Ever been to a buffet where you’ve filled your plate again and again? Ever notice that you can be bored or feel ‘full’ after eating a meal and then suddenly feel ‘hungry’ when dessert is brought out? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ – and who wouldn’t – then you’ve experienced firsthand the difference between hunger and a craving.
What’s the difference between hunger and a craving?
Physiological hunger generally comes on slowly, and typically is accompanied by physical symptoms such as a grumbling stomach, feeling a little unfocused, lowered concentration and/or dizziness as a result of low blood sugar. This is your body’s way of telling you it needs fuel: you need to eat. With true hunger, you’d be more likely to eat something without too much regard to what it is, assuming you liked the food. If you were hungry, you wouldn’t turn down an apple if a friend offered it to you.
Cravings, on the other hand, are different than hunger in that they are more directed to a specific food, taste, or texture such as “I feel like something crunchy,ˮ or “I’m in the mood for something savory.ˮ In the example above, if you were experiencing a craving, you’d turn down the apple in favor of something else.
Cravings push you to eat even when your body doesn’t need more fuel (food energy). If you are feeling ‘hungry’ one or two hours after eating, then you’re probably experiencing a craving. Cravings result in more radical behavior, and the motivation to follow the sensation is stronger. Have you ever gone out of your way for some specific food or restaurant?
Is it a craving or is it hunger?
If you’re thinking about eating, ask yourself “am I really hungry?ˮ If it’s been 3-4 hours since the last time you ate, then it’s likely you’re hungry; otherwise you’re probably having an emotionally based craving. Ask yourself why? Is it because you’re bored, lonely, or anxious? If this is the case, you need to find out why you’re feeling that way, and then do something that doesn’t involve food to meet that need.
Quick! Distract me
There are different ideas on how best to deal with cravings. Researchers believe that the life of a craving is about 10, to at the most, 20 minutes – meaning that if you can wait it out, it will pass. Many times the craving passes only temporarily, and may return, leaving you to deal with it all over again. It’s best to wait it out with some kind of distraction – answer some emails, pick up that book you’ve started to read, go to your bedroom and lie down for a few minutes, phone a friend, do the laundry, clean the kitchen sink, get back to your hobbies, or better yet, go for a quick walk. You get the idea. There are countless ways to change your focus away from food. Studies also suggest that we often mistake thirst for hunger, so try drinking a big glass of water and wait to see if the craving passes.
Plan to prevent cravings
As the saying goes, people don’t plan to fail, but they fail to plan. Building room for ‘treats’ can help you avoid cravings, or at least help to prevent them from getting out of control. Denying yourself completely is never a good idea, as extremes tend to lead to extremes, and this may result in binging or overeating. Having a reasonable portion of a favorite food a couple of times per week will go a long way in helping to prevent cravings from getting the best of you.
Remember that there is room for all sorts of different foods as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Click here to learn more about healthy eating.
When I get a craving or when my husband orders dessert I will take a small amount on the tip of a spoon and hold it in my mouth until it dissolves. The flavour goes through my whole mouth and I don’t eat enough to do harm to my own menu options. Banana Split last weekend – had a taste of each flavour and finished my green tea. Was great.
This has been an great area of struggle usually in the evening. I will begin to “distract” myself as suggested and see how that works. 🙂
I’ve read it that we’re actually allergic to foods we crave. As I age, I’m 70 years old now, I’ve become sensitive, or even allergic, to more and more food products or food additives. In fact, many of the foods I once craved, I now can’t eat because they cause me to suffer from a Burning Mouth Syndrome (the interior of my mouth felt as though I had recently drank a scalding hot beverage).
I use fruit and nuts to snack on .Have not bought biscuits or eaten cakes or chocolate for quite a while.I avoid temptation but when we go out and my husband has dessert I have a tiny taste of his.This doesn’t happen often.I also drink a glass of water before each meal and a glass when I drink coffee.This extra water sure makes me per more at night though.
Found this really helpful, as I have had one of those days today. Am trying to drink loads more water, to cut down on these types of cravings
Subtitute w fruit.
I know that when I get home from work I am dehydrated . don’t have time to drink enough ! ( nurse ) . and I seem to be very hungry . this is very possibly a need for fluids rather than food ! I have by that time gone about 5 hours with no food . so just want to eat eat and eat anything when I get home ! maybe I need to take extra fruit for snacks ? and of course more water than I already drink .
Try adding something to your life other than staying up late & being bored! Add a hobby or read or prepare your healthy food for the next day! At very least, get in the habit of getting on a good sleeping schedule. Why would you want to continue doing a habit that you are bored with! Motivate yourself to find something that makes you feel happy, growing & satisfied!
I am going to need help with the cravings. Late at night watching TV board with commercials.
Gd 1.
I believe in water. I take a 8 oz. glass of water whether it is hunger or cravings and then try to wait until it should be time for my next meal. The water usually takes care of the rumbling stomach part and helps me stay within my weight loss goals. But when I lose some weight, now that’s when I give myself a treat.
@rocks – goal setting is important and keeping goals at the forefront is key; as the saying goes ‘keep your eye on the prize’ !
Hi – I’ve never heard that pickled onions could get rid of a chocolate craving. Perhaps the taste of the pickled onion is so different that it ‘distracts’ the mind somehow? Have you tried it? If it helps, I’d say use it once in awhile if chocolate is a challenge. But also consider having small amounts of a good quality chocolate to get both the enjoyment from eating it and to help prevent any sense of deprivation.
Do the pickled onions really work to stop the urge for chocolate?
Eating a couple of pickled onions is supposed to get rid of chocolate cravings!!
What helps me the most is that when i want an extra snack or something, i think about my weight, my goals, and is there a healthier substitute