How To Know if You Are Physically Hungry

There are some people who are on a perennial diet. They go on a diet plan, stick to it for a time, and then quit when they get discouraged. But that’s only until a new diet comes along and then the process would start all over again. The reason why people rarely finish a diet successfully is because diets are restrictive and boring, and if dieters don’t see results right away, they tend to lose sight of the end goal, hence, they end up going back to their previous eating habits.

So, how are you supposed to eat? How do you know if you are really physically hungry or just mentally hungry as an emotional reaction or mood? You have to learn how to eat ‘intuitively.’ This means letting your body tell you when you are hungry, instead of listening to your mind.

Wait for a growling stomach or hunger pangs to know when you are hungry and should be eating. Do not overindulge or you risk becoming stuffed, which is truly unhealthy and very uncomfortable. People need to learn to listen to their stomachs and push away the plate when they are done eating. If you are at a restaurant, have the plate removed when you are finished.


There could be other reasons why people tend to overeat, most of them resulting not from physical hunger but from what is known as mental hunger. This is called as such because it is the mind that actually sends the signals to eat. Mental hunger usually happens as a result of emotional stress or boredom.

If you find that you are one of those people who eat as a result of mental hunger, then start listening to your body for cues of real physical hunger. People who binge-eat, overeat and have eating disorders all suffer because of mental hunger. Getting yourself to re-learn how to eat is vital to any successful weight loss goals and healthy eating.

Know when to stop eating before you consume too much just because the food tastes good. It takes the brain 20 minutes to recognize that you are full. You should slowly eat, so the signals have time to work properly. When you are full, push your plate away and stop eating. This will prevent excess calories and fat from going in your body and ruining your weight loss goals. You will not learn how to eat intuitively overnight, it will take time and practice to really get it down.

How to know if you are physically hungry is very important to a healthy eating lifestyle. Once you learn how to do it, you will no longer find yourself raiding the refrigerator or eating all the snacks in the house in one sitting.