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Food is one of those amazing things in life, you need it to live but eat too much and it starts to show on our bodies and we can go from being lean and healthy to fat and obese and with it come myriads of health issues.
The issue we face in today’s world when food is so easily available and not only that but the variety is so huge is often our brains are tricked into thinking we are hungry when we are not.
In this article we look at the different types of hunger and how to control each one and when you should actually eat.
1. Stomach hunger
This is usually genuine hunger, you will hear gnawing, feel irritable or start feeling tired. Although you should eat when you are that hungry, you don’t necessarily have to act on it. When you are first trying to lose weight you have to lose the fat. Your stomach will make you think it is empty because it is used to consuming your usual amount of calories so you have to train it to expect less food.
It’s a bit like when people try to put a gastric band in their stomach to try to reduce the size so that it doesn’t think its full.
If you are experiencing this kind of hunger then try to go for a run, do some jumping jacks or something that will distract you. Remember you have to burn more than you consume to lose weight. However, starving yourself is not the o objective so when you track your food intake make sure you are not consuming enough calories in a safe way.
2. Mouth hunger
This is that image of salivating, your mind is thinking of food and wants to eat it. Sometimes it’s something you haven’t eaten for a while. We have all been drawn in by smell of food to some extent, if you walk down the supermarket aisles and can smell the freshly baked bread you will find yourself walking away with one or those food ads on TV.
Mouth hunger is driven by anything you see, smell or hear. This is often why they tell you not to stock up your cupboards with treats or sugar, the moment you see it you will want it. So make temptation as difficult as possible.
3. Heart hunger
This is caused by an emotion usually, it could be stress or feeling like you have done something good and deserving of it. For example pre-lockdown I am sure you would have walked to the closest coffee shop and with your morning coffee got yourself a chocolate and hazelnut croissant. Not because you were hungry or because you saw it but mainly because you felt like you deserved it. Well you didn’t and if you did, food doesn’t have to be the reward, you should think about treating yourself in other ways, maybe go for a nice scenic walk or a massage or buy yourself a new dress.
Conclusion
Food is needed to live but it should be mind over matter when it comes to hunger. Train your mind to only eat when its needed and don’t let it fool you into thinking you are hungry when you are not.
