Feeling hungry is not an entirely simple experience in our complex world. Many of us have become accustomed to feeling hunger that has been initiated by clever and disarming advertisements for food. We've been conditioned to eat when we feel anxious and stressed by the pressures of life. Today, I had some straight forward thoughts about the essential and basic phenomenon of hunger.
(1) Your hunger threshold is adjustable- We needn't eat the moment we feel hungry. When you first feel hungry, take a moment to observe the sensation. Is it mild or intense? Develop a scale in your mind and work with it. Learn to understand your level of hunger and avoid eating too often or starving yourself for hours only to gorge at a later time.
(2) Feeling hungry isn't bad- Hunger is a state that can be accompanied by a light, alert feeling. Learn to appreciate and enjoy a certain level of hunger. It can allow you to be unburdened by the sensation.
(3) Train with the feeling- Learn about hunger by paying attention to it and learning from it. There are many subtleties to the feeling. Explore them rather than seek to erase them immediately by eating.