How to Recognize

Emotional vs. Physical

Hunger

Quick Hunger

• Emotional hunger comes on unexpectedly.

• It hits you in an immediate and feels

overwhelming and urgent.

• Physical hunger, most of the cases comes

on more slowly. The urge to eat doesn’t

feel as terrible or demand instantaneous

satisfaction unless you haven’t eaten for a

very long time.

Comfort Foods

• Emotional hunger craves precise comfort

foods.

• When you’re actually hungry, nearly

everything sounds good including healthy

stuff like vegetables. But emotional hunger

craves fast foods or sugary snacks that

provide an instantaneous rush. You feel to

eat cheesecake or pizza, and not anything

else will do.

Mindless Eating.

• Emotional hunger often leads to gratuitous

eating.

• Before you know it, you’ve eaten a full

packet of chips or an complete pint of ice

cream without actually paying attention or

fully enjoying it. When you’re eating in

response to physical hunger, you’re

normally more conscious of what you’re

doing.

Unsatisfied Hunger

• Emotional hunger isn’t satisfied once

you’re full.

• You always keep wanting more and more,

often eating until you’re uncomfortably

stuffed. Physical hunger, on the other

hand, doesn't need to be stuffed. You feel

pleased when your stomach is full.

Guilt or Shame

• Emotional hunger often leads to regret,

guilt, or shame.

• When you eat to satisfy physical hunger,

you’re unlikely to feel guilty or ashamed.

• Because you’re just giving your body what

it desires. You will feel guilty after you eat,

it's probable because you know deep

down that you’re not eating for nutritional

reasons.