It may not surprise you that there are five core types of hunger. Today, we’re going to chat about Physical Hunger. As I was studying to became a certified nutrition mentor with 2B Mindset and had the opportunity to dig in to the five types, it was eye-opening how much each one was and still can, impact my life.
Today, it’s all about Physical Hunger and how to manage those feelings when they come on.
What is Physical Hunger?
First of all, let’s discuss what it’s not. Physical hunger DOES NOT mean that you’re “starving”. You’re not. You have not gone without food for more than 3 weeks. Which btw, is the amount of time you can go without food before you’re allowed to truly say “I’m starving”!
Physical hunger comes on gradually. I love the example that was used in my training (with a few of my own personal life struggles added).
- You had a nice, satisfying Plate It lunch (Plate It is our meal philosophy), then you head out to run errands for a few hours. Likely getting swept up hustling from one place to the next, trying to keep your sanity and not yell more than 5 times at your kids to keep their hands to themselves. Then, you’re finally home, all the groceries are put away and another load of laundry is started. Your stomach is growling, and without thinking, we say; I’m starving!
Sound familiar?
You’re not Starving, You’re Hungry
So, before you allow yourself to binge on crackers, chips, your 3 year old’s fruit snacks or the Girl Scout cookies in the fridge, stop! Drink some water – at least 8-10 ounces – and take a deep breath.
Congrats, you’re not starving and going to live! Now, let’s fully acknowledge that we’re really hungry. There is is no denying that. But, moving forward we don’t want to get “that hungry”.
How do I manage physical hunger?
In addition to drinking some water. Let’s shift our vocab and midset from; “I was totally starving and I just had to have that brownie” to “Wow, I’m really hungry and need to find some water first and then think about something good to nourish my body.”
Physcial hunger comes in many forms, so if you’re experiencing one of these, it’s time to take action.
- Fatigue
- Lack of mental clarity
- Headaches
- Physcially hungry to the point of not sleeping
What can I do to overcome or avoid getting to this point of physical hunger? Be prepared to review your food tracker with your Coach, and also consider these tips:
- Be sure you get enough quality, lean protein during the day to help you stay fuller longer (Beachbars are an awesome protein bar to have in your purse or diaper bag on the run!)
- More FFC’s for better sustained engry (those are fiber filled carbs)
- Or even a few heathy fat accessories for greater satisfactoin from the meals you do eat
You’ve Got This!
I want to encourage you to not get to the point of physical hunger. There are few things worse than having tummy pains and then binging on foods that then make you feel like crap or hungry 30 minutes later.
Remember, nobody is perfect, and as you learn to recoginze the type of hunger you’re dealing with, you’ll have the strong mindset to fuel your body in a productive way!
Reach out any time if you need help!
And if you need a couple of protein or healthy fat-packed options for snacking, these always hit the spot for me:
Beachbars | Protein Waffles | Daily Sunshine | Homemade PB Granola
Tanya says
Tiffany says