Emotional vs. Physical Hunger: How to Spot the Difference

Knowing the difference between emotional and physical hunger can help you have a healthier relationship with food and your body. Emotional hunger is motivated by feelings instead of the body’s need for energy, typically resulting in unhealthy food choices and overeating. Physical hunger occurs when your body naturally signals your brain that it needs fuel. You are more likely to select nutritious foods and stop eating when physically full. Here are common signs and ways to spot the difference between the two:
 

1. Sudden Onset: Emotional hunger often feels sudden and urgent, like you need to eat “right now.”
2. Cravings Specific Foods: You may have cravings for foods such as ice cream, pizza, or chips, instead of foods you have available.
3. Unrelated to Physical Sensations: You do not have physical signs of hunger, like a growling stomach.
4. Emotional Triggers: Emotional hunger is typically provoked by feelings like anxiety, boredom, or stress. It is your brain's way of filling an emotional void instead of providing your body with the energy it needs to function properly.
5. Mindless Eating: Eating without paying attention to the amount of food you consume or truly tasting or enjoying the food.
6. Guilt After Eating: Feeling guilty or shameful after emotional eating.

1. Gradual Onset: Physical hunger slowly progresses, giving you time to choose what and when you will eat.
2. Open to Various Foods: You are willing to eat a range of foods, not just comfort foods.
3. Physical Cues: Your body’s obvious signals of hunger, such as your stomach growling, irritability, low energy, or feeling lightheaded.
4. Mindful Eating: You are more likely to be mindful of how much and what you eat when you are eating in response to physical hunger.
5. No Guilt After Eating: You do not feel guilty after eating in response to physical hunger.

Questions to ask yourself to help spot the difference between emotional and physical hunger in the moment:

 

1. Did the hunger come on gradually or suddenly? If it comes on gradually, it is physical hunger; if it comes on suddenly, it is emotional hunger.
2. Am I craving a specific food or am I hungry for any type of food? Specific food cravings signify emotional hunger; if any food sounds appealing, it is physical hunger.
3. Am I eating to fill an emotional void? If you are eating while feeling stressed, anxious, or lonely, you are trying to fill an emotional void.
4. How do I feel after eating? If you feel guilty after eating, it is triggered by emotional hunger; physical hunger will not cause you to feel guilty.
5. Am I eating mindfully or mindlessly? Mindless eating often occurs while watching TV or scrolling through your phone and is a red flag for emotional hunger.

Knowing the common signs of emotional and physical hunger will help you determine if you are truly hungry, select healthier foods, and prevent overeating. Asking yourself the questions above will help you distinguish between emotional and physical hunger and help you develop a healthier relationship with food.