How to differentiate between emotional and physical hunger
It is completely normal to enjoy food as a reward or pick me up from time to time but when food is the only coping mechanism or tool for distraction it can become harmful.
In short emotional eating means using food for a purpose other than nourishment. It’s using food as a coping mechanism for uncomfortable emotions or as a way to avoiding them. This disconnection between true physical hunger signals can make it very difficult to know how hungry you actually are and how much you’re eating. Emotional eating can mean over or under eating (restricting/depriving). Either way the amount of food doesn’t correlate with the body’s need.
We can’t change what we don’t know so our biggest helper for emotional eating is awareness. Knowing some key differences between emotional and physical hunger can bring awareness and empowerment.
What physical hunger feels like:
physical hunger increases gradually over time, builds at least a few hours since the last meal or a small meal eaten
the feeling of hunger is located in the stomach
physical hunger could be satisfied for a wide array of foods, it isn’t too specific
eating from physical hunger means eating until we are full then stopping and are satisfied
What emotional hunger feels like:
often starts suddenly, comes on very fast even if you have eaten recently (usually triggered by an interaction, memory or emotion if looked at)
feels insatiable, that it would take a lot of food to fill the hunger and after eaten are still not satiated
the feeling of hunger can be located (if you tune in) anywhere in the body, throat, chest, head, heart (because there is an emotional need that is hungry)
emotional eating wants instant gratification and inspires cravings for specific often ‘comfort foods’ that are usually high in sugar, carbs, fat
can leave us feeling guilty, ashamed and out of control
Emotions aren’t good or bad we just label them that way. Emotions are great because they indicate a perceived need and provide valuable information. Unfortunately humans will do pretty much anything to avoid feeling uncomfortable so some valuable information gets missed. It’s ok to experience discomfort. Tolerating distress can be learnt and requires seeing an element of choice to how you respond. Acceptance is about sitting with discomfort and then letting it go instead of fighting against it. Resisting discomfort takes a lot more energy and can last hours to years where accepting discomfort can flow through in minutes if fully surrendered.
Some questions to ask yourself next time you identify that you are experiencing emotional hunger:
what are your emotions are trying to tell you?
what valuable information comes up from the identified trigger?
what is the real need or want?
what emotion, self perception or area of life wants to be fed?
what am I trying to comfort, control, distract form or connect or fit in with?
