11/11/2024
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
It is often misunderstood what the difference between hunger and craving. There can sometimes be a head/body disconnect where our mindset or emotions dominate the choices we will make.
It is very difficult to resist the urge of a craving, the craving is often associated with an emotion, upset, stress or anxiousness and often comes on very quickly. A craving is often associated with a certain type of foods for example high density foods such as crisps or chocolate . You can distract yourself, by getting outside, speaking to a friend, going for a walk. The craving passes and everytime the craving passes you are resisting the urge.
Hunger is a genuine need for food that often comes along with its own signs such as a rumbling tummy, the shakes or feeling light headed. This feeling will not go away without eating any kind of food and often comes on gradually after several hours of no food!
Having a clear understanding of the difference between hunger and cravings is really useful to improve your relationship with food and reduce the frequency of “non-hunger eating”. If you are the type of person that relies on food to cope with stressful situations, addressing the root cause of the food craving is the first step. Using a food diary to track your eating patterns and behaviours can be a really useful tool to get a better understanding.
If this is something you’d like to learn more about drop me a DM.
