Cravings VS Hunger

One of the most important things to determine about our appetite is to determine if we are truly hungry or having a craving. A craving is usually for something in particular and we wouldn’t desire to eat anything else. Hungry is indiscriminate, you would be happy to eat most things. Determine how often you feel a craving vs feeling true hunger. Some of my clients find they don’t often feel true hunger. It’s good to get comfortable with feelings of hunger. Learning this can help reduce overeating, mindless eating and knowing the world won’t end if you don’t eat whatever you are craving. This is also a good time to drink some water. Thirst can get mistaken for hunger.

This is not the same as getting hangry. Getting to the place of hanger (RE anger from hunger, blood sugar tanking) leads to less healthy food choices due to the Fight/Flight mode being activated and reactionary food choices being made, often junk food. If you find you quickly get hangry, then it is a sign that you my friend are on a blood sugar rollercoaster. Beneath the surface your body is dealing with blood sugar swings. You can smoothe these out by prioritizing protein in your diet (.8 grams/lb of ideal body weight) and reducing carbohydrates to around 75 grams or less per day and replace everything else with healthy fats and take 2-4 weeks to do it.

One of my favorite tricks for a craving if I must eat is to eat some protein first, like 1-2 slices of cheese, pistachios or some jerky, sometimes a piece of fruit if the desire for sweet is really present. Give it 5-10 minutes and see how it feels. This can be great before bed if you find that you like to snack before bed on processed foods.