Understanding Hunger: Learn How to Resist the False Alarms

Where Do Hunger Cravings Come From?

That intense drive to eat—to fulfill a momentary impulse. We’ve all felt it before. So where do hunger cravings come from? Simple questions often require complex answers.

The brain and the body communicate through one of the most complex web of signals imaginable. The moving force behind eating is not only the body’s desire to fulfill the need for energy, there’s also brain chemistry going on, which is in charge of pleasure and reward. So what’s really going on inside the mind and body that screams “Feed me!”?

Feeling hungry comes down to two forces at work and they couldn’t be more different from each other. The first type of hunger is when your body needs calories for energy; it sends signals because your stomach is experiencing hunger feelings. Maybe you haven’t eaten for a few hours or you just woke up from a long night’s sleep. This is known as homeostatic hunger, and it’s primarily driven by the body and brain telling us we need food for fuel.

How do you get rid of this type of hunger? Pretty simple—you just eat. Focus on foods containing fiber and lean protein. These types of foods are more filling and more likely to keep hunger triggers at bay. The best way to remember homeostatic hunger is that it is a physical response based on your body’s actual needs. We all have to eat.

On the flip side, there’s another type of hunger that isn’t based on food for fuel but is based almost entirely on pleasure. And there are foods which cause those pleasure-seeking signals in the mind and body to become more intense than homeostatic hunger. We don’t always eat because we’re seeking energy and fuel for the body.

Sometimes we’re craving something high in sugar, fat, and salt. Something we don’t necessarily need, but we want. This is known as emotional hunger or as what some call hedonic hunger. This type of hunger is based on an intense drive to eat for pleasure. It is very hard for us to distinguish between the two types of hunger, but one simple way is based on what we’re craving. If you are craving potato chips, Oreos, buttery popcorn, candy, or soda pop...then you are most likely having a hedonic hunger urge. On the other hand, if you are feeling compelled to eat something and you answer “Yeah” when you ask yourself, ‘Would I eat a whole can of red beans right now?’ Chances are this is legitimate homeostatic hunger.

READ: How do Cravings Work? 3 Hacks to Overcome Intense Cravings

Hunger vs Appetite

When talking about hunger, another important aspect to understand is the difference between hunger versus appetite. They are not the same thing and they are commonly mistaken for each other. The best way to know the difference is to know what the root of each one is. At the core of our appetite is the brain, it’s our desire to eat. At the core of hunger is our body, sending signals based on telling the rest of the body that it needs energy and fuel.

Knowing the difference is key when it comes to losing weight as well. It’s not easy either. We can’t always trust food cravings and trying to decipher between hunger and appetite when we are in that moment of intense craving for a specific food is nearly impossible unless, we have an understanding of what we are feeling and where those feelings come from. So how do you know whether it’s hunger or appetite? It’s all about operating from a mental framework based on understanding hunger.

Five Mental Hacks to Identify What Kind of Craving You Are Experiencing

Cravings will sabotage your healthy weight-loss goals quicker than anything else. Knowing the difference between actual hunger and just something you desire (appetite) is key. Below are five intuitive, yet super easy, mental hacks anyone can learn to help determine the kind of cravings that will throw you off course on your healthy weight-loss journey.

● Hack #1: Identify the Type of Desire. Does the desire hit you instantly and suddenly like a strong impulse (Appetite-based)? Or does the desire come on slowly and gradually (Hunger-based)?

● Hack #2: Identify the Desire Source. What caused the impulse in the first place? Were you watching tv, reading a magazine, driving by a fast food joint, saw a commercial and were influenced by it (Appetite-based)? Or did the desire slowly and gradually enter your awareness (Hunger-based)? Oftentimes, unhealthy cravings can be triggered by the things we see and smell.

● Hack #3: Identify Where in the Body the Feeling Is Coming From. Is there a strong urge or difficult craving that is existing in your mind? Is the sensation all up in your head (Appetite-based)? Or is your stomach feeling a tinge of discomfort? Do you feel physically exhausted with low energy (Hunger-based)?

● Hack #4: Identify What You Are Craving. Are you craving a specific food like potato chips, soda pop, or candy? Are the foods you are craving sugary, salty, and loaded with fats (Appetite-based)? Or are your cravings open, broad, and not too specific (Hunger based)?

● Hack #5: Identify How You Feel Afterwards. After you’ve quenched the desire and you’ve eaten, do you feel a little bit of regret and possibly guilt and shame afterward (Appetite-based)? Or do you quickly forget about what you just ate and have no guilty feelings (Hunger-based). Usually you won’t feel an emotional pull in one way or another after eating from a place of hunger. Well...maybe a little gratitude ;)

READ: Emotion, Stress, and Appetite—Understanding the Link

Keep in mind that you don’t have to know all five of these to effectively determine what kind of a craving you are having. Often all it takes is just identifying one. But if you can master at least three of these, you’ll be well on your way to equipping yourself with the right mental tools to overcome those pesky, unwanted cravings. You got this!

Resist: To Give You Support in Those Moments of Uncertain Hunger*

Sometimes you need a little more than just a simple trick or mindfulness practice to help you curb those unwanted cravings. They’re clever little demons, for sure. And the urges and desires we feel are oftentimes difficult to overcome. In those moments, we don’t necessarily need an accountability buddy, an app, or some mental trick to help out. Sometimes what we need is a little support.

Enter Xyngular’s Resist. Here’s something to consider: Cravings and hunger can easily sabotage your health goals. Resist is a soft chew that suppresses hunger to help you manage cravings and prevent overeating. Through the science behind HbG Complex, your tricky appetite can take a back seat, which prevents excess calorie intake, and can lead to greater weight loss.

These chews offer immediate appetite control to keep you on track and to help you achieve your weight-loss goals. It’s a nudge of encouragement. Resist amps up your ability to resist food temptations. These are a tasty “treat with a purpose” and without the guilty feelings afterward. Resist is what you need for a little extra willpower over “just one more bite”.

Resist Features:

● Features HbG Complex

● Only 20 calories per Resist chew

● Delicious wild cherry flavor

● Gluten-free and dairy-free

● Sourced from the highest-quality ingredients

● Manufactured in the U.S.

Resist Benefits:

● Suppresses hunger so you can manage cravings*

● Curbs cravings for long term weight management*

● Prevents overeating*

● Instant, effective hunger control you can take up to four times a day*

● Prevents excess calorie intake, leading to greater weight-loss success*

● Supports healthy weight loss*

● Can be taken safely together with other Xyngular products*

Cravings, hunger, urges..oh my! Isn’t it about time you discovered all the benefits Resist can offer? This unique product can help you manage cravings. Resist can give your body an extra support boost to control your appetite.

How To Resist Hunger With The Xyngular 8-Day Jumpstart

Remember how we talked about the different kinds of hunger and the difference between hunger and appetite? Being able to distinguish between what your body needs and what your brain wants, is a key in learning how to manage hunger. If you’re still struggling with hunger management and how to resist eating, the Xyngular 8-Day Jumpstart can help.

Learning how to control your hunger when you’re trying to lose weight can seem daunting at first. Should you put a lock on the fridge? Eat all the snacks to get them out of the house before you begin? Or just summon all your willpower and be constantly hangry while you resist hunger sensations big and small?

Luckily, with everything the 8-Day Jumpstart offers, you won’t need to do any of those things. The 8-Day Jumpstart is a comprehensive plan that will help you learn how to get rid of hunger by retraining your brain and body to know what you really want and need. That doesn’t mean it will be easy, figuring out how to resist food cravings never is, but it is simple because everything is laid out for you in an easy-to-follow kind of way.

So, how to resist hunger on the 8-Day Jumpstart? Just follow the plan. It comes with a list of Jumpstart-approved foods, 8-Day Jumpstart recipes, and a guide that helps you know what to eat, and when to eat it. Plus, the Xyngular products included will help you keep hunger and cravings at bay while you reset your system.*

In just eight days, you can lose up to 15 pounds! But more importantly, in just over a week’s time, you’ll learn how to give your body the fuel it needs. You’ll begin resetting your habits and retraining yourself to reach for the better, healthier options your body actually wants. That will put you on the road to consistent weight loss and better wellbeing.*

If you’re ready to resist hunger and take control of your cravings, contact your Xyngular Distributor or login to your Xyngular account today to see what Resist, the 8-Day Jumpstart, and other products can do for you.

It’s never too late to gain control over your cravings. Contact your Xyngular Distributor or login to your Xyngular account to get it today!*

*Lose up to 15 pounds in 8 days. Lose an additional 1-2 pounds or more each week following the 8-day jump start. Results are not guaranteed and can vary.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.