Is It Your Body or Your Mind Talking? Signs Your Hunger May Be Psychological

Show Notes:

We often eat for emotional reasons like stress, boredom, or excitement rather than true physical hunger. Learning to differentiate between the two is key to getting your eating under control, resisting cravings, and creating healthier habits. Tune into your body's signals, identify emotional triggers, and take control of your eating.

Key Takeaways:

• Emotional eating stems from psychological hungers, not physical needs. It doesn't satisfy and leads to overeating. 
  
  

• Psychological hunger aims to fill a void, soothe discomfort, reduce anxiety, or entertain yourself.
  
  

• Physical hunger comes on slowly with stomach rumbling, dizziness, low energy. Psychological hunger is sudden and urgent. 
  
  

• Cravings for specific treats indicate emotional eating. Physical hunger doesn't care if you eat an apple or cupcake.
  
  

• Rate your hunger on a 1-10 scale. 1-4 is physical, 5+ suggests emotional factors. 
  
  

•  Identify where the hunger originates. If not your stomach, it's likely psychological.
  
  

• Wait out cravings for 20 minutes. If hunger persists, eat a healthy snack.
  
  

• Address emotional needs directly through walking, calling a friend, meditating, journaling. 
  
  

• Practice mindful eating and tuning into your body's real signals. Take control of cravings and eating habits.