How to control hunger? Emotional hunger
The feeling of hunger forces a person to look for food in order to get energy for the body. Hunger is programmed genetically, at the level of reflexes.
And we are talking about physiological hunger, about that hunger when a person is ready to eat any food. And again, such hunger occurs if a person goes for a long time without food.
But what to do with hunger if 2 hours or even 15 minutes have passed since eating?
The head and stomach stubbornly send signals that you need to eat, and, moreover, not a dry crust of bread, but, for example, a sandwich or candy.
For some reason, many people are afraid that such hunger must be endured.
Yes, you have to be patient if you eat a lot of normal food, and after a while you want to eat again.
What is emotional hunger?
Food is essential for all of us. For some it is a way to satisfy hunger and maintain health and energy, while for others it is a way to kill boredom, relieve stress or alleviate emotional pain.
Emotional hunger is the habit of regularly consuming large amounts of food. This appetite is caused by various feelings, but not by hunger.
Experts estimate that 75% of overeating is caused by emotions. Feelings such as loneliness, boredom, anger, disappointment, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem can lead to unconscious and uncontrollable overeating.
Fortunately, there are many ways to overcome food addiction. This requires the desire and strength to admit that such a problem exists.
There are 2 types of hunger - physiological and emotional.
Today, let's talk about emotional hunger.
If after eating you feel hungry again, then most likely it’s emotional hunger.
And also, there is a desire to chew, nibble, or occupy your mouth with something, this also refers to emotional hunger.
And here, you need to focus your attention on your emotions and inner state.
It will be good to ask yourself questions and answer them yourself.
- What I feel?
- I am sad?
- I'm bored?
- I'm upset?
- Upset about what?
- Am I angry, am I dissatisfied?
- Am I worried about something?
- I'm tired?
- Do I need to rest? After you ask yourself these questions, you will definitely find the reason.
And after that, ask yourself the most important question - can I use food to influence the outcome of this problem?Of course, if you are sad, then maybe while eating, you will switch your thoughts and feelings to the taste of food, but then?
And then, the feeling of guilt...
Most often, when asking yourself questions, the feeling of emotional hunger decreases, and sometimes disappears completely.
And if you can’t get rid of the desire to eat something, then you need to eat slowly and enjoy it to the maximum.
But be sure, before you start eating, you need to tell yourself:
“I have a problem (emotion, feeling, situation) and at the moment I cannot cope with it without food, but I know about it, and subsequently, I will learn to cope with problems and feelings without food.”
In order to cope with the emotional hunger that arises from boredom, from doing nothing, you definitely need some kind of activity, some kind of occupation.
And switch your attention and apply your efforts to this activity.
It could be some kind of hobby or handicraft, maybe reading or a walk, but you need to keep your brain and hands busy.
Causes of emotional eating
Our generation was raised by grandmothers and mothers who lived in war and post-war times, when people were actually dying of hunger, there was a shortage of food, so food was of great value.
You and I were taught to eat not when there is a feeling of hunger, but when there is food. Mom prepared dinner - try not to eat it. In the kindergarten they set the table at one o'clock in the afternoon - no one cared whether you wanted to eat at that moment. Parents insist that the plate must be empty: “If you eat everything, you will see a bunny,” “If you don’t finish, you won’t leave the table,” “If you eat soup, you will get candy.” The list goes on and on.
Plus food was almost the main manifestation of love. It was difficult for our parents to tell their child: “I love you so much! I’m so glad that I have you.” Instead, we were given candy and other goodies.
Photo source: pixabay.com
It's not your fault what kind of relationship you had with food in your childhood. But now you are responsible for yourself and for your child. You can deal with emotional eating yourself and prevent this behavior from emerging in your child. First, let's finish talking about children.
Eating disorders
The main obstacle to losing weight is our habit of eating stress and boredom when we don’t know what to do with ourselves. Food is necessary to satisfy real (physical) hunger, but it is absolutely not suitable for solving psychological problems. On the contrary, goodies, like alcohol, only aggravate them.
When the thought of eating something comes to mind, ask yourself a few simple questions (these were coined by psychotherapist and eating disorder specialist Jillian Riley). They will immediately tell you whether you are experiencing real or psychological hunger. In the first case, eat with a clear conscience; in the second, switch your brain to something else.
1. Just recently or a long time ago?
Psychological hunger is always SUDDEN. One minute you didn’t care about food, and a minute later you are already dying of hunger. Physical hunger increases GRADUALLY. At first there is a barely audible rumbling in the stomach, but after a few hours there is already a real roar.
2. Chocolate cake or don’t care, as long as it’s edible?
Psychological hunger manifests itself as a CRAVING for SPECIFIC FOOD. I passionately want something specific: chocolate, pasta, chips, baked goods, smoked sausage or cutlets. The mind does not accept any substitutions. We agree to satisfy physical hunger with any fresh and tasty food. Of course, there may be preferences, but by and large a hungry person is ready to dine, if not on this, then on that.
3. In the head or in the stomach?
Psychological hunger LIVES IN THE HEAD. The desire to eat your favorite delicacy begins simultaneously in the mouth and in the brain, it is provoked by the tempting smells and sight of food. You eat cakes with your eyes. The tongue dreams of tasting a smoked sandwich or a donut. In my head there is a round dance of thoughts about the coveted dish. Physical hunger LIVES IN THE STOMACH. You recognize it by the sensations in your stomach: rumbling, emptiness and even pain.
4. Is it urgent or can we be patient?
Psychological hunger cannot be delayed. It pushes you to eat right now, to immediately drown out the emotional pain with food. Physical hunger is PATIENT. Of course, it’s better not to delay lunch, but if necessary, you can wait a little.
5. Troubles in the soul or in the stomach?
Psychological hunger EXISTS IN PAIR WITH AN UNPLEASANT EMOTION. The boss demands something. The child is having problems at school. A loved one is sick. Psychological hunger occurs in a situation that disrupts mental balance. Physical hunger APPEARS FROM PHYSICAL NEED - because more than 4-5 hours have passed since the last meal. If we haven't eaten for a long time and are very hungry, we experience dizziness or loss of strength.
6. On autopilot or with taste?
Psychological hunger IS ASSOCIATED WITH AUTOMATIC, MINDLESS SWALLOWING OF FOOD. Sometimes it feels like someone else's hand is cutting the cake and bringing it to your mouth (autopilot). Physical hunger IS CONNECTED WITH THE AWARENESS OF THE PROCESS OF EATING. You are aware of what you are eating and consciously decide whether to eat half a sandwich or the whole sandwich.
7. Did you let go or not?
Psychological hunger DOES NOT go away, even if the stomach is full to capacity. You eat to numb stress or emotional pain - so you eat a second plate and a third, despite the fact that your stomach hurts from being stretched by so much food. Physical hunger PASSES AS SOON AS YOU SATISFIED IT. It arises from the desire to charge the body with energy. The moment this need is satisfied, the desire to eat goes away.
8. Are you ashamed or don’t care?
Psychological hunger is accompanied by a feeling of shame due to overeating. The paradox is that you eat to improve your mood, but end up angry with yourself for eating too many cookies, cake or meatballs. Physical hunger is BASED ON FOOD AS A NECESSITY. There is no shame, guilt or frustration. You understand that eating is like breathing, it is necessary for life. published econet.ru
photo Sarah Faust
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How to deal with psychological hunger. Psychological hunger?! How to fight?
Hello! By the age of 30, I had put on 20 extra kg. I started to watch myself closely)) It turned out that if I left my usual breakfast, lunch and dinner, I lost weight rapidly. All the excess was gone. The reason for the weight was that as soon as I was not busy with anything, I I’m starting to experience terrible hunger, and not from the stomach, but purely psychologically. I want to chew everything. I understand with my head that the hunger is false. I have enough willpower to endure. But how annoying this state is! Now you have to constantly keep yourself busy with something, to the point that if you have absolutely nothing to do, you leave the house for a walk. Has anyone encountered this? I didn’t pay attention before, I just ate without thinking. How can I get rid of this problem? I spin around like a squirrel, I eat normally; if I stop for even 5 minutes, a terrible glutton creeps in, which is simply unbearably annoying.
How to distinguish physiology from psychology?
Physical sensations. We feel physiological hunger physically in the body. This is a “sucking in the pit of the stomach”, rumbling in the stomach. We actually physically feel how the stomach muscles contract. We feel hungry blood in the form of mild nausea and a state close to fainting.
Psychological hunger is quite difficult to describe. It can be characterized by the words: “I want!” indicating a specific product or characteristics of a certain type of product. For example, you want something sweet. Or salty. Or spicy.
Emotional condition. Unlike appetite, which can be triggered by the sight or smell of food that you find delicious, psychological hunger occurs when we are in a certain emotional state.
For example, today was a difficult day, we were tired, plus we had a fight with someone. This may be a general emotional depressive background in life. And in the evening the desire to have a snack comes. It usually turns into gluttony, giving release to stress hormones. To get rid of excess adrenaline, the body needs movement. Some of them are moving. Jaws.
Consequences. When physiological hunger is satisfied, the brain sends a signal of satiety. Which each of us grasps in our own way. With psychological hunger, we do not catch the signal of saturation. We continue to eat, at best, to the point of gluttony. At worst, to the point of the same nausea, after which we begin to blame and reproach ourselves for our overeating.
Therefore, listen carefully to yourself and your body. Eat with appetite when you are really hungry.
How to Tell if You Have Emotional Hunger
There are differences between physical and emotional hunger. In the first case, you eat because you are really hungry, while emotional hunger is caused only by emotions. Here are some signs that you are emotionally hungry.
- Physical hunger increases gradually, but emotional hunger occurs suddenly.
- You drown out your emotional hunger with unhealthy food. I want something harmful and a lot, for example, sweet or salty.
- When you feel physical hunger, after it is satisfied, you stop so as not to overeat. With emotional eating, this is difficult.
- Emotional hunger starts in the head. You may feel the taste of pizza or ice cream in your mouth and your mind begins to constantly think about the desired food. Physical hunger occurs in the stomach. You feel empty and noisy from your stomach.
- After satisfying emotional hunger, as a rule, feelings of guilt and shame arise.
