You know the feeling. It claws at your belly, tugs at your intestines, and rumbles in your gut. The signs that tell us it’s time to indulge. There is no doubt about it. Being hungry generates a powerful sensation almost impossible to ignore.
However, although we may feel physically hungry, several studies show that it can persist even if our stomach is out of the picture. It begs the question: are we eating to live or living to eat? While we may be familiar with cravings, most of us are not always aware of why or what we’re hungry for.
After all, hunger is our body’s way of expressing a need. So, after you’ve reacted by gorging on your morning pancakes, suddenly fulfilling the opposing force of fullness, have you ever wondered why it feels ten times harder when undergoing a weight loss program?
“If you’re in a caloric deficit and your body is burning fat, you sometimes feel hungry,” shares the founders of BIOptimizers. “It’s inevitable, but it doesn’t have to become a nightmare.”
It’s essential to figure out our emotions to recognize the type of hunger you’re experiencing and make smart, safe eating decisions. So, to help others continue to conquer their health and well-being goals, business partners Wade Lightheart and Matt Gallant collectively wrote one of “the most unbiased nutrition books ever written.”
Entitled The Ultimate Nutrition Bible, this guide will help you create a sustainable dietary plan based on your unique needs, genetics, and goals. Most importantly, it provides tactics to conquer hunger and change eating habits.
To dive deeper into what these qualities and principles look like, co-authors Lightheart and Gallant share four types of hunger people should be aware of. After all, “the first step to managing hunger during your weight loss journey is to relearn what it feels like.”
1. Let’s Get Real – Physical Hunger
Simply put, this is your body’s way of saying, “I need calories” – a vital message derived from internal cues to maintain energy homeostasis and prevent starvation. This type of physical hunger is a sign you need to recharge your energy. You may feel tired, irritable, or have poor concentration.
You could even have moments of low blood sugar and feel weak, experience headaches, and more – all unhealthy indicators that it’s time to put more food down the hatch.
2. Let’s Get Specific – Nutritional Hunger
The second type of hunger is when your body craves specific nutrients. This could manifest as cravings for particular foods – a significant section further explained in The Ultimate Nutrition Bible. Research shows that each one plays a unique role in maintaining overall health, from macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals.
Your body’s hunger for specific nutrients indicates its need to replenish and maintain these essential compounds. Similar to the type above, symptoms are physical but are more specific to a particular food type. It’s possible even to overeat and still not feel satisfied or full.
3. Let’s Just Feel – Emotional Hunger
Since the pandemic, society has spent most of its days at home – working, studying, and communicating with the world around us. But we often think eating food will fix everything – associating it with happiness and comfort.
However, even though it lasts for a short time, the after-effects leave us feeling worse for binge-eating. Emotional eating is a common struggle for many people, and a complex mix of physical, emotional, and psychological factors often fuels it.
Instead of dealing with the deeper issue or, as a consequence of stress, a need for security, we turn to gain instant gratification to feel better. To soothe an emotion or increase neurochemicals – even if we aren’t famished. The difference between the first two types is that there are no physical signs of hunger – your mind plays on your emotions.
4. Cue The Food – Programmed Hunger
The final type of hunger that The Ultimate Nutrition Bible speaks of is when you get hungry in response to a cue. If you have trained your body to eat at a specific time, having healthy eating habits such as this can prevent overeating in the long run. However, it can become problematic when we subconsciously associate food with certain activities.
Like the one above, this type is heavily influenced by the mind. For example, do you find the need to eat while watching a movie or going to the cinema?
In the end, hunger is not created equal. If you feel hungrier than you should be or your inability to manage your needs is sabotaging your healthy eating goals, the first step is to figure out what type of hunger you are dealing with.
From here, with the help of The Ultimate Nutrition Bible – a renowned health and well-being read, prepare to put the correct strategies in place to ensure your goals are met. This science-backed guide prepares you to conquer calories, master hunger, and more.
As three-time bodyweight champion Wade Lightheart and Matt Gallant – a strength and conditioning coach for multiple pro athletes and high performers who experimented with various diets for years, they concluded that the specificity of determination was best.
By combining years of knowledge and health experience, the dynamic duo’s devoted wish is to provide the data, proven tactics, and hard-earned insights to help you healthily lose weight and keep it off for life.
For more information, grab a copy of Wade Lightheart and Matt Gallant’s book here: The Ultimate Nutrition System.
