Is It True Hunger? Recognizing the 3 Types of Hunger

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More Episodes to Help:

• 🎙️ Mindful Munching: The Art of Intentional Eating
• 🎙️ Food Craving vs. True Hunger

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Read the Episode Transcript:

Is It True Hunger? Recognizing the 3 Types of Hunger

Hi there, and welcome to the Eating Habits for Life podcast! I have a question for you:

When you go to eat something during the day, are you actually hungry?

That’s exactly what we’re diving into today.

As a busy career woman (or just a busy person in general), you may not always notice your hunger signals. You might not even stop to ask yourself whether you’re truly hungry before you eat. This means you could be eating for reasons that have nothing to do with actual, physical hunger.

There are three types of “hunger” you need to know about before you can start recognizing whether you’re eating due to true hunger.

When you can distinguish between them, managing your weight (and even losing weight, if that’s your goal) becomes so much easier, without dieting or relying on willpower.

So let’s dive in. By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to identify these three types of hunger and start making more mindful choices every time you eat.

The Three Types of Hunger

1. True Hunger (Physical Hunger)

True hunger, also called physical hunger, is when your body actually needs fuel in the form of food. It’s best addressed with nutrient-dense foods like:
✅ Vegetables
✅ Fruits
✅ Whole grains
✅ Animal protein
✅ Plant-based proteins like beans and lentils
✅ Healthy fats like nuts, seeds, and avocados

A good rule of thumb: The closer a food is to its whole, natural form, the more nutrient-dense it tends to be. Processed foods (those altered chemically or mechanically), are usually less nutrient-dense.

How do you know if you’re experiencing physical hunger?
Everyone’s signals are slightly different, but common signs include:
🔹 A gradual empty feeling in your stomach
🔹 Stomach growling
🔹 Lightheadedness or even a slight headache
🔹 In some cases, mild nausea (I personally feel this when I’m very hungry, but it goes away as soon as I eat something)

If you’re experiencing these signals, your body is truly in need of food. But what about those times when you think you’re hungry but aren’t experiencing any of these physical cues? That’s where the other two types of hunger come in.

2. Emotional Hunger

Emotional hunger is an urge to eat that’s driven by emotions rather than physical need. You might feel the urge to eat when you’re:
😫 Stressed
😔 Sad
😰 Anxious
😐 Bored
😊 Celebrating

I used to stress eat and anxiety eat every afternoon at work and every evening at home. I truly thought I was hungry, but I didn’t realize emotional eating was a thing.

How can you tell if you’re experiencing emotional hunger?
🚫 It doesn’t come with the gradual hunger signals that physical hunger does.
🚫 It often happens in response to an emotion (even subtle ones).
🚫 You may notice a pattern… eating at the same time or in the same situations, even when you’re not physically hungry.

If you’re struggling to pinpoint emotional hunger, that’s something I can help with. In my coaching, I work one-on-one with clients to identify their unique triggers and create a personalized plan to break free from emotional eating.

3. Habit Hunger (Mindless Eating)

Habit hunger happens when eating becomes an automatic behavior, a habit rather than a response to true hunger.

For example, you might always grab a snack when:
🍿 Sitting down to watch your favorite TV show
📱 Scrolling on your phone
🧑‍💻 Working at your desk

Over time, your brain forms a link between the trigger (watching TV) and eating, even if you’re not physically hungry. Once this habit is reinforced enough times, it becomes automatic.

So when that trigger happens, you feel like you need to eat, even though your body doesn’t actually need food.

The good news? Habit hunger can be broken. As a Certified Habit Coach, I specialize in helping clients rewire these automatic behaviors in a way that feels natural and sustainable.

If you’ve struggled to stop mindless eating on your own, it’s not because you lack willpower. It’s just that you haven’t had the right strategy yet.

Quick Recap: The 3 Types of Hunger

1️⃣ Physical Hunger (True Hunger) – A real need for fuel, best satisfied with nutrient-dense foods.
2️⃣ Emotional Hunger (False Hunger) – Triggered by emotions, not a true need for food.
3️⃣ Habit Hunger (False Hunger) – Eating on autopilot due to learned associations.

Action Steps for This Week

Here’s what I want you to do over the next few days:
✅ Before you eat, check in with yourself. Are you experiencing physical hunger signals? Or is it emotional or habit-driven?
✅ Start noticing patterns and write them down. (Don’t just rely on memory…. you’re busy, and you’ll forget!)
✅ Give yourself grace. If you’ve struggled with emotional or habit hunger, it’s not your fault. The right strategies make all the difference.

Need Help with This? Let’s Chat!

If you’d like personalized support, I’d love to help! Book a free consultation using the link in the show notes (or the button on my website if you’re listening there).

We’ll chat about your eating habits, and I’ll give you a tailored plan to help you break these patterns, so you can feel in control of your eating and, if weight loss is a goal, make it happen without dieting or restriction.

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And stay tuned. Next Monday, the Mindset Shift episodes are making a return!