Relearning Hunger: How to Trust Your Body and Find Food Freedom
Why “Eat When You’re Hungry” Isn’t Enough - and Practical Steps to Rebuild Trust in Your Body
We’ve all heard it before: “Just eat when you’re hungry.”
On paper, it sounds so simple. But if you’ve spent years tracking macros, counting points, or ignoring your body’s cues, that advice can feel almost impossible to follow.
In this episode of the Fit Friends Happy Hour Podcast, I unpack why hunger isn’t always so straightforward, how diet culture has complicated our relationship with it, and what you can do to start rebuilding trust with your body again.
Why “Just Eat When You’re Hungry” Falls Flat
Here’s the truth: If tuning into hunger were really that easy, most of us wouldn’t be struggling with food in the first place.
For years, I wore ignoring hunger like a badge of honor. Back in college, I’d be so proud of myself for going all day on just coffee, gum, and a protein shake - like hunger was something to beat, not a signal to take care of myself. Looking back, I see how much diet culture reinforced that mindset. Restriction got praise. Listening to my body? Not so much.
And it’s not just about willpower. Research shows that chronic dieting actually blunts our interoceptive awareness - basically, the ability to notice internal signals like hunger, fullness, and fatigue. Which means for many of us, “just eat when you’re hungry” is advice that doesn’t stick, because the connection itself has been dulled.
The Three Types of Hunger
Before you can rebuild trust, it helps to recognize the different ways hunger can show up. I like to break it down into three types:
Physical Hunger - Comes on gradually, can be satisfied by a variety of foods. Think stomach growls, low energy, brain fog.
Emotional Hunger - Appears suddenly, usually tied to specific cravings, and often about soothing feelings rather than fueling the body.
Practical Hunger - Eating because life demands it (hello, 6 a.m. flight or back-to-back Zoom meetings). It’s not “wrong” - it’s proactive self-care.
Once you start identifying which type you’re experiencing, it becomes easier to respond with intention instead of guilt.
When Life and Science Mess With Hunger
Here’s another layer: life doesn’t always let us feel hunger clearly.
Stress, busy schedules, and even medical factors like PCOS, thyroid issues, ADHD, or certain medications can all interfere with hunger signals. Sometimes stress suppresses appetite - until you crash later into the pantry. Sometimes hormones ramp it up, and your body legitimately needs more fuel.
If hunger feels confusing, it’s not because you’re “broken.” It’s because your body is complex. And that’s okay.
Steps to Rebuild Hunger Awareness
Here are a few ways to start reconnecting:
Identify your hunger type. Pause and ask: is this physical, emotional, or practical hunger?
Use a hunger-fullness scale. Rate yourself 1–10 before and after eating. Most of us only notice “starving” or “stuffed.” With practice, you’ll catch the subtler in-betweens.
Add gentle structure. Try eating every 3–4 hours - not as a strict rule, but as a scaffold that helps you check in more often.
Remove judgment. Swap “I shouldn’t eat yet” for “I could eat now - would that help me feel better?”
Keep a sensations journal. Not calories, just notes: “Low energy before lunch,” or “More focused after eating.” It’s about awareness, not tracking.
Normalize Appetite and Find Satisfaction
Your appetite isn’t static. It changes with your cycle, activity, stress levels, and even the weather. Some days you’ll eat more, some days less. Both are normal.
And satisfaction matters. If you settle for a “sad salad” when what you really wanted was a sandwich, you’ll likely circle back to the sandwich later anyway…plus more. Give yourself permission to choose foods that satisfy both physically and emotionally.
Final Thoughts: Compassion > Control
Hunger isn’t a flaw to fix - it’s your body asking for care.
Relearning it takes awareness, gentle structure, and a lot of self-compassion. No judgment, no perfection required. Just curiosity and kindness.
So here’s your challenge for this week: once a day, pause and ask yourself -“What does my body need right now?” Don’t pressure yourself to get it “right.” Just notice. That’s the first step to food freedom.
Want to go deeper? Grab my free Meal Planning Template for more support.
Because learning to trust your hunger isn’t just about food - it’s about trusting yourself.