plEASE dont laugh at my question =(

what does it mean when you are hungry? i mean, what does it FEEL like??

should you eat when your stomach growls?? or when you get that empty kinda burning feeling??

i know this is reallly really weird thing to ask, but i always feel guilty for eating because maybe im not really that hungry..

That's actually a really good question. I don't quite know how to answer it, because I know I'm guilty of eating even when I'm not hungry enough. I just thought I'd let you know that's a perfectly intelligent question ... I'm interested in the answer as well now, lol :)

Believe it or not, there is actually a bit of information in Wikipedia on this. I'm not sure if it fully answers your question (= definitely not stupid), though... :)

Not really sure what the answer to your question is but, I can understand why you ask - definitely not a stupid question. I have trouble distinguishing between real physical hunger and emotional hunger - they both have that I need to eat feeling.

One good quote to ponder is "Eat to live, not Live to Eat!"  Also most people mistake hunger for thirst/dehydration. Next time you "think" you might be hungry try drinking like 2 big glasses of water.  Then in 15 minutes see if you still feel hungry, then go ahead and eat.

I have a statement in my groups that I would like to share with you....The only stupid question is one that never gets ask.  I too am interested in that answer simply because I have times when I have just eaten and still think I am hungry.  Then there are times that I do not eat all day and never ever feel hungry.  I did get some advice from my doctor today...Just before I begin to eat I need to drink 8 ounces of water, eat my dinner, wait 20 minutes before I eat a second helping, and then if I still feel "hungry" then have 1/4 of what you think you want.  Had I known about your question, I would have ask him what that truly means.......I am gonna try his idea added to the things that I am already doing...Best of luck with the answer, I am interested in hearing myself....

KarmanKaye

 

It varies on the length of time between meals, or snacks.

 

If it's been more than 8hours, and you're used to eating every 4, it could be yes, like grumbling, or what feels like liquid sloshing in your stomach[which is acid, i believe].

 

However, if you're still used to eating every 4, and then you don't eat for 12, it  could be light headed, weakness, or even spacing out.

The key is to distinguish emotional and physical hunger.  The way I personally distinguish it is by asking when the last time I ate was, if I was suffiecently full after I ate that  meal, and by calculating how long til I eat again next.

 A lot of "hunger" is mere boredom.  So, if you get hungry, try doing somethin to keep busy, but if you're still hungry, eat a light snack!  Maybe some yogurt, or a few cheese cubes[if you aren't concerned about fat content], or even some granola is really good to keep around!

Not a stupid question at all-I would love to know the answer as I ask myself that question a number of times throughout the day...

very good question, actually.
I have noticed that several times, not too long after a decent meal, my stomach will do 'mini-growls'.  I'm not sure what this is...digestion noises, gas, or truly hungry?  Usually I just drink some water, or maybe have a light snack. 

I also wonder if it is my internal cookie monster wanting a nightly feeding.

Before I changed my diet, I thought I was hungry all the time. What I thought was hunger was really just my eating habit vying for my attention. Once I gave up junk foods I felt what actual hunger is; a little gnawing grrr in the pit of my stomach. If I'm still not sure, I get up and do something else. If it's not actually hunger, the feeling goes away pretty quickly.

This is a very probative question - not silly at all!! 

I was glad to see absterry's answer - I read a report on that some years ago, that people tend to be dehydrated and don't realize it, and that feeling is frequently misinterpreted as hunger.

I have to wonder if "hunger feelings" vary from person to person.  I rarely get the "growly stomach", mine tends to be sort of a spacey feeling, or getting light-headed when I stand or move (as if I stood up too fast, even when I know I didn't.)

I agree - no stupid questions! I, too, have a hard time telling when I'm really hungry - because I've been eating for every other reason and way past the point of satisfaction for so long.

The strategies your doctor gave were helpful - thanks for sharing - I'll try the water & waiting 20 minutes ... eating too fast is another thing I need to work on :)

 

I just learned that often we confuse thirst for hunger.  Are you drinking a lot of water?

You'll notice that when you start drinking more water you'll feel less hungry.  Try drinking REDICULOUS amounts, see if it helps. I go for 6 12oz glasses a day.

My "very" hungry feeling is that burning feeling you mentioned.  Somewhat painful.

However my "hungry" feeling is the growling stomach thing.  I'm not prone towards emotional eating and it's easier (I think) for me to tell the difference than it may be for others.

Hmmm what's in the fridge, let's go look, nothing looks good = boredom unless accompanied by hunger pains.  What's in the fridge, everything looks good = hunger unless you ate in the last hour or so.  It may be more the absence of that slightly full tummy that most people recognize as hunger.

Usually when I'm starting to feel hungry, I'm looking around for something to eat, checking out the lunch I brought to work, etc.  My stomach may or may not feel empty.  Empty is more of a, hey let's put something in from around the naval.  If I've been distracted and forgotten to eat, then sometimes it's more of a gnawing pain...not actually painful per se, but a sharper reminder.  Sometimes I won't be hungry but know I need to eat so that I don't get hungry in the middle of an activity.  There I just eat something light so that I don't get light headed and have to step out of my activity.

Hope this helps.

Good question. I never get hungry (and don't eat that much), but still over weight.

 I've been told, and belive this, that us humans are biologically wired to "graze" (like cows do), so we "should eat", little small meals every 2-3 hours.

I can literally forget to eat if I'm really busy.......