Ghost hunger

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BoxerBrawler
BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've done some research on ghost hunger or phantom hunger. It's when your belly feels physically full but there is still an overall hungry feeling like your whole body feels hungry. This doesn't have to do with being thirsty or having reflux and there are no physical symptoms such as stomach grumbling or anything like that. It's more of a hungry feeling in your mind...

I read something the other day that finally made sense. It said "Ghost or phantom hunger happens because even though you have eaten and are full, you are most likely missing some key nutrients. So you are physically full, but not satisfied". Your body knows what it needs and if something is missing it will tell you! It's so simple!

So enter the MFP nutrient tracker :smile: At the end of a few days I was able to see where I was coming in short on certain nutrients and over doing it on others.

I just wanted to share this because I know many people have felt like this and it was hard to find a reasonable and sensible explanation. Hope this helps :smile:

Replies

  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
    edited April 2017
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    When that happens to me, I've learned that it's my body's way of telling me I need more healthy fat asap. I've found that as little as 1-2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream will completely eliminate the lingering ghost hunger for me.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    That works! :smile:
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Do be careful though, the nutrient information in MFP is notoriously incomplete - many people only add the bare essential macros to an entry and many labels do not have the information to input in the first place. So you could be getting more of certain nutrients than it says you are.
  • carmen412
    carmen412 Posts: 8 Member
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    Thank you for posting this. I have tried to explain this feeling to friends who end up looking at me like I grew a third nostril. I was beginning to think something was really wrong with me. Sometimes I am so hungry I feel physical pain, but I'm also feel really full.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited April 2017
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    MsChucktowski wrote: »
    Just popping in to say I misread the title to be "Ghost hunter" :D

    Haha same!

    As for that hunger, I get an extreme version of the hunger described tied to hormonal changes. I can be stuffed to the brim to the point of gagging but still ravenous. It's frustrating. It's not just a vague feeling of wanting to eat, it's a true hunger sans the stomach growling. I get it right before my period and during ovulation. I just learned to accept it and stopped trying to plug that bottomless pit with food because it's pointless, I just knuckle it for a few days every month knowing it will pass.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    MsChucktowski wrote: »
    Just popping in to say I misread the title to be "Ghost hunter" :D

    Haha same!

    As for that hunger, I get an extreme version of the hunger described tied to hormonal changes. I can be stuffed to the brim to the point of gagging but still ravenous. It's frustrating. It's not just a vague feeling of wanting to eat, it's a true hunger sans the stomach growling. I get it right before my period and during ovulation. I just learned to accept it and stopped trying to plug that bottomless pit with food because it's pointless, I just knuckle it for a few days every month knowing it will pass.

    Same here. What seems to help me is carbs - an English muffin or an orange. The orange actually worked for 4 hours yesterday, I was shocked! Typically I'd just stuff my face until it goes away (and it does, but that usually takes 1000 calories or something ridiculous). I was still over yesterday though, but I walked 23k steps to make up for most of it.
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
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    I get this sometimes as well and it's usually what ends up getting me off the wagon and distracted from my weight loss goals.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    edited April 2017
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    Sometimes I eat micro rich foods for a meal and I'm hungry literally right after eating. I usually have a small piece of full fat cheese. Of course I'm ALSO a volume eater so the fat and volume balance is tricky! Lol
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    cushman5279 wrote: »
    ...you are most likely missing some key nutrients. So you are physically full, but not satisfied". Your body knows what it needs and if something is missing it will tell you! It's so simple!

    False. Your body does not know, offhand, if you've gotten enough B vitamins for the day. Maybe you're hungrier when you have a super low fat day, maybe not. There are symptoms of certain deficiencies (less iron: brittle fingernails), but those don't present after 1 day. You may feel certain ways after certain meals, but your body is not capable of accurately analyzing the content of your food immediately after you eat it. It takes about 2-3 hours for 50% of your stomach to be emptied into the small intestine. The walls of the small intestine absorb the digested nutrients into the bloodstream.

    Phantom hunger is psychological. We get used to eating to the point of being full or very full; when we eat more moderately, we feel hungry even if we have just eaten. It diminishes with time. Some of it comes from boredom- being used to punctuating your day with food and then not having that crux.

  • Leah_62803
    Leah_62803 Posts: 292 Member
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    This is usually what causes me to give up. After doing well for a few weeks I'll wake up one day and feel hunger that won't go away not matter what I eat (and eat and eat). Then I feel awful about myself and think "What's the point?" and give up. It happens pretty much every year.

    Hoping this time will be different since I plan on giving myself some forgiveness.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    leggup wrote: »
    cushman5279 wrote: »
    ...you are most likely missing some key nutrients. So you are physically full, but not satisfied". Your body knows what it needs and if something is missing it will tell you! It's so simple!

    False. Your body does not know, offhand, if you've gotten enough B vitamins for the day. Maybe you're hungrier when you have a super low fat day, maybe not. There are symptoms of certain deficiencies (less iron: brittle fingernails), but those don't present after 1 day. You may feel certain ways after certain meals, but your body is not capable of accurately analyzing the content of your food immediately after you eat it. It takes about 2-3 hours for 50% of your stomach to be emptied into the small intestine. The walls of the small intestine absorb the digested nutrients into the bloodstream.

    Phantom hunger is psychological. We get used to eating to the point of being full or very full; when we eat more moderately, we feel hungry even if we have just eaten. It diminishes with time. Some of it comes from boredom- being used to punctuating your day with food and then not having that crux.

    While insightful I am not talking about eating moderately. I am talking about eating an appropriate balanced meal, physically feeling full, yet still feel an overall body-hunger. Mine has not diminished in over 3 years. I don't give into it and it does go away after a while. I agree it's probably more psychological than physical but I still also think it's a way your body is telling you something is missing.

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