Do you know what it feels like when you are hungry?

Do you know the subtle signs your body sends long before your stomach ever growls?

Hunger is something we may know all too well, something we avoid, or something we no longer know what to do with?

If you’re confused about your own hunger signals, or just wanting to know how to help others recognize their’s keep reading.

Hunger is nuanced. There are levels and different phases. There is hungry for a snack, and hungry for a meal. Emotional hunger, and spiritual hunger.

All of these require different responses. I want to focus on physical hunger because it is so often misunderstood, and villainized. But hunger is a normal and appropriate human experience. You are not wrong for getting hungry multiple times a day, you are not wrong for eating multiple times a day. You are alive, you need energy to keep living. So let’s dive in.

Early Signs

Some early signs of hunger can be a shorter attention span. If you’ve been here you know that I’m taking about. You find it harder to keep reading, or working on what’s in front of you. You find yourself getting side tracked in your thoughts. This is often my first sign that it’s time to take a break. I can get caught up in reading or charting on clients and forget that time is passing. Before I know it, 3-4 hours has passed and I’m struggling to stay productive as I start thinking about my favorite foods.

Another early sign is thinking about food. When you’re relationship with food is in a good place, you find yourself thinking about food much less often between meals. When images of food and cravings start floating into your mind, this could indicate it’s time a for something to eat.

Middle of the Road

Irritability is often a sign that it’s time to eat. If you’re feeling off, or having a shorter temper, it is helpful to ask yourself about the last time you ate.

Stomach growling. Did you know this air that is moving around in your digestive tract. If you’re hearing the air move around it’s definitely time to refuel!

Too Far Gone

You have likely missed some hunger signals if you’re starting to feel light headed or dizzy. This could be an indication that your blood sugar is dropping, and it’s time for some energy.

If you’re feeling noticeably more anxious, with no discernable trigger, it could be that you have gone too long without food. Food should not be used to calm anxiety, but sudden, and unexplainable feelings of worry or anxiety could indicate it is time to eat.

Nausea. This is often a sign for many that it’s time to eat. But rightfully so, when we’re nauseous food doesn’t sound very good. The only way to break this cycle is to eat something. Start slow, not too sweet, like toast or applesauce. This eases your body in, and can prevent feelings of nausea from having something too rich after an extended period without food.

Now What???

The short answer is eat something.

The more nuanced answer is to figure out what you’re hungry for and honor that. Additionally, pay attention to how hungry you are before the meal, and how full you become during and after the meal.

Notice how interested in the food you are as you progress through the meal. Notice what thoughts come up during meal time. Is there relief? Is there guilt? Shame? If there’s guilt, shame, or regret that’s something to challenge. If you’re not sure how to challenge those thoughts, I would love to help you through that!

TL;DR

• Notice the different ways your body alerts you to needing fuel aside from just a grumbling stomach.
• Notice how you response to the meal, physically and emotionally.
• If you’re having feelings of guilt or shame, don’t hesitate to reach out to me I would love to help you!

Today is the best day to change your life!