What does hunger FEEL like?

I’m sure we’ve all experienced those times where we thought an alien had invaded our body and was physically trying to eat our stomach from the inside out! We were SO hungry that we were willing to eat anything and everything NOT nailed down. When the only thing our brain could focus on was FOOD and what was the fastest way to get it into our body! Ya know, when HANGER took over every sense of your being!

We’ve all been there – and we try like hell to avoid experiencing it again! So we eat. Sometimes we eat when we are starting to get hungry (just that slight rumbling in our tummy) and sometimes we eat when we aren’t hungry at all just to avoid the CHANCE of hanger’s presence! I get it. When I first started losing weight I ate every 2 to 3 hours like clockwork. Did it work? Yes. But when I look back on WHY I did it – it was because of fear of hunger and NOT trusting myself to be able to manage that hunger if and when it hit.

Does that speak to you? Have you ever wondered why you were afraid of being hungry? Take a moment and answer that question for yourself – be honest and write your answers down.

Were some of your answers because you don’t trust yourself to make “good” or “healthy” choices when you are hungry? Anyone answer that they don’t know when they will be able to eat next – so they “pre-eat”? Most of us have the ability to keep some form of food in our vicinity in case of hunger. And for most of us, some level of hunger is NOT an emergency…..but we tend to treat it like one. I realize that there are people with medical conditions that have blood sugar spikes that they manage through when/what they eat – I’m not referring to that. I’m speaking directly to those of us who have had or currently have a troubled relationship with food. Those of us who have looked to food to fulfill needs outside of hunger. Hunger then brings up a shit ton of emotion for us – so we work like crazy to avoid all that mess!

The good news is – freedom comes from staring that mess directly in the face and owning it. When you realize that your bodies hunger needs and signals are NOT the problem here – you can begin the journey to realizing food has no power over you (except what you give it) and your body is not your enemy.

Take some time this week and pay attention to when you eat. Are you hungry (physical sensation)? What would you rate your hunger level at? Slightly hungry? Starving? Work on eating when your body is physically hungry, there’s a slight rumbling in your belly (but before starving) and stop when you are physically satisfied (not stuffed).

Play around with this and comment below with any questions or enlightening experiences you have!