Head Hunger

Head Hunger

Shira Savit

Iknow I ate enough, but I keep feeling I need more…. There is something telling me I need those cookies, and I won’t be satisfied until I have them! Many women struggle with unwanted eating patterns, eating mindlessly or consuming larger quantities than they would like to.

While there are many reasons that contribute to overeating/emotional eating, one element is triggered by “head hunger.” Think of head hunger like a little voice that tells us we need food, even though our body isn’t physically hungry right now.

Head hunger, as the term suggests, originates from our head, as opposed to our body. It might sound something like this: These Mike and Ikes will give me energy; I already ruined my diet so I might as well eat more now; I need to taste this cake batter to see if it came out good; it would be a shame to waste this food; I had such a hard day — I deserve a treat; I don’t want to insult my husband who bought this for me, so I will eat it; I ate lunch soooo long ago, of course I need to have a snack now; these chips will help me get my work done.

Head hunger can be tricky. It can make it harder for us to pay attention to our natural cues of hunger and fullness, and we may confuse the head hunger for physical hunger. To differentiate between physical hunger and real hunger, think of it like this: Physical hunger tells us we need to eat; head hunger tells us we want to eat. Physical hunger manifests in the body (below the neck) as opposed to our head (above the neck). Physical hunger presents with clear indications (think: hunger pangs, empty stomach, stomach rumbling), but women may not notice these signals because they have ignored them, are scared of them, don’t trust them, or are disconnected from their body.