Do you know the difference between a craving and hunger?

Dawntodusk

I used to be hungry all the time. But, when I cut out sugar and refined carbs from my diet, I realized that it wasn't hunger that I had been feeling - it was the cravings of a sugar-carb addict.

Now I feel hungry from time to time, but it is not the same feeling at all. It is not insistent. It is like a slow gradual realization that I need to eat rather than a feeling of immediate need.

I now know that I can not successfully manage my diet if I eat any sugar or refined carbs. Even a little will put me at risk to want more. The good news is that I don't want it anymore. I used to make yummy loaves of bread in my breadmaker every morning, and practically finish off the whole loaf myself. I used to have an afternoon pastry every single day. I used to eat more late-night potato chips than I want to admit. Now, I have none of these, and - gratefully - don't want them. And, I don't fool myself into thinking that it's okay to eat them as long as I keep within my caloric limit. No, it's not okay because it will trigger my cravings and eventually they will win - they always do. So I keep them in check by not triggering them at all.

This has been a major breakthrough for me, so I decided to share it in case it helps others.

godblessourhome

it's good to know yourself.

Dawntodusk

You are right about that!

Atlantique

Cravings are intellectual or psychological.

Hunger is physical.

karanmwk

Thanks for sharing. This is a great point to bring out!

Dawntodusk

Cravings are intellectual or psychological.

Hunger is physical.

Yet they feel so physical!

rileysowner

This is one of the benefits of a short term 18-24 hour fast. You start to learn what hunger actually feels like because your body has a chance to actually completely digest what you ate before you started fasting. When I started doing a 24 hour fast 1-2 times a week, I realized most of what I felt was not real hunger, but mental things that seemed physical. Very eye opening.