without food you may have a headache and your blood sugar may drop.
Emotional hunger, however, is felt in the head. It obscures our thinking and makes us feel irrational. In fact, food is often the only thing you can seem to think about.
6 Signs That You Are Experiencing Emotional Hunger:
- There’s an urgency — you want it right now! With physical hunger you may recognize it all of the sudden (such as if you’ve been hyper focused on work and forget to eat), but with emotional hunger you must have it NOW!
- You crave specific foods — you historically hanker for the same comforting foods. For me, it’s tortilla chips but for others it’s sweets or pizza or ice cream.
- You eat mindlessly — for instance, you finish a bag of chips and think, “Wait, where did they go?”
- You continue to eat after you’re full — in other words, food isn’t satisfying your hunger!
- You feel regret, guilt, or shame after you eat.
What can you do? Start connecting the dots! Begin to recognize when you are truly hungry. This might seem obvious but it you eat a meal and 30 minutes later you feel hungry, chances are you are not.
Every time you catch yourself wanting a “comfort food” ask yourself: “What’s going on here?” Give it a label. Do you feel thirsty (often confused with hunger)? Tired? Angry? Lonely? Rewarded? There are hundreds of emotions. What are your triggers?
Hack: Get in the habit of addressing the trigger out loud. “Oh, I know what this is about. I’m feeling frustrated because I can’t seem to get anyone to answer the phone today. Instead of eating my frustration I’m going to walk around the block.” In other words, identify, deflect, reframe, delay.
Pay attention to patterns. Do you eat watching television? When you’re reading or online? Do you eat just because it’s there?
Hack: Build new associations. If you must enjoy a snack while watching television (I get it — I love to snack at the movies!) make it a healthy snack.
Emotional hunger never really goes away. After all, the triggers never go away, however by developing your own set of tools and strategies it becomes easily recognized and managed.
You might also like:
15 Signs You’re Healthy That Have Nothing To Do With The Scale
6 Ways To Resist Eating Everything On Your Plate
This is such perfect advice Melissa. I’m thinking, I gotta ditch that bag of chips 😉
Much Love,
Z~
Thanks for helping to identify the signs of emotional hunger, Melissa. Your ‘hack’ tips are great!
Reminds me of something another smart friend once shared with me. “If an apple won’t satisfy, it’s probably not physical hunger.” Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
I’m good all day & then feel the NEED to eat while watching TV! For me, I want something salty & crunchy…like chips (my downfall)! I’ve been trying to substitute other things like nuts, pickles & celery (still salty & crunchy). I think it’s boredom or just a way to relax.
Tae Lynne, the “NEED to eat while watching TV” is often because of the association between the two. For me, every time I go to the movies I want popcorn … the two are associated. I suspect for you TV and a salty, crunchy snack is associated. Try having a serving of chips, some nuts and celery, maybe some hummus too. Place everything nicely on a plate or in a bowl and see if that helps satisfy the yen. Presentation and surrounding the craving (chips) with healthier choices is often very satisfying. Let me know! xo
Love this! There is a huge connection between our emotions and eating. Thanks for your post, will tweet this. xx
Yes! The connection is indeed huge. Thank you for sharing, Lisa. I appreciate you (and your support)!
Very empowering — thanks.
I am amazed sometimes but just how not-so-conscious I can be around what I eat, when, and how much.
Thanks for the reminders.
So true, Sue, for most of us! Just yesterday I started to reach for a snack a half hour after eating breakfast, caught myself and thought, “What’s going on?” It’s that auto-drive impulse and awareness is the first step. Thank you for your thoughtful comment. xo
Love this, especially the distinction between Emotional Hunger and Physical Hunger!
Thank you, Kristy! Yes, the distinction between emotional and physical hunger is so powerful. Thanks for your comment! xo
Melissa I understand what you are saying and think of the times when I crave something sweet and reach for the dates or organic raisins, about the only sweet thing I have apart from fruit these days.
I usually use the expression “Eating the emotions away”. I have met students who – whenever they feel a specific emotion that they would rather not – they turn into food. Food is a distraction from this emotional state and in my experience, it can be fixed by facing that issue with the student. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about emotional hunger. Keep it up with the wonderful work!
Zaria
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Zaria. Yes, you are so right. Very often food is a distraction from an emotional state!