One of the most common complaints that I receive from those who are disconnected from their hunger and fullness is that they don’t even know what a hunger queue looks or feels like. This indeed can make it difficult to “eat according to your hunger”, which is a recommendation that is more and more common in the nutrition space, and rightfully so!

We are born with a body that naturally sends us hunger signals. Sometimes, however, what happens is that we, through dieting or other, tend to ignore these signals. The more we do, the less we are able to identify them, and that’s because we either don’t know what our hunger signals are anymore OR our body just stops sending them to us (why would it, we’re not listening anyway).

It’s also helpful to note that hunger queues may appear with varying intensity. Your early signs of hunger are more tolerable, whereas the ones that appear later (usually after you wait too long before eating), are more unpleasant, uncomfortable or even painful.

It’s also helpful to note that though the hunger queues listed below are common, not everyone feels all of them. Your hunger queues may therefore be different that someone else’s.

Here are some common and less common signals that could indicate you’re hungry:

1. Stomach grumbling

   This is an obvious one and is the most commonly known one. However, I wanted to mention it first because not everyone feels their stomach grumbling! Your body could’ve either lost that signal over time or just chooses to send you different queues instead.
   

2. Difficulty concentrating

   When your brain doesn’t get enough fuel, it finds it difficult to function. The only macronutrient your brain can metabolize in a healthy way is carbohydrates. So next time you feel difficulty concentrating, try having a snack that has 1 source of carbs and 1 source of protein.
   

3. Thinking of your next meal

   Crazy how the body works, right? Just thinking of your next meal or snack could mean that you’re in the beginning stages of hunger, depending on how intensely you’re thinking about it.
   

4. Randomly salivating

   When your brain thinks of food, or when it’s hungry, it starts salivating to prepare for the digestion process.
   

5. A remarkable dip in energy (physical or mental)

   When your body lacks calories (and therefore energy), it will start feeling like you’re losing mental and/or physical energy, manifesting in fatigue.
   

6. Emotional dysregulation

   This may manifest as different symptoms for different people. Some experience frustration or anger (hangry, anyone?), and others may experience it in the form of sadness, or simply not feeling like themselves.
   

7. Feeling cold, shivering or shaking

   This can be a sign you’re under-fueling.

Final thoughts and suggestion

Not everyone will feel every single one of these signals. The intention here is to get to know yourself and your body, and therefore your own hunger signals, and to honour them when they are moderate (instead of avoiding them and preventing binge eating later on). These 7 are among many other potential signals.

Try making a list of the hunger queues you feel, then place them in order of intensity or appearance (the one that appears early being first). Decide on a hunger queue you’d describe as moderate, and make sure to eat when you feel that one, to prevent waiting too long before eating.

If this is something you’re struggling with, it would be best to seek support from a Registered Dietitian. You can click here to schedule a FREE 15-minute discovery call (CANADA-WIDE except ON, AB, PEI) to see if we would be a right fit.

Hope this helped!

Maria Tanielian, RD/Dt.P

Registered Dietitian/Nutritionniste (OPDQ #7223, CDBC #2815, SDA #949)