I’m not saying I’m predictable, but most days somewhere around 11am you’ll hear me muttering at my desk about the fact that I’m starving. It’s a word so baked into the flippant fabric of first world language that it’s accepted for use in the ‘I’m a bit peckish and could definitely eat something’ situation but you know when I really think about it, I’m not sure there are many times in my life when I’ve even crossed the line from peckish to hungry.
My 11am declaration is usually more accurately interpreted as it’s at least two hours since I’ve chewed something so just in case there’s a hunger pang formulating somewhere, I’d better take action now in order to avert disaster. As I sit here in my kitchen typing this, thinking about my desk in the office at work I can even visualise my emergency stash – a box of teabags, a plastic box with crackers in it, some salad cream, some mayo, some Aromat, half a punnet of grapes and a tin of almonds. I’m not sure I could tell you from memory where my hole punch is, but if you needed a cracker quickly I could definitely deliver.
It’s almost like I’m scared to find myself in a situation where I don’t have ready access to food. Given that I work in an environment where two sandwich vans visit daily, there’s a fully stocked shop just around the corner, a vending machine down the corridor and a trading team upstairs who have a never ending stream of samples available, in the unlikely event that a hunger pang did manage to make it through, it wouldn’t exactly be the end of life as I know it.
Which begs the question, why am I so reluctant to allow myself to feel hungry? That’s surely the cue which most normal people look out for when they’re deciding whether to eat or not. And it’s not like we’re up against the clock as soon as a hunger pang strikes…you know, like you have thirty seconds to eat something or you’ll implode and the world will stop spinning. Hunger pangs aren’t painful, not unless we’re talking the kind of belly hunger that most of won’t ever experience.
I’m not sure that feeling hungry has ever been the number one reason why I eat. If I had to call out the number one reason I’d be hard pushed to decide between habit, and boredom. I think habit might have it by a nose…the first thing I think about when I get in from work for example, is what’s for supper. And often in the past if I’ve grazed my way through the afternoon I’ve probably not even been hungry at that point…but I do associate walking through the door with preparing and eating food.
So, prepare it, but leave it until I’m hungry then..? No, epic fail on that front too…if it’s there and ready to be eaten, I’ll eat it. Where food is there, whether I’m hungry or not, I’ll eat. Even now, when I’m in the sweet spot and my resolve to stay within budget is stronger than I can ever remember, I’ll eat. Those occasional catered lunches at work..? I’m still going in for the kill whether I’m hungry or not. It’s there, it’s got my name all over it, and I’m in there with my plate as though my life depends on it.
So…that’s head hunger rather than belly hunger, right…? I’m sensing work to do, in understanding the difference 🙂
Hi Dee
Another really insightful commentary – many thanks, it’s all so very useful.
From experience, it’s excluding refined sugar that stops the desire for high fat and sugar foods. I think of it as addictive as smoking or alcohol (to someone who is predisposed to addictive behaviours). To cut out ALL sugar is pretty unrealistic if we mean cutting out fructose, lactose and the sugar found in root vegetables such as parsnips, carrots, etc. But completely eliminating or at least drastically reducing the amount of sucrose found in refined sugar products is possible (jolly hard to start with but hitting the sweet spot makes it a darn sight more comfortable!).
Once a couple of days have passed sans sucrose, the body just seems to crave it less.
Toffin
x
Yes I’m reading more and more about the idea of cutting out refined sugar…I’m toying with the idea but I haven’t really decided yet one way or the other. I’m not in full binge mode at the moment so there’s no burning platform. But so many people are advocating that as a good choice I’m interested to explore the options 🙂
Back in my 20s when I was only a little overweight (like 10kg/22lbs) I went to see a counsellor once about my need to have food stashed everywhere “just in case”. My desk drawer, the work fridge, my handbag, the car glove compartment, and of course at home. I had never in my life been in want of food, no obvious reason why I would feel the need to hoard it. I only saw the counsellor once so we never really got to the bottom of it, but I think we agreed that it had little to do with the actual food. Maybe trying to fill the void of loneliness? I’m much better now, just a little something in my handbag, but I still think about food a lot.
And how lovely would it be if we had all the answers..? I bet everyone’s truth or reason is a little different, since we’re all unique. But it seems to be something a lot of us do! D x
This might be where the ancient practice of fasting would help — it taught me that being hungry for a bit isn’t the end of the world.
As for why we are always guarding against hunger, my theory has to do with the fact that hunger is what makes babies cry, and being fed makes everything better, and that gets so ingrained into some of us in our subconscious that we have to do anything and everything at all times to keep from ever feeling that sensation again. No, i have no scientific evidence for that, but it does make sense to me.
It seems logical doesn’t it…in my opinion, those of us who live it every day are eminently more qualified to theorise about it than all those academics put together 🙂
For me, it’s sugar that’s my weakness. I want carbs with sugar. Cake, pie, cookies, ice cream. Even my Greek Yogurt has some sugar in it and satisfies my mid-morning carb mongering.
I just ate “brunch”, which was a protein shake with a banana and some peanut butter mixed in and I swear I’m hungry. No possible way I’m hungry, but there wasn’t much sugar and I think my body is saying, “Hey, what happened to your yogurt with granola?”
I bring a morning and afternoon snack with me to work every day and it helps me to stave off the munchies later. I also have to plan dinner so I don’t get stuck with, “I’m really hungry and there’s nothing to eat, so let’s eat crap.” I do think a lot has to do with blood sugar levels. I don’t eat as much sugar now as I did, but it’s still higher than it should be and I do still get those dips, which make me think I’m hungry. I have found that peanut butter and almonds help to stabilize my hunger and blood sugar. Even though they are high in calories, they tend to keep me level longer than a different snack with same caloric value.
This past week was terrible for me nutritionally. With our Thanksgiving this week, it was an excuse to eat way too much at once and eat all of the wrong foods. Apple pie, pumpkin pie…just gross.
Yes I find almonds helpful but they are so more-ish! I’m thinking more and more about cutting out refined sugar but I need to do lots of reading around the subject first. My colleague is really good at spotting a sugar dip…me, not so much so!
I get it with the “moreish”, but I measure out a serving size and leave the rest at home!!! So I have one serving of almonds at my fingertips, not two!!
I am the same way! I have a horrible fear of not being prepared for hunger! Part of this is because my blood sugar used to drop because of terrible eating habits. I would eat sugary carby garbage, it would spike, then drop in a few hours, leaving me shaky and feeling like I couldn’t string two thoughts together coherently. Once I crashed so bad I thought I was having a stroke, due to a donut for breakfast followed by several hours of not eating. So it is ingrained in me to eat every few hours, hungry or not, and to go always carry a few protein bars and a baggie of almonds in my purse (which sometimes taste like the chewing gum in my purse). Thank you for your blog, and for your honesty. I LOVE reading it, and can always relate.
Della
Hi Della…lovely to hear from you. It’s funny isn’t it that we would be afraid to feel hungry, even when it’s not so much a sugar crash. It’s definitely something I need to work on! I’m happy you enjoy the blog, and thanks for your support as always 🙂
So true – and one of the big things people talk about during a diet is their hunger level – I wasn’t even hungry today! Or “I’m being mindful of cues to hunger”
Amazing – but also true that if I let myself get really hungry I’m going to overeat – such a delicate balance.
And truth be told when I want to eat I want to eat till I’m stuffed, not just till the hunger goes – such a complex thing between belly and brain – sigh.
Yes to all of the above Cherie…especially the eating ’till I’m stuffed bit, that broken full filter is one of my biggest challenges!