Cheri’s Connection Corner - Hunger Physical vs Emotional
Good day healthy living cupsers🙌🙌🙌💕💕💕
Hunger in your health journey often becomes a signal your body requires food that helps nourish your body.
There is another type of hunger … emotional hunger often because situations or time or stress triggers the urge to have food to satisfy that trigger.
For instance, if you are used to eating at a certain time and move to strategy to eat when you feel hungry you may indeed find that change difficult because of the pattern you previously had.
Some people eat more or eat less when life becomes more stressful.
Reflect on your hunger cues and answer any question(s) below.
All responses are appreciated.
What is a common trigger for emotional hunger for you?
What are some strategies to address emotional hunger in a healthy way?
How does emotional hunger impact our relationship with food compared to physical hunger?
How does recognizing the difference between emotional and physical hunger contribute to overall well-being?
Can you share examples of how emotional hunger can be mistaken for physical hunger, and vice versa?
@SunShineAlwaysGrateful
What is a common trigger for emotional hunger for you?….Usually it might start with “Boredom” for me.
What are some strategies to address emotional hunger in a healthy way?….I try to redirect my thoughts… or grab some water to help stay hydrated… Or grab my Furbaby and get outside for a bit to clear my head & help change my thoughts.
How does emotional hunger impact our relationship with food compared to physical hunger?….Hmmm, well everyone is different so I’m sure answers can vary here. But for me, I would sometimes look at food in negative ways. Especially if I used it in what I’d consider a negative way. Instead of to actually nourish my body & mind.
How does recognizing the difference between emotional and physical hunger contribute to overall well-being?…..Well I feel & believe that when our bodies & minds are in sync with one another that this is something that can easily be done & achieved. And one can look at foods, and true hunger, in a more positive manner. Thereby understanding our actual needs. And nourishing our wellbeing as necessary.
Can you share examples of how emotional hunger can be mistaken for physical hunger, and vice versa?….Well I’m
sure this answer could also vary per person… but sometimes often we are thirsty (or dehydrated), and just need proper hydration. Whereas our brain may try to tell us that we are actually hungry when we really aren’t…. Or when improper rest, & lack of sleep can cause us to feel like we are hungry by messing with our hormones. When in fact we simply need better rest!
@SunShineAlwaysGrateful
What is a common trigger for emotional hunger for you?
Yes like ocean said boredom but also stress like when I'm projecting myself into a future worrying scenario or into some bad memory from the past and it's hurting me to think about and I can't find any way to forgive myself or whatever people, places or things are involved so I just eat.
What are some strategies to address emotional hunger in a healthy way?
I'm did the ho'oponono technique with the movements and words by David Ji, and added it to my daily routines/rituals. With time it ought to untangle that. Forgiveness, love, appreciation and humility is supposed to be a most powerful healer.
There's also the 4Ds (delay, distract, deep breathing and drink water), Tara Brach's RAIN with Byron Katie for the i of RAIN, lots of videos from Marianne Williamson, coaching, talking or guidance through a helpline, volunteering to repair character, gardening, learning more about health by reading a book, speaking to a dietitian or having a nutritionist make a diet just for me, and carE (clear communication award achievements recognition and reward and empathy) the E is capitalized as it's the foundation for the rest.
How does emotional hunger impact our relationship with food compared to physical hunger?
Well it really for me can cause a negative cycle where I feel not enough and like a failure. Even if I'm eating well and make a mistake I just slam myself with shame and guilt, and start throwing blame around like Oprah giving away cars, just poisoning myself with resentment and giving up from how deep the pain cuts.
How does recognizing the difference between emotional and physical hunger contribute to overall well-being?
Well for every time I catch it, that can redirect the cycle with a hit of self esteem, which feeds my confidence, which then goes back to feeding my self esteem.
Can you share examples of how emotional hunger can be mistaken for physical hunger, and vice versa?
🧐 Yesterday I wasn't hungry because I'd eaten a big plate of pasta and broccoli. But I was worrying about this, that and the other. So I ate all these mini donuts I had planned to eat over the week. Even though I knew I wasn't hungry, my mind told me that if I ate them it would be worth it and would make me feel better. My tummy was full. But my heart and mind and spirit wasn't. I could feel the fullness in my belly. But mind was like an emotional black hole. And I pretty much ignored my heart and spirit, or berated my heart and spirit for being weak and stupid and told it to shut up. Is brutal seeing in writing. 😭
@SunShineAlwaysGrateful
As somebody who deals with an eating disorter, I think a lot of my hunger comes from emotion or events that happen. In general I think, boredom, timing and stuff like that can be big triggers. For me, it is also association and hype, like something good happens, a trigger to celebrate, something bad happens, a trigger to cope. Another big trigger is a cycle, like when you try to be healthy you abstain from the food you want but instead of closing that thought, it builds up to the next moment/craving and becomes harder to deal until at some point you crack, and give in. Then you want to make the most of the eating moment because you abstain on other moments and go overboard. Another trigger for me is exercise, as I use this as a way of compensating for eating, but this also triggers eating to replenish energy, and this triggers compensating by exercising again.
I notice that when eating a lot, or when I allow myself to eat something I have been abstaining from or fighting off for a bit, I put a lot of pressure on that moment for it to be "perfect", like super delicious, big, extra etc. And can get annoyed or dissapointed if it is not. I want to make the most of it, so even if I eat until full, after a little while, I can think like "hey, some has been processed, I feel less, full, I can have some more and on the other hand, need to have some more to feel like I did make the most of it".
@Michelh1996
Wow thank you for sharing your story & version of how this makes you feel (from the view-point of having E.D.). Very interesting insight. And very compelling.
We hope that you have also taken advantage of our E.D. Support group here at Cups.
And please feel free to share here with us anytime your views of how E.D. May impact Healthy living for you.
I’m Ocean the community mentor leader here in HL & We are here to support you!
@PoliteOcean I have been active on here about this, and this has also lead to me seeing a therapist about it now. But the fact that it all comes out and becomes even more of an item in daily life, as I am forced to think and talk about it, make plans and follow them, do also make it harder. Especially at the moment.
For sure it has lead to some realizations about myself and my behavior surrounding food, cravings and hunger. But there is a lot of conflict because I have been in a cycle for so long that I can't just break, and some views, plans and goals are opposite of each other. On top of having the issue on your mind more often, also being a trigger or challange in itself...