Physical vs head hunger - how to identify and respond to each type

Learning how to interpret your hunger signals is an important step in becoming more in tune with your body. But did you know there’s more than one type of hunger? For simplicity, we can broadly categorise these into:

●      Physical hunger

●      ‘Head’ hunger (also known as emotional hunger)

When you’re first becoming aware of these signals, sometimes it can be challenging to distinguish which is which, but there are a few key differences which can help you.

The first step is simply becoming more aware. Often our eating habits can be habitual or mindless and we may miss that little check in before we eat. So the first step is checking in and asking: am I feeling physically hungry right now?

What is physical hunger?

Physical hunger is true biological hunger. It’s your body telling you that it needs food. It’s often a physical sensation felt in the body, for example the feeling of an empty stomach, hunger pangs and if you’re very hungry sometimes mild pain or discomfort. In saying this, these physical sensations and a gurgling stomach don’t always indicate physical hunger after bariatric surgery so discuss this with your bariatric nutritionist or nurse if you’re not sure. Physical hunger can often come in waves, and when you’re truly hungry most foods would seem more appealing than usual (for example carrot sticks).

So a good little test is asking yourself: “would I eat a carrot right now?” If the answer is no, it’s probably not physical hunger.

What is ‘head’ hunger?

Head hunger, unlike physical hunger, is not driven by a physical need in the body, but rather by our emotions. There is an emotional driver behind the desire to eat.

How does head hunger differ from physical hunger?

●      Unlike physical hunger that may come and go in waves, head hunger can often feel quite persistent

●      It’s often associated with specific cravings, for example something sweet / something salty 

●      It can be circumstantial, for example when you get home from work / when you see your partner eating chocolate / after you put the kids to bed

●      It’s triggered by an emotional need

So after checking in and identifying what type of hunger you’re experiencing, how do you respond?

Responding to physical hunger

This one might seem a little obvious - your body is telling you it needs food so it’s a good idea to eat. First of all though, it can be helpful to do a little reflection on why you’re experiencing physical hunger. If it’s been 4-6 hours since your last meal, it makes perfect sense that you’d be feeling hungry again. But - if it’s been less than 4 hours since your last meal, this might be a sign that your last meal didn’t serve you so well. A common situation here is that it didn’t contain enough protein. Including fibre and a small amount of healthy fats is also important to help ensure that your meals keep you feeling fuller for longer.

If it’s appropriate to have your next meal, do so, otherwise it might be more sensible to top up protein through a drink or an approved protein snack. If you’re repeatedly experiencing physical hunger outside of meal times, get in touch with your bariatric nutritionist to review this for you.

Note also that dehydration can feel quite similar to physical hunger so it’s important to check in and ensure you’re well hydrated too.

Responding to head hunger

Responding to head hunger is entirely different to responding to physical hunger. In this case, the first thing we need to do is identify the emotional need behind the desire to eat. It can be helpful to ask yourself:

“If food is not needed to physically satisfy me right now, what is it providing me with?”

Sit with this question for a moment and observe the answers that come through. Identify how you’re feeling and what it is your brain is really looking for. It might be that you have really busy days and the evening after the kids are in bed is the only moment you get to yourself and you’ve learnt to associate food with relaxation. It might be that your afternoons at work are overwhelming and you’ve developed a habit of snacking on lollies to help get through the last few hours. In the case of head hunger - we have learnt to use food as a response to the emotional need.

Once we can identify the emotion, the next step is responding to this emotion with compassion, and a non-food solution. For example, in the evening when you feel the need to relax, de-stress and have a moment to yourself you might make yourself a herbal tea and read a good book. When you’re overwhelmed at work in the afternoon, you might go for a walk with your colleague rather than reaching for the lollies.

If you need more support with identifying or working through head hunger, it can be really helpful to seek guidance from your bariatric psychologist or nutritionist. Contact our team about options if you are beyond 2 years post op, or had bariatric surgery elsewhere.

Disclaimer: this blog post is intended for educational purposes only and does not replace individual medical advice. For more support please always seek the guidance of your relevant health practitioners.