How to Ignore Hunger
Understand the origin of a growling stomach., Attribute hunger to your brain., Recognize emotional cravings., Get more sleep., Control your stress levels., Get tested for diabetes., Practice mindful eating.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Understand the origin of a growling stomach.
These sounds are usually caused by juices and gasses moving around the stomach and intestine.
It's not your stomach telling you it’s time to eat.
The reason the sound is associated with hunger is because it's louder when the stomach and intestines are empty.
If you have food in your stomach, it muffles the noise of this activity.A growling stomach is not the same as hunger pangs, which start 12-24 hours after your last meal.
Some people have more gas than others.
Reasons that people have gas include: poor nutrition, food intolerance, pregnancy, and genetics. -
Step 2: Attribute hunger to your brain.
Feelings of hunger might not be caused by an empty stomach.
Hunger can occur for reasons of both physiological and psychological desire for satisfaction.Hunger pangs have been shown to continue even after a stomach has been removed.
The hypothalamus, or brainstem, regulates feelings of hunger, not the stomach.Knowing more about the causes of hunger might help you ignore it when it arises.
If you feel hungry, consider what emotional needs you might address instead of eating something to feel better. , Many people associate food with safety and comfort.
They're more likely to feel hungry when they're feeling anxious, worried or fearful.
People who eat for emotional reasons might find themselves in a cycle of overeating followed by severe dieting, and have a hard time with weight control.
Many emotional eaters suffer from low self-esteem.
They may benefit from counseling, cognitive behavior therapy or other therapeutic supports.
It might not be easy to recognize the difference between emotional sources of hunger and physiological sources of hunger.
If you're someone who has a hard time discerning this difference, consider following a scheduled eating program.
That way, you can know that you're getting your food needs met and may be better able to address your emotional needs. , Sleep helps you keep a balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin).
Without enough sleep, you'll produce more ghrelin.
Your level of leptin will decrease, and this will make you feel hungrier than when you're well-rested.Most people need between 6-10 hours of sleep per night.
Research shows a direct connection between lack of sleep and obesity.
For example, one study of teenagers showed that for every hour of sleep lost, the chances of obesity increased., Stress releases cortisol, and cortisol increases your appetite.
This is an adaptive measure by the body, because it also increases your motivation in general, but it become maladaptive when you respond by overeating.
Elevated cortisol levels sustained over time increase your chances of obesity.Other hazards of stress include poor sleep, lack of exercise, and drinking more alcohol.
Ways to lower your stress levels include meditation, taking a yoga class, or enjoying a warm bath.
If you feel like eating and suspect that stress is the reason, try one of these stress relievers instead. , If you frequently feel hungry without cause, or if you notice other signs of diabetes (being very thirsty, having feelings of tiredness or fatigue, or urinating more often than usual) you might want to get tested for diabetes.
Feelings of hunger can be a sign of both low blood sugar and high blood sugar, and both are significant factors of diabetes.
If you haven’t had blood tests for a while, get a physical and rule out this dangerous condition.Diabetes can be diagnosed at any age.
Type 1 diabetes is most often diagnosed in children, adolescents or young adults.
Type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed at any age.
About 1/3 of people living with Type 2 diabetes don't know they have it. , Mindfulness practices address the problem of feeling hungry due to stress, and eating for emotional reasons.
Research shows that people who were taught mindfulness techniques lowered their levels of stress and chronic anxiety, and their levels of stress eating decreased.Mindfulness practices include learning to be aware of your breath, being aware of your body, and staying in the present rather than projecting into the future or the past.
Mindful eating practices are based in using these same strategies and applying them to food, so that you become deeply aware of each experience with your food. -
Step 3: Recognize emotional cravings.
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Step 4: Get more sleep.
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Step 5: Control your stress levels.
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Step 6: Get tested for diabetes.
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Step 7: Practice mindful eating.
Detailed Guide
These sounds are usually caused by juices and gasses moving around the stomach and intestine.
It's not your stomach telling you it’s time to eat.
The reason the sound is associated with hunger is because it's louder when the stomach and intestines are empty.
If you have food in your stomach, it muffles the noise of this activity.A growling stomach is not the same as hunger pangs, which start 12-24 hours after your last meal.
Some people have more gas than others.
Reasons that people have gas include: poor nutrition, food intolerance, pregnancy, and genetics.
Feelings of hunger might not be caused by an empty stomach.
Hunger can occur for reasons of both physiological and psychological desire for satisfaction.Hunger pangs have been shown to continue even after a stomach has been removed.
The hypothalamus, or brainstem, regulates feelings of hunger, not the stomach.Knowing more about the causes of hunger might help you ignore it when it arises.
If you feel hungry, consider what emotional needs you might address instead of eating something to feel better. , Many people associate food with safety and comfort.
They're more likely to feel hungry when they're feeling anxious, worried or fearful.
People who eat for emotional reasons might find themselves in a cycle of overeating followed by severe dieting, and have a hard time with weight control.
Many emotional eaters suffer from low self-esteem.
They may benefit from counseling, cognitive behavior therapy or other therapeutic supports.
It might not be easy to recognize the difference between emotional sources of hunger and physiological sources of hunger.
If you're someone who has a hard time discerning this difference, consider following a scheduled eating program.
That way, you can know that you're getting your food needs met and may be better able to address your emotional needs. , Sleep helps you keep a balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin).
Without enough sleep, you'll produce more ghrelin.
Your level of leptin will decrease, and this will make you feel hungrier than when you're well-rested.Most people need between 6-10 hours of sleep per night.
Research shows a direct connection between lack of sleep and obesity.
For example, one study of teenagers showed that for every hour of sleep lost, the chances of obesity increased., Stress releases cortisol, and cortisol increases your appetite.
This is an adaptive measure by the body, because it also increases your motivation in general, but it become maladaptive when you respond by overeating.
Elevated cortisol levels sustained over time increase your chances of obesity.Other hazards of stress include poor sleep, lack of exercise, and drinking more alcohol.
Ways to lower your stress levels include meditation, taking a yoga class, or enjoying a warm bath.
If you feel like eating and suspect that stress is the reason, try one of these stress relievers instead. , If you frequently feel hungry without cause, or if you notice other signs of diabetes (being very thirsty, having feelings of tiredness or fatigue, or urinating more often than usual) you might want to get tested for diabetes.
Feelings of hunger can be a sign of both low blood sugar and high blood sugar, and both are significant factors of diabetes.
If you haven’t had blood tests for a while, get a physical and rule out this dangerous condition.Diabetes can be diagnosed at any age.
Type 1 diabetes is most often diagnosed in children, adolescents or young adults.
Type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed at any age.
About 1/3 of people living with Type 2 diabetes don't know they have it. , Mindfulness practices address the problem of feeling hungry due to stress, and eating for emotional reasons.
Research shows that people who were taught mindfulness techniques lowered their levels of stress and chronic anxiety, and their levels of stress eating decreased.Mindfulness practices include learning to be aware of your breath, being aware of your body, and staying in the present rather than projecting into the future or the past.
Mindful eating practices are based in using these same strategies and applying them to food, so that you become deeply aware of each experience with your food.
About the Author
Frances Chavez
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
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