Is appetite on a spectrum?

ctalimenti

I know there's emotional eating but I'm talking about appetite. I have been around people where we eat the same food at the same time. My friend is about 50 lbs overweight. She becomes hungry about 1-2 hrs before me. Her stomach is actually growling. I am at maintenance.

I've also spent time with people who are thinner than me. I eat again before they do.

I'm really starting to believe appetite is a spectrum (degrees of hunger).

What do you think?

grimendale

Hunger tends to be heavily influenced by habit and social cues. The more you eat, on average, the hungrier you tend to get since your body expects that many calories. If you eat six times a day normally, you will tend to get hungry around the time you normally eat. Conversely, people who do the 5:2 fasting diet adjust to that cycle and tend to not get hungry during fast days once they adjust. If you eat the right number of calories for long enough, your body will adjust to that level and the hunger cues should be more appropriate than they were at maximum weight.

ctalimenti

That makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

Iwishyouwell

Yes, I believe it is.

My wife is ravenous all day, every day. Meanwhile I am truly hungry about once a day (sometimes longer).

Part of this is natural; my mother was similar. But part is conditioning.

My wife eats throughout the day, therefore her body has become accustomed to it. I include IFing into my system, and have become extremely comfortable going without.