Stomach rumbling? Hungry? How do you tell the difference between...

rprussell2004

...between "stomach grumbling because it EXPECTS food in it" hungry, and "genuinely need sustenance of some kind" hungry?

I mean, I don't want to STARVE myself, but if it's just out of habit - even autonomic habit - I don't feel much point to it.

Pack100

I did the 5:2 diet for a couple of weeks just to mix it up. It helped me know what hunger felt like again. Go a day with no food and you will know what hunger feels like vs. what desire feels like.

rprussell2004

Pack100 wrote: »

I did the 5:2 diet for a couple of weeks just to mix it up.

Egad.

Well, I'll consider it, I guess. I suppose you're right about no food triggering hunger, at least

TuffChixRule

IMHO you can get a good gauge of hunger about 20 minutes after you eat. If your stomach is rumbling and you really feel hungry after that time, eat a small snack. You shouldn't have to feel like you are starving.

darrensurrey

Interesting question. I just eat when I plan to rather than when I'm hungry. I know how much I need to maintain, get fat or lose fat so I eat according to whatever goal I'm aiming for. You get used to being hungry after a while.

RoxieDawn

Sometimes my stomach rumbling is actually telling me I am thirsty. But with that said, if your body is used to getting food at a certain time of day everyday, it will get used to a new or different schedule fairly quickly.

If after I drink something (water) and it is still rumbling I eat a light snack. After exercise I do need to eat at least 1 hour after.. This rumbling is real hunger..

ChristyB1117

I will drink a few ounces of water, chew a piece of gum - check back in after 20-30 minutes and see if I still feel rumbly.

chriscolh

I'll be honest - I have a hard time with this! When I'm home, I tend to "graze" all day long. If I'm not eating, my stomach thinks it's hungry. When I start eating in a more healthy manner (ie - not all the time!), I have to plan my food and nutrition. I make sure I get enough calories and hit my goals (mostly with protein and fiber - I never have a problem hitting the carbs and fat goals. I think that's part of my problem :-)). And for about 2 weeks, my belly thinks it is starving. I want to eat all the time. But I've never died, never passed out, so one thing I've learned is that I can't trust my belly to tell me when I'm hungry when I begin a healthy eating routine. But after about 2 weeks, my body adjusts, and I can start looking for hunger cues. Some things that I look for is not a grumbly tummy, but energy levels, shakiness (if I've done some heavy cardio and don't have enough to fuel my body, I can get a little shaky), and my general mood. Listening to my belly tends to just make it bigger...
- Good luck!!!
-

dopeysmelly

I don't trust my stomach's hunger signals after a lifetime of being overweight. I know my calorie target and eat to that regardless of what my stomach wants me to believe.

shadowofender

I'm still learning to differentiate hunger and habit because I don't trust my brain when it says it's hungry. So if I think I'm hungry I drink a bottle of water. If I'm still hungry in 15-20 minutes I'll eat something. I also have to eat a lot slower than I used to, to give my brain a chance to tell me I'm full rather than eating to the point of being stuffed.

Lourdesong

dopeysmelly wrote: »

I don't trust my stomach's hunger signals after a lifetime of being overweight. I know my calorie target and eat to that regardless of what my stomach wants me to believe.

Pretty much this. ^^

jmauerhan

dopeysmelly wrote: »

I don't trust my stomach's hunger signals after a lifetime of being overweight. I know my calorie target and eat to that regardless of what my stomach wants me to believe.

Agreed. I keep seeing people complaining about being hungry - well yeah! If you're hungry, you're doing SOMETHING right. When my stomach growls I growl right back.

lismany

shadowofender wrote: »

I'm still learning to differentiate hunger and habit because I don't trust my brain when it says it's hungry. So if I think I'm hungry I drink a bottle of water. If I'm still hungry in 15-20 minutes I'll eat something. I also have to eat a lot slower than I used to, to give my brain a chance to tell me I'm full rather than eating to the point of being stuffed.

incredibly helpful, i am going to try your water and wait 15-20 minute tactic. according to my brain, i am always always always always hungry. thanks for your suggestions.

mama_bear91215

i read on one of my fb pages i follow that said if you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, you're not really hungry..so i've been trying to go with that mindset.

corinic91

Often, the stomach rumbling feeling can be dehydration. If you're certain you're eating enough calories, try drinking water and waiting 20 minutes to see if the feeling subsides.

I remember telling this to my dad (who has always struggled with weight) and he said "no, when I feel hungry it's because I'm hungry". I asked him if he'd ever tried drinking water when he felt that way and his answer, of course, was no. :laugh:

Some_Watery_Tart

When my stomach growls, I'm know I'm hungry. However, letting myself get stomach growling hungry triggers migraines for me. For a lot of people, waiting too long can also trigger overeating. So I plan my meals and snacks that fit my calorie goals at regular intervals. When it's time to eat, I eat, unless I'm really just *not* hungry.

If you think you're eating out of boredom, I know a lot of people who chew gum to help with that. Sometimes it's just the chewing action that your body wants. Gum is a good distraction.

Original_Sinner

Do the apple/carrot test.

My mom always made us do the apple/carrot test. For me it was carrots, for my brother it was apples.

Basically pick a food that you don't really like but WILL eat. If the idea of eating that food is completely a turn off, you aren't hungry.

if the food is an option and you would eat it, then you are hungry.

Sercee

Original_Sinner wrote: »

Do the apple/carrot test.

My mom always made us do the apple/carrot test. For me it was carrots, for my brother it was apples.

Basically pick a food that you don't really like but WILL eat. If the idea of eating that food is completely a turn off, you aren't hungry.

if the food is an option and you would eat it, then you are hungry.

This is my new tactic, thank you! I have lots of trouble with deciding if I'm really hungry (it's easier when I'm on my work rotation, but when I'm home for two weeks I just want to stuff my face) and I can think of several occasions where I was "hungry", looked at the fresh carrots and cut celery, and decided that wasn't what I wanted to I turned to the oreos. Now I'll pay more attention to that moment.

cwolfman13

I never really got to the point where I was having hunger pangs and growling stomach...I just ate to my calorie goal and planned out my day so that I wouldn't be hungry. IMO, if you're hungry you're doing it wrong.

into_fitness

I try drinking a lot of water and seeing if I feel the same. Also, I've recently been incorporating peppermint tea in when ever I start to feel hungry - because sometimes I can't tell if my mind is tricking my body because I'm just thinking about eating and want to eat when I'm bored, or if I actually need it. Peppermint tea is an appetite suppressant so see how that works!

lemurcat12

gia07 wrote: »

But with that said, if your body is used to getting food at a certain time of day everyday, it will get used to a new or different schedule fairly quickly.

This. When I first started I felt like I wanted to eat at times I had usually eaten, but it would go away if I ignored it long enough. Usually exercise would actually help. Sometimes I just ate something low calorie to have something to eat (carrots, celery), and that helped me get that it wasn't really an issue of hunger. That was something I only really had to do for the first week.

obscuremusicreference

kaityboo_mamaof2 wrote: »

i read on one of my fb pages i follow that said if you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, you're not really hungry..so i've been trying to go with that mindset.

Yes. I always have cut up celery, bell pepper, etc. You would be surprised how infrequently I go after it when I'm "hungry".

I also do the hot tea trick. It somehow tricks me into thinking I've had more than I had. I don't stick to peppermint though--I keep an array of dessert teas around and go for whatever sounds best.

chouflour

There's a group doing research on teaching people to recognize hunger, as an alternative weight loss method. I came across one of their articles awhile ago http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3119582/

I think they train people to recognize "initial hunger" as a cue to eat only when their blood glucose level is under 81. You're supposed to train yourself to recognize what you feel like at the proper blood sugar level, then learn to eat the right amount of food to be back to a blood glucose level of 81 before you eat again.

Christine_72

When my tummy is grumbling, it's my body burning fat Thats what I tell myself anyway
I too do alternate day fasting. So I've learnt to recognise what true hunger feels like.