Physical Hunger

The image above helps demonstrate the differences between to the two forms of hunger and by listening to our bodies we will be able to tell the two apart.

Physical Hunger

• Comes on gradually & can be postponed
• Can be satisfied with any type of food
• Once you're full you can stop eating
• Causes satisfaction, doesn't cause guilt

Emotional Hunger

• Comes on suddenly & feels urgent
• Causes specific craving, Pizza, chocolate, ice-cream etc
• Eat more than you normally would. Feel uncomfortably full
• Leaves you feeling guilty & cross with yourself

These are fantastic signs to look out for to help you clarify which type of hunger you are responding to. A really great tip is to only eat when we are physically hungry and register our self on the hunger scale between 3 and 7. Learn more about the hunger scale.

Paul McKenna in his book 'Hypnotic Gastric Band' has developed an visualisation exercise to help you re-tune you mind to recognise physical hunger:

1. Think of a time when you were really, really hungry - so hungry you felt faint and even a crust of stale bread would have tasted delicious. Remember that.
2. Now think of a time when you were absolutely stuffed - when you'd feasted and eaten so much you were in pain, even nauseous. remmember that.
3. Do this several times so you emphasize the difference between starving and stuffed.
4. OK, now relax. Those two feelings are the extremes. You never have to feel either of those awful feeling again. you never have o be hungry and you never need to feel that full.

A brilliant mindfulness exercise there from Paul McKenna, if you liked it I can only recommend you purchase his books 'Hypnotic Gastric Band' and 'I Can Make You Thin' because they are full of useful techniques and philosophies that will help you lose weight.

Kind regards
Mindful Mark