how to tell when you're hungry
EloiseBean
Posts: 16 Member
i know this sounds stupid but i have a hard time knowing when i'm really hungry. for the most part i eat out of boredom or stress. my first meal of the day is the only time i can tell when i need food, but after that it feels like boredom binging. should i only eat one meal a day.
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Replies
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if you want to eat all your calories in one meal, and think it will help you stick to your calorie goal then go for it. as long as you can fit all your macros - it may be difficult to get enough protein, depending on what your goal is?6
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One good thing I appreciate about keeping a food log is that it makes it easier to tell if I'm probably just bored or if my body actually needs something. At 9pm on a Friday when I've eaten my normal amount of calories, that little rumble in my tummy is veeerrry unlikely to be an honest one. But if it's 9pm and I've only eaten like 70% or I've exercised then sure, it snacktime.
It's okay to eat before you get hungry though. I am miserable when I'm hungry and my blood sugar can get weird so my preference is to keep the tank topped up when I can. Try one big meal a day if it suits you better but so long as the calories/ nutrition even out it makes no difference really.11 -
I struggle with a similar issue. I am often not sure if I'm hungry or not. I often feel this uncomfortable hollow-like sensation in my stomach which feels like hunger, but I know I've eaten a decent-sized meal an hour or two ago, so I tell myself I can't be hungry even though it's uncomfortable. Maybe it's how digestion/stomach emptying feels? Sometimes if I distract myself it passes. Other times it doesn't.
Hunger is supposed to feel like an uncomfortable emptiness in the stomach, which gradually turns into spasms and stomach growling. I've heard that one way to tell if you're hungry, is that hunger is increasing gradually. And if you wait out and the feeling passes, then it's not hunger. But I think that it can be more complicated than that.
But one thing I've noticed over time is that there are different types (or levels) of hunger. Stomach hollowness, contractions and growling for me is a superficial type of hunger which simply means there's no food in your stomach. It's pretty easy to tolerate. But when I'm in a large calorie deficit, I can satisfy the superficial hunger with small meals, but my body knows I'm in a calorie deficit, so overtime I develop this generalized hunger, not sure how to describe it but it's a dull sensation which I feel everywhere in my body and which makes me think about food constantly and is very difficult to ignore. My energy levels also go down. This is when I know that my deficit is too aggressive.
There's also hormonal hunger, which is probably the most annoying. I struggle with it a lot. It comes in steaks of several days where I just feel an overwhelming drive to eat non-stop. And even if my stomach is full, I still feel as if I'm hungry. It's incredibly annoying.7 -
TavistockToad wrote: »if you want to eat all your calories in one meal, and think it will help you stick to your calorie goal then go for it. as long as you can fit all your macros - it may be difficult to get enough protein, depending on what your goal is?
It also isn’t the most optimal way of doing things though and what if opie is ravenous 12 hours later before bed....4 -
pinggolfer96 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »if you want to eat all your calories in one meal, and think it will help you stick to your calorie goal then go for it. as long as you can fit all your macros - it may be difficult to get enough protein, depending on what your goal is?
It also isn’t the most optimal way of doing things though and what if opie is ravenous 12 hours later before bed....
that's for them to figure out...11 -
EloiseBean wrote: »i know this sounds stupid but i have a hard time knowing when i'm really hungry. for the most part i eat out of boredom or stress. my first meal of the day is the only time i can tell when i need food, but after that it feels like boredom binging. should i only eat one meal a day.
Have you tried doing a version of IF for a week or so? it helped me see the difference between "I'm hungry and my belly is making noise" and "I feel like eating something to stay awake during this movie"8 -
If you think it might be boredom or stress or something, try substituting another habit.
For example, if you feel you might be "boredom hungry", drink a glass of water, and go for a quick walk. (That's not the only possible activity - pick anything distracting that you can do for maybe 10-20 minutes that isn't linked in your mind to snacking). While doing this other thing, think about puppies, or your favorite TV show and what might happen next, or deep breathing (not about eating/food - but it works better to decide to actively think about something else, than to not think about something
).
If you're still hungry after the distraction, it might actually be time to have a little snack. Eat something small and sensible, then wait/distract 20 minutes for your stomach and brain to register. Etc.
Longer term, if boredom eating is a problem, it might be good to take up a new hobby, or restart an old one. Particularly good are things that require clean hands (sketching, needlework, playing a musical instrument, etc.) or create dirty ones (gardening, carpentry, painting your living room, etc.).14 -
I think it’s important to eat at regular intervals, or you risk a binge. The sad thing is most of us could go many hours and not “ feel “ hungry , after stomach surgery I lost the ability to feel hunger/full triggers.
Try planing your 3 meals and two snacks for a week and see how you feel , but don't base your decisions on feelings look at the facts .You need fuel to function at full capacity.
You are definitely not alone in this 🌼12 -
Phoebe5164 wrote: »I think it’s important to eat at regular intervals, or you risk a binge. The sad thing is most of us could go many hours and not “ feel “ hungry , after stomach surgery I lost the ability to feel hunger/full triggers.
Try planing your 3 meals and two snacks for a week and see how you feel , but don't base your decisions on feelings look at the facts .You need fuel to function at full capacity.
You are definitely not alone in this 🌼
I don't think 'most' of us could go many hours without feeling hungry... I don't think many people could. Not sure where you get that impression from?9 -
Slow down.2
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I can only tell if I’m hungry if I’m in pain. That sounds bad but I’m not a big eater. I don’t snack around or eat out of boredom, so I eat when my body yells at me to eat.0
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I struggle with a similar issue. I am often not sure if I'm hungry or not. I often feel this uncomfortable hollow-like sensation in my stomach which feels like hunger, but I know I've eaten a decent-sized meal an hour or two ago, so I tell myself I can't be hungry even though it's uncomfortable. Maybe it's how digestion/stomach emptying feels? Sometimes if I distract myself it passes. Other times it doesn't.
Hunger is supposed to feel like an uncomfortable emptiness in the stomach, which gradually turns into spasms and stomach growling. I've heard that one way to tell if you're hungry, is that hunger is increasing gradually. And if you wait out and the feeling passes, then it's not hunger. But I think that it can be more complicated than that.
But one thing I've noticed over time is that there are different types (or levels) of hunger. Stomach hollowness, contractions and growling for me is a superficial type of hunger which simply means there's no food in your stomach. It's pretty easy to tolerate. But when I'm in a large calorie deficit, I can satisfy the superficial hunger with small meals, but my body knows I'm in a calorie deficit, so overtime I develop this generalized hunger, not sure how to describe it but it's a dull sensation which I feel everywhere in my body and which makes me think about food constantly and is very difficult to ignore. My energy levels also go down. This is when I know that my deficit is too aggressive.
There's also hormonal hunger, which is probably the most annoying. I struggle with it a lot. It comes in steaks of several days where I just feel an overwhelming drive to eat non-stop. And even if my stomach is full, I still feel as if I'm hungry. It's incredibly annoying.
THIS!! I feel exactly the same way. This difficult part for me is prior to me actually paying attention to what I was eating, it was a free-for-all. If I felt "munchy" I'd eat. I'd never stop to think about it. I've found what helps is eating enough of the right things throughout the day. If I eat my 8-10 servings of veggies and fruit for example, I think the fiber really makes a difference. But since I'm just getting started (again) I'm feeling all of the "symptoms" too. I'm hoping that once I get a few weeks in, my brain will start paying attention and it'll get better lol0 -
I used to think that any rumbling or emptiness I felt in my stomach meant that I needed to eat. Then I tried not to eat other than 3 planned meals, no snacking in between, and I then realized what true hunger felt for ME. It was definitely a hollow emptiness and desire to eat, but one that I felt in control about. It was not the same as when I was just trying to fill a head hunger from boredom. I actually feel more able to control my eating when I'm REALLY hungry than when I have head hunger. I took me trial and error to realize the difference between the two. Do I still eat from head hunger? Yes I do unfortunately but I also know that its only head hunger and just giving in to it. Maybe, I'm a little different. I never used to feel hunger, but only because I never let myself get to the point of real hunger. I was so afraid to be hungry that I always was eating. Stupid on my part. Oh well....6
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rikkejohnsenrij wrote: »EloiseBean wrote: »i know this sounds stupid but i have a hard time knowing when i'm really hungry. for the most part i eat out of boredom or stress. my first meal of the day is the only time i can tell when i need food, but after that it feels like boredom binging. should i only eat one meal a day.
Have you tried doing a version of IF for a week or so? it helped me see the difference between "I'm hungry and my belly is making noise" and "I feel like eating something to stay awake during this movie"
Dumb question. Does IF stand for something? Or is it just "if I'm hungry. Lol thanks0 -
rikkejohnsenrij wrote: »EloiseBean wrote: »i know this sounds stupid but i have a hard time knowing when i'm really hungry. for the most part i eat out of boredom or stress. my first meal of the day is the only time i can tell when i need food, but after that it feels like boredom binging. should i only eat one meal a day.
Have you tried doing a version of IF for a week or so? it helped me see the difference between "I'm hungry and my belly is making noise" and "I feel like eating something to stay awake during this movie"
Dumb question. Does IF stand for something? Or is it just "if I'm hungry. Lol thanks
"Intermittent Fasting." It's a practice where people only eat during a specific part of the day, like fasting for sixteen hours and only eating during eight (that's an example, people have different "eating windows").0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »rikkejohnsenrij wrote: »EloiseBean wrote: »i know this sounds stupid but i have a hard time knowing when i'm really hungry. for the most part i eat out of boredom or stress. my first meal of the day is the only time i can tell when i need food, but after that it feels like boredom binging. should i only eat one meal a day.
Have you tried doing a version of IF for a week or so? it helped me see the difference between "I'm hungry and my belly is making noise" and "I feel like eating something to stay awake during this movie"
Dumb question. Does IF stand for something? Or is it just "if I'm hungry. Lol thanks
"Intermittent Fasting." It's a practice where people only eat during a specific part of the day, like fasting for sixteen hours and only eating during eight (that's an example, people have different "eating windows").
Thank-you
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I can only tell if I’m physically hungry at the point where I get cold and start shaking. Everything else is mental hunger signals, which half the time are just boredom.
So... I’ve given up trying to tell the difference betwen my brain being truthful about hunger and it lying like a cheap Persian rug. Instead I just eat by the numbers, most of the time.4 -
I second the idea of having a glass of water, tea, etc. To see maybe that will quiet your stomach and or brain down from thinking it might be hungry. Also going for a walk or some form exercise is another good idea. One thing I was wondering about is if you have put all of the info into MFP so you know how many calories ideally you should consume per day. And still lose per week how you plan to. Are you tracking how many calories you are eating in that first big meal of the day, when you say you know you are hungry then? How often are you actually eating per day now?0
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When I get hungry it hurts, it’s actually painful. Next usually comes the feeling of light headed and shaky. Anything other than that and I know I’m not actually hungry.1
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Everyone’s hunger cues will vary but for me my head starts to hurt and I begin to feel slightly dizzy/tired. My stomach also grumbles a lot.
Whenever I’m not hungry and want to eat I’m more picky about what I eat because it’s more for the indulgence purposes versus trying to silence my hunger.3 -
I sort hunger sensations into two categories:
1) Mild hunger, which doesn't actually prevent me from thinking or working. I respond to this by telling myself that this is the natural sensation of losing weight. This is what eating at a deficit feels like. It's fine.
2) Serious hunger, where I can't concentrate and feel too tired to do what I need to. In that case, I eat some nutrient-dense non-sugary food, regardless of whether it's my usual mealtime or not.1 -
I drink A LOT of water thru-out the day and night ( I crave water now--when I was obese/overweight...I HATED drinking water) and now, during this getting down to size adventure (about a year) I have learned when I'm TRULY hungry vs. thirsty. When I'm hungry, I start "belching" of all things (weird, I know) Not a lot of belching, just one or two and start "thinking" about food--that's my "cue" it's time to chow down. My "burping"
without having had anything to eat, let's me know my body wants to feed now and/or soon. There is absolutely no pain/discomfort or angst at all when I'm hungry (there was mega pain and angst when I "thought" I was hungry when I was obese/overweight). My "hunger" is no longer what it used to be when I was obese/overweight. Back then I used to feel ravenous (a lot) and ummmmm--let's say desperate almost, now when I'm hungry it's no longer a "I'm STARVING" and gotten eat A LOT of something NOW type of "feeling", but again a very gentle and super mild/cool/calm "hey...let's get down on some chow now or soon" type of feeling. It's wonderful actually! 1 -
EloiseBean wrote: »i know this sounds stupid but i have a hard time knowing when i'm really hungry. for the most part i eat out of boredom or stress. my first meal of the day is the only time i can tell when i need food, but after that it feels like boredom binging. should i only eat one meal a day.
If I don't get adequate sleep or exercise I want to boredom eat in the afternoons, so work on my sleep hygiene and exercise at lunchtime.
For me, wanting to boredom eat feels different from real hunger.
@lemurcat2 you had a good post about how you manage your hunger cues with regular meal times on another thread - care to repost here?0 -
I've mistaken indigestions for hunger, before.
It's not fun to deal with afterward. Now, I try to remember when I ate last and look at my log.0 -
I've used something like this before. When I can't decide if I'm hungry, bored, or stressed, I will assess my hunger on a scale like this and wait. While I'm waiting I do something else to take my mind off food. If after 10 minutes or so, I still feel like I need to eat and I'm in the right area on the hunger scale, I have my permission to eat.
https://medical.mit.edu/sites/default/files/hunger_scale.pdf1 -
Here's a few additional hunger scales that may be helpful in deciding whether you're hungry or not:
http://intuitive-eating.blogspot.com/2007/02/different-hunger-scales.html1 -
Hunger=empty feeling and stomach growling. It's a gnawing feeling for me
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kshama2001 wrote: »EloiseBean wrote: »i know this sounds stupid but i have a hard time knowing when i'm really hungry. for the most part i eat out of boredom or stress. my first meal of the day is the only time i can tell when i need food, but after that it feels like boredom binging. should i only eat one meal a day.
If I don't get adequate sleep or exercise I want to boredom eat in the afternoons, so work on my sleep hygiene and exercise at lunchtime.
For me, wanting to boredom eat feels different from real hunger.
@lemurcat2 you had a good post about how you manage your hunger cues with regular meal times on another thread - care to repost here?
Heh, took me a minute to figure out which one you might be referring to. Maybe this?
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Some people do well eating when hungry, but my desire to eat (which might feel like hunger) is very much habitual and responsive to other things (food I like being available, others eating and socializing, wanting to take a break or put something off or reward or comfort myself). Therefore, thinking I should eat when hungry and not eat when not hungry doesn't work for me. I'm much, much better off with structure, which means three healthful meals and maybe a small extra after dinner. But that doesn't mean I'm suppressing appetite, it means I'm normally hungry when I eat and not thinking about food when I'm not (other than perhaps anticipating something I will eat later).
I don't have set times when I eat breakfast/lunch/dinner, although normally breakfast is after I run in the morning (so maybe 7) or else earlier if I don't run (6), lunch is broadly around noon (11:30-1:30), and dinner is pretty late since I get home late and cook (9-10). On Fridays I might skip breakfast or lunch and eat much earlier if I'm going out (dinner before theater or the like), or on Saturday/Sunday I might have a brunch/late breakfast and then dinner. I'm flexible, I just don't snack and like some sort of structure.
As far as what I eat, I've always had the sense that meals = protein + vegetables (or maybe fruit instead at breakfast) + whatever else fills it out, and always tended to eat pretty healthfully at meals (portions and snacking and treating a nice restaurant as a reason to ignore portions were my downfalls). So my preference AND my plan are basically aligned, except I'm even more focused on trying to eat a good amount of veg at all meals (including breakfast) and making sure I have a decent amount of protein at all, unless for some reason it's not possible. I don't snack because I don't find that satiating, and I tend to regret wasting the calories unless something is really, really special, and then I try to work it into day and will include it as part of a meal/dessert.
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To the OP: I'll add that I think it makes sense to figure out a reasonable calorie goal for you and what you want to eat within that goal -- for me it's important to meet my protein goal (currently 90-100 g) and get in many servings of vegetables. If you can meet your goals at a single meal and feel good doing that, go for it, but I would have a hard time eating enough calories (let alone protein and veg) at a single meal. I could no question put away 1500 cal in a meal, but it wouldn't meet my nutritional preferences.
You might want to try spreading calories into 2 or 3 (or whatever) meals at convenient times and see how you feel. After a while of watching calories and not eating from boredom, you may find yourself starting to be able to tell real hunger from "I want to snack" in the mind. I also found journaling really helpful, especially since I am prone to emotional eating as well as eating for procrastination. I'll note that I'm feeling a desire to eat and there's no reason I should need to eat now, so maybe put down a few thoughts about what I think it might be. (This doesn't work for everyone, but I enjoy it and find it helpful in becoming more mindful.)1 -
Since becoming more mindful about eating, I have discovered the joy of getting hungry and satisfying that hunger appropriately. Previously my eating was usually habit, boredom, routine, mindless. I rarely experienced actual hunger pangs and often experienced discomfort from eating inappropriately or too much. It is so lovely to feel in touch with my own needs and my body’s cues and to feel the deep satisfaction of meeting my own needs and physically feeling the hunger subside.0
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