How to Tell if You're Really Hungry or Just Bored

While eating three balanced meals daily is important, most people tend to eat based on what time it is rather than what their body needs. Because of this, most people eat because it’s time for lunch or because they are bored – not necessarily because their body needs nutrition. 


This can lead to eating from stress or boredom without even realizing it. This can also lead to overeating as a result. This article will teach you the difference between being bored and hungry so that you only eat when your body needs nutrition and nothing else.



What Is Real Hunger?

One of the most common mistakes people make is confusing hunger with boredom. To tell the difference, it’s essential to identify what real hunger feels like.


 Hunger should cause a feeling of emptiness in your stomach that needs to be filled with food. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re starving, but your body needs nourishment, and there isn’t any food available to consume. 


The feeling of hunger can also be accompanied by nausea or pain in your stomach. The best way to tell if you’re really hungry is by keeping track of how many hours have passed since you last ate or drank something. 


If it’s been less than three hours since your last meal, chances are you’re not actually hungry and just bored. But if it’s been more than three hours, the odds are good that you’re hungry and need to eat something nutritious!

What is Boredom Hunger

When we are bored, our body will send out hunger hormones like ghrelin to signal that we need food so that it can release dopamine. However, boredom hunger is not the same as true hunger. 


It’s often much more challenging to recognize if you’re just bored or hungry because the feeling of being hungry and bored are similar. You may feel down or drained before you feel any signs of needing food.


If you think that you have been eating lately because you were bored and not hungry, try to look for other symptoms in your body when you are experiencing those feelings. If these other symptoms- such as feeling agitated or restless- show up, then it’s likely not true hunger but boredom.

How to Tell If You’re Really Hungry

There are many ways you can tell if you’re really hungry or just bored. One of the easiest ways to tell is by asking yourself a few questions: - Are your stomach growling? - Do you have a strong craving for something in particular? - Is there a specific food that isn’t satisfying your hunger or taste buds? These are all signs that you may be hungry. You should eat when these signs occur and stop when they subside. -Do you have an aversion to food in general? -Do you feel lightheaded or dizzy? If so, then it could be boredom rather than hunger. If this is the case, take a break and go do something else before eating.

3 Tips to Help You Identify Real vs. Boredom Hunger

The first step to identifying if you’re hungry or bored is to ask yourself why you want to eat. Are you feeling stressed? Do you have a habit of eating when you feel bored? If so, then this may be a sign that your body needs nutrition and not just something to do for relief. You can also use the following tips to help you identify whether or not you’re actually hungry: 

  • -Is your stomach growling? 

  • -Are you salivating as soon as someone mentions food?

  • -Is your body craving water, vitamins, minerals, and fuel? 


If so, then it’s likely that you are hungry. Hungry people will experience these symptoms without fail. In contrast, if you only get these feelings once every other day or less, then it’s likely that hunger has more to do with boredom than anything else.



Our brain can trick us into thinking we’re hungry. One more way to prevent yourself is by meal planning. When you follow your meal plan for the day, you will eat only as much as you need to feel full and not when you are bored. 


Here you can find some excellent meal plans full of healthy and mouth-watering dishes that are easy to prepare and keep you full throughout the day.


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