Only eat when you’re hungry.

[SURE, BUT ALSO… BITE ME!!!]

Let me start by saying this is good advice… only eat when you’re hungry.

I totally agree. 100%

But it’s just not that useful by itself. And here’s why.

Whenever I saw that advice handed out by some well-meaning person it made me wonder what the f#ck was wrong with me.

As a concept it’s kinda obvious... so why couldn’t I do it? Apparently, I must be an extra level of messed up.

But I wasn’t messed up. 

First, I had no clue what physical hunger actually felt like because I was so disconnected from my body and the sensations in it. So there’s that.

Second, hunger wasn’t the problem.

I wasn’t stuffing my face with donuts every day because I was hungry.

I was eating to try and feel better about something that was going on around me. 

I was eating to escape feeling overwhelmed about my to-do list.

I was eating to avoid feeling frustrated with my dog because he wanted to go out when I wasn’t ready. 

I was eating to distract myself from the shame and judgment I then felt for being frustrated at my dog in the first place.

I was eating to escape feeling discomfort, fear, confusion, inadequacy, and alllllllll the other emotions I didn’t know to manage without food.

Which has f#ck all to do with hunger and why that advice, as good as it is in theory, could never actually help me in any real or lasting way.