Practical Hunger

Hi everyone, it's Karen here, and I'd like to introduce you to the concept of practical hunger. This is when you’re not hungry in the moment, but need to eat in response to anticipated physical hunger at a time when food may not be available. It’s the eating equivalent of making yourself go to the bathroom before hopping in the car for a long road trip.

We can all recall a time when we went too long without eating and ended up feeling hungry, uncomfortable and maybe even hangry. Some folks might end up in this situation because they are intentionally restricting food intake, but most people probably experience this due to lack of awareness and planning.

Here are some examples of how practical hunger might come into play: 

• You are going into a meeting where you might not have access to food for the next 1-3 hours.
• You are feeling stressed, which has suppressed your hunger. 
• You have a job that only allows for specific meal times, even when you may not be physically hungry.
• After a strenuous workout, when you know your body needs fuel.
• When you are following a strict diet or eating regimen.

For various reasons, we have been trained to think it's only okay to eat when we feel physical hunger. We haven't been as well trained to think ahead, anticipate hunger and plan our eating accordingly. This is what practical hunger can help you do. If we honor practical hunger, we can avoid getting overly hungry, which usually leads to an unwanted cascade of events - overeating, feeling a loss of control, physical discomfort, and guilt. And who wouldn't want to avoid all that?