5 Tips to Tell if You're Really Hungry

Hunger can’t be trusted.

4. Drink water and give it 10.

Dehydration can easily fool your brain into thinking you need food. Although you might think thirst and hunger feel totally different, dehydration oftentimes doesn’t come in the form of thirst. Your brain’s hypothalamus controls feelings of hunger and thirst, and it responds very similarly when you’re thirsty to when you’re hungry. That said, the signals your body will send when you’re dehydrated can certainly mislead you into grabbing something to munch on. So next time hunger strikes out of nowhere, guzzle down a full glass of water and give it a few. Chances are, your body needed fluids, and its thirst mechanisms weren’t making themselves clear enough.

In general, drinking enough water will keep hunger levels in check, while also ensuring a well-functioning digestion system, immune system, and improving your skin. Having trouble drinking up and staying hydrated? Here are 12 Easy Ways to Increase your Water Intake

And when it comes to weight loss, water is an uber-critical component to your success. Check out these 10 Ways Drinking Water can help you Lose Weight!

5. Keep tabs on your mood.

If you find yourself feeling irritable, grumpy, and low on energy, these hunger pangs indicate signs of true hunger. When you need food, you might have trouble concentrating, experience queasy or light-headed sensations, or feel just plain cranky. False hunger comes knockin’ in the form of thoughts and cravings, whereas real hunger is a true physical sensation. When you’re feeling truly famished all of a sudden? Satisfy your hunger, stay focused, and keep energy levels at their highest by munching on one of these 6 Metabolism-Boosting Snacks!