Quick quiz for
you:
When was the last time you were actually hungry?
Not "bored and standing in front of the fridge" hungry...
Not "I saw someone eat on Instagram" hungry...
Not even "my coworker brought cookies" hungry...
I mean real, belly-rumbling, slightly-irritated-but-not-quite-hangry hunger.
If you're not sure... you're not alone.
After years
(decades?) of diets, snack schedules, and "never let yourself get hungry!" advice, most of us are a little disconnected from our hunger cues.
Some people fear hunger like it's a monster under the bed. They nibble all day just to avoid it.
Others have no idea what hunger feels like anymore... until they’re full.
Oops. (And I've been there numerous times).
But here's the deal...
Hunger isn’t a villain. It’s a built-in tool.
A helpful one, at
that.
Like your body's version of an app notification: "Hey, you should probably fuel up soon."
When you’re in tune with your hunger and fullness, you can make smarter choices like:
“Do I
need to eat right now, or am I just bored?”
“Can I stop here, or am I going for broke because dinner was just that good?”
Sometimes, you’ll stop when you’re 80% full. (Key word: sometimes)
Sometimes, you’ll still go back
for seconds and that’s okay, too. You’re human, not a robot.
Now, should you always eat based on hunger?
Nope.
There are plenty of legit reasons to eat even when you're not
hungry:
- You’ve got a 25-minute lunch break and that’s your only chance
- You’re traveling and want to avoid a jet-lag-fueled airport snacks binge
- You’re trying to gain muscle and your appetite hasn’t caught up
- You’re pregnant or on medication and your hunger signals ghosted you
- Or maybe you’re trying to re-train your body after years of “snack o’clock” every 45 minutes
And sometimes?...
You
eat because your mother-in-law made her famous pound cake and saying no would be very dangerous. (Wait a second... that might be just me). Anyway...
That’s called being socially intelligent. :)
Here’s the point:
Hunger
is a signal.
Not an emergency...
Not a moral failure...
And certainly not something to avoid at all costs.
Dare I say - it’s okay to feel a little
hungry.
It’s okay to stop before you’re full.
It’s okay to eat when you’re not hungry, too - just know why you’re doing it.
Like anything else in life, this stuff takes practice.
But tuning into hunger and fullness cues?
It’s one of the most underrated skills you can build if you want to lose fat, feel better, and eat like a sane person again.
So if your stomach growls today, don’t panic.
It’s not a meltdown.
It’s not your metabolism giving up.
It’s just your body saying, “Hey, I trust you. Feed me when it makes sense.”
You’ve got this.
Later tater,
Mikey