What are the 7 types of hunger?

Anorexia steals a lot of things from us including our ability to recognise our own hunger signals. During recovery these signals can come back fairly quickly and ferociously for some, and for others it might take some time. Either way we need to prepare for it to be there as a normal functioning part of our bodies and not to fear or fight it like we once would have.

In order to begin to listen to and nourish our bodies we need to re-evaluate our perspective on hunger and weight. We need to change our thought processes from;

Eating Disorder brain; Weight gain = NO

to

Recovered brain;  Weight gain = normal and essential. 

Like most things in recovery from anorexia this is not easy and will take months, possibly years, of practice before we are fully comfortable with how our bodies respond to natural cues. In recovery our thought processes flip flop and end up looking like this most of the time;

Recovery Brain; Somewhere in-between / What the hell is going on? / Stop the world I want to get off / Oh this isn’t so bad (etc.)

It’s normal to feel hungry and to act on it. After all that’s what the hunger signals are there for in the first place. Just like emotions they are there to tell us that something is going on and we need to acknowledge and act on least we end up damaging ourselves further. It’s rational enough but reading this in my current state of recovery I can’t understand how I will ever get back to a place of normality.

But I will and you will too.

When the feeling of hunger first reappeared in my life I panicked and my anxiety level, which was already quite high, went through the roof. It had been so long since I had actually felt hungry that I felt physically sick because my body needed me to respond NOW! Even when I did eat I was still hungry. In fact I am pretty sure that I could have eaten a 5 course meal and I would have still be starving.

From reading online, consulting my therapist and digging into various textbooks I now know this is perfectly normal when things begin to work again, but it’s how I respond to and control the impulse to satisfy or suppress it that matters.

Hunger & Fullness;

Hunger is our friend, not our enemy, and it’s primary function is to tell us that we are running low on energy so that we can respond accordingly to prevent complete malfunction. Essentially it’s like our fuel gauge; Once that fuel runs low we need to get something into the tank before it runs out completely and we are left stranded on the motor way waiting for help.

In recovery we need the right amount of energy and nutrients in order to correctly nourish our bodies and help it to rebuild it’s organs, muscles, cognitive function and overall strength so that we can better handle the stressors of every day life. But when you feel full on the smallest amounts of food it can be hard to nourish our bodies correctly. This is especially true at the beginning of recovery and is, in my opinion, one of the hardest aspects to get your head around.

Fullness and hunger is so entangled with our emotions and stressors that we are sometimes unable to determine how both these actually make us feel.

In anorexia we often deny ourselves when we feel hungry as a sense of ‘control’ and to gain some sort of satisfaction. When we actually do eat and feel full this is met with disapproval and, as a result, punishment. That could be purging, over exercising, self harm etc. Our vision in regards to hunger and fullness becomes so warped that we lose all ability to interpret our own bodies.

Think of it as scolding an animal or a child for something. You scold them often enough and they’ll learn to stop doing what it is causing the scolding (except cats, they are love-able assholes who don’t give a shit about your tone of voice).

After starving ourselves for a long time we have a lack of trust in our own bodies. We have bet them down  and punished them for doing exactly what they are built for so long that we are afraid that once we start fueling up, we won’t be able to stop. Will we lose control and eat until we are ashamed and sick? Will we ever stop eating? Will our eating disorder go from one extreme to the other?

The truth is that your body is amazing. It has this uncanny ability to remember just how things used to be. This is called muscle memory meaning that once we start to eat regularly again our body will remember what it’s meant to do in regards to fullness and hunger and will be able to pick up where it left off (essentially). It’s actually surprising how soon this happens in recovery if you are consistent with your intake.

The 7 types of hunger;

Let’s be honest we are going to have people in our lives that will try to make us eat all the time because that’s how they think you are meant to solve anorexia. Irish Grandmothers are a prime example and I often refer to my beloved grandparents  ‘food pushers’. You just can’t walk into either of their homes and not get several cups of tea, 50 biscuits and slices of cake.

Don’t be afraid to say NO. If you are well aware that you have reached satisfied levels and that any further will cause you to feel painfully full and, possibly, relapsing into old habits in order to deal with it, then NO is your friend. Although they may be upset, even angry, you need to let them know that you are recovering, your stomach will need time to adjust to normal eating and that they need to respect that.

You must also be mindful of when, what and how much you eat a the type of hunger you are experiencing.

Nose hunger – This is the feeling when you pass a bakery, smell the bread and suddenly crave a bagel. You weren’t even hungry but the smell is so powerful it makes you think so. 

Eye hunger – Triggered by visual appearance of food. Leads us to eat even if we feel full to bursting. Ever hear the phrase ‘Your eyes are bigger than your belly?’ Yeah well this is where that comes from. 

Mouth hunger – Triggered when our palate is looking for a particular taste, flavour or texture. It can drive someone to keep eating even if they have already over eaten in search for what they are craving. In some cases people might even crave non-food items. This is know as Pica and is also classified as an eating disorder. 

Mind hunger – Prompted by thoughts. For example someone who is anxious about foods containing fat or sugar will avoid them. What you perceive or think about certain foods will lead you to restrict, avoid or consume then based on a belief.

Heart hunger – Emotional over eating or restriction to numb the feelings, like is practiced in anorexia. This is in response to things which are affecting us emotionally. 

The final two types of hunger are directly related to a lack of food;

Stomach hunger – Signals that the body needs to refuel. This doesn’t pass easily and can lead to dizziness not dealt with . At this stage there are no cravings, the goal is just to eat something!

Cellular hunger – Triggered by entire body when specific nutrients are needed. Eg. – sluggish? Carbs are needed. Bloated? Fiber is needed. Headaches? You need more water and less sugar and salt.

♥♦♥

Feeling any type of hunger isn’t wrong and shouldn’t be feared. Your body will take time to adjust to changes in recovery and our signals could come back instantly, or months down the line. 

Because we have restricted for so long it is important that we are aware of our limits. Our stomachs are small and we won’t be able to manage large 5 course meals from day one (not that we would want to, lets me honest), so be careful. Remember to stay mindful of the feeling of fullness. You should feel like your satisfied but not painfully full.

Your body needs to adjust to eating normally again and at first this might mean sticking to smaller portions before gradually working your way up to regular sized meals. Discomfort is normal at first and will pass. 

Like all aspects of recovery from anything you must have patience with yourself, you must practice every day (yes, even eating) and you must be kind.