As we are coming up to the last week of the “Give-Back Diet” program, not that a healthy diet, maintaining weight loss and staying thinner ever ends), I want to focus on the true meaning of hunger.

At several points in my life, and in my efforts to lose weight and keep it off, it was important to me to understand the truth of hunger.  The dictionaries define it in several ways: ranging from a need for food, a desire for specific nutrients, uncomfortable physical sensations, weakness, dizziness, or a weakened condition due to prolonged lack of nourishment.  It is an old word, likely from before the 12th century, and Middle English “hungor,” or Lithuanian “kanka” which means torture.  (From Merriam-Webster Online).

Note that hunger is defined as a physical condition.  There are real physiological sensations that are connected to hunger: need for nutrients, weakness, dizziness, and even headache.  A feeling of an empty stomach is a sign.  This is different from an emotional or mental condition, such as a desire, a feeling, time or scheduled eating, and especially habit.  A habit is something that is not physical, per se.  It is something that is part of a routine, or a thought, or something that is comfortable or regular.

Shocking to me that I never, ever knew what hunger meant or felt like when I was obese.  I had to learn it much later in life.

It can be very helpful to you if you can repeatedly differentiate between hunger and habit, physical need versus psychological ideas, from now on.

TODAY’S ACTION PLAN:

— The next time you feel a desire, craving or a “hunger,” ask yourself if this is really, truly hunger, or simply a thought.  Is this “hunger” or “habit?”  Use the descriptions above as a guide to understand yourself and be truly mindful.

— If it is hunger, then feed yourself according to the food plan you have worked-out for yourself.  Try to really get in tune with your physical needs, and your body.  Ask yourself what is it that you are hungry for?  Is it a particular food, or type of food?  Are you thirsty?  Tired?

— If it is not hunger, but a thought, also ask yourself what you truly need:  am I lonely, tired, feeling blue, happy, peaceful, angry, agitated, frustrated?  What would satisfy that habit or emotional/psychological need right now?  A nap?  A hug?  Someone to talk with, or to listen?

— I hope you are keeping a “Give-Back Diet” journal (if not, start it up! New or a continuation).  I am sure you will find it helpful to make a note of what you have learned about yourself, and your positive decisions and helpful actions.

— It might be helpful to GIVE-BACK by visiting or volunteering at a hunger-relief program.  Perhaps a visit to a soup kitchen, community pantry or church hunger program would open your eyes to what real hunger is.  Instead of having those habit snacks, or overeating – give them back to someone who is really hungry and in much more need than you.  Even better, bring the kids with you.  Teach them about real hunger, too.

—  Consider donating the money you saved by not overeating to a hunger relief charity.  Here are a few I am aware of, but I don’t endorse any in particular.
 
    Action Against Hunger   www.actionagainsthunger.org
    Feed America.  www.feedingamerica.org
    United Nations World Food Programme.  www.wfp.org
    Family Care Foundation.  www.familycarefoundation.org
    Care. http://www.care.org
    Children’s Hunger Relief Fund.  www.chrf.org

If you are new to this column, and new to the Give-Back Diet, welcome!  Please take a look at the whole program here.

We would love your ideas, too, on hunger.  Please post!  Tell you friend about this program and daily blog, too, please.