Do You Eat Out of Habit or Hunger?

As we are coming through the second half of January and realizing that they may need to think long-term about our eating plans, I pose this question that many people have difficulty answering: do you eat out of habit or hunger?

It could be both — but I would like to encourage thinking about this a bit.

First, why do we eat?

Eating is an essential function of life and something we do from birth to death. We eat because we must. We need food to survive and cannot exist for long without it.

How many meals a day is “right”?

And some people will suggest that eating one large meal a day is the “right” way, while others will insist that six small meals are best, and others will stick to the three meals. There is no one “right” way to eat — the number of meals and snacks one has is not a character judgment. Just differences among individuals.

Some people feel better if they eat several times a day at regular intervals, while others will go hours without eating.

But ask yourself this: are you eating out of hunger or habit?

What is hunger?

Hunger is the physiological response from the body that makes you want to eat. There are physical messages (through a series of hormones) your body is relaying that tell your brain that your stomach is empty. Hunger makes your stomach growl and gives you hunger pangs. Hunger makes some people feel lightheaded or grouchy. Some of us know this has hangry, an adjective that describes being irritable due to hunger.

Is this habit or hunger? And maybe convenience?

Now appetite is not the same as hunger. Appetite is a desire for a particular food, a psychological response to food. For example, we choose to get the burger on the drive home from the workout rather than the planned “healthy” meal at home. It says “yes” to dessert after you have finished a meal and are completely satisfied and no longer have hunger. If something sounds appetizing, the brain will override the message of “but we are not hungry” and say “yes.”

Many of us have hunger and appetite together, but they can also be separate. So, for example, you can have an appetite without hunger, leading to eating half a container of ice cream. Or the whole container — no judgment.

And many people have experienced hunger and no appetite, such as when you are sick, and your stomach and brain insist on being fed for the good of the person, but not one thing is appealing.

How does habit play into this?

Habit is an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary. It is something that we do without even thinking much about it.

Eating breakfast may be a habit you want to adopt. And, for some people, it takes effort to eat breakfast. Therefore, it is not a habit. However, some of us will not even think about the practice of making coffee every morning. Coffee is more likely a habit.

Observe and try not to judge.

I am not addressing “good” vs. “bad” habits here. A snack is a snack and may help you get through the afternoon. Or it may be something to have just before going to be. The question is whether eating at specific times is related to hunger or habit?

Are you going for snacks in the pantry at 8:00 pm after having a well-balanced and satiating dinner? Have a bowl of cereal before bed even though you ate just a couple of hours ago? Again, I ask: is this because you are hungry? Or is it a habit?

Are you going to the coffee shop mid-morning? What is the reason? Because you drove by it?

Do you have the candy bar or snack chips mid-afternoon? Habit? Or to help alleviate hunger that is just around the corner?

Asking this question is not to judge but more asking for self-awareness. You don’t need to change anything. Just observe.

Some people will find that they will eat less food when they choose hunger over habit?

Others will find that adding a habit can help keep hunger from overtaking emotions and keep the “hangry” away.

As you go through your days and eating episodes, ask yourself, “am I eating to satisfy hunger or because this is a habit?”

It could be both. And it may be just one.

Sometimes, when people recognize that the bowl of cereal or the ice cream is more habit than hunger, eating it may naturally decline after that acknowledgment.

A different version of this post-topic, in which I am the author, was originally published in September 2021 at https://www.shelleyrael.com/blog/hunger-or-habit