Hunger, Hormones & Psychology
Why you crave, why you snack, and how to work with, rather than against, your biology and emotions.
"The mind whispers, the body echoes."
The Three Faces of Hunger
- Physical Hunger: a gradual, gnawing emptiness that any balanced meal can satisfy.
- Emotional Hunger: a sudden, specific urge (usually for sugar, salt, or fat) tied to mood, stress, or habit.
- Environmental Hunger: cravings triggered by smells, screens, social events, or the simple sight of food.
The Hormones Running the Show
Ghrelin: The Starter
Rises with: An empty stomach, dieting, or lack of sleep.
Effect: Signals hunger to the brain. It's the "go" signal for eating.
Leptin: The Stopper
Rises with: Adequate fat stores and balanced sleep.
Effect: Signals fullness (satiety) to the brain. It's the "stop" signal.
Insulin: The Balancer
Rises with: After carb-rich meals.
Effect: Regulates blood sugar. Roller-coaster spikes can prompt cravings.
Cortisol: The Alarm Bell
Rises with: Stress and sleep debt.
Effect: Drives comfort-eating, especially for high-energy foods.
Poor sleep, chronic stress, and restrictive dieting tilt these hormones toward constant cravings.
Why Cravings Feel Psychological (They Are)
- Dopamine Loops: Novel or hyper-palatable foods light up reward pathways, teaching the brain: Do that again.
- Comfort Conditioning: Early memories of treats = fast relief, so the brain seeks that fix when emotions spike.
- Decision Fatigue: The more choices you fight all day, the weaker your "no" muscle becomes at night.
Hunger is felt in the stomach; cravings are remembered in the brain.
Tools to Tame the Trio
Pause & Name
When the urge hits, rate hunger 1-10 and name the feeling (stress, boredom, joy). Labeling emotion calms the amygdala which helps drop craving intensity.
Protein + Fibre Buffer
A meal anchored in protein and veggies blunts ghrelin and stabilises insulin for hours.
Stress-Down Shifts
Two-minute diaphragmatic breathing or a short walk lowers cortisol quickly, often dissolving the "need" to snack.
Bright-Line Boundaries
Simple rules reduce decision fatigue:
- "Dessert only if I've hit my protein goal."
- "Snacks live in one cupboard; I sit at the table to eat them."
What You Can Do This Week
This Week's Tiny Actions
Mon: Add 20g protein to breakfast to flatten mid-morning cravings.
Wed: 2-min box-breathing after work to lower cortisol before dinner.
Fri: Single "mindful treat" ritual to practice presence over binging.
Weekend: 10k steps split over both days to raise leptin sensitivity and improve mood.
Hunger Is Information, Not an Enemy
If you listen to hunger, it guides you to balance. If you fight it, it fights back, harder.
Treat cravings like waves: observe, breathe, ride, or step aside. The ocean calms sooner than you think.
Master Your Hunger Patterns
With Getter, you can:
- Track hunger levels alongside meals to identify patterns
- Log emotional triggers without judgment or shame
- Build awareness of environmental cues through reflection
- Develop mindful eating habits with gentle guidance
No complex calculations, just gentle awareness through intentional logging.
References
Next Chapter
Emotional Eating & Awareness Tools
How to respond instead of react. Tools, not rules.
Continue
Deljo Joseph
Founder of Getter. Marathoner who enjoys skateboarding, cooking, and building products. Specializing in evidence-based approaches to sustainable weight management. All recommendations are backed by established guidelines from the NHS, CDC, and peer-reviewed research.
