From skwigg's journal:
Do you remember how we all learned that "head hunger" is bad?
Stomach hunger--good.
Head hunger--bad, fake, phony, deceptive, dangerous.
I have changed my opinion on that, of course. Thinking about food is often my legitimate first sign of hunger. If I dismiss it as false information or "addictive desire" (thank you Gillian Riley!) and postpone eating until there are loud gnawing sounds emanating from my abdomen, I will definitely eat more food than if I'd taken a hint earlier.
The flip side of "head hunger" is "head fullness," which sounds dumb put that way, but it is so important too. You can be stomach-full (volume, stretch) and still not be mentally satisfied with the meal. So, you finish, and you're either still thinking about food or you're going to be again really soon. So, when you're trying to judge how long a meal will last, it's not only a matter of your stomach. Your mind knows if that was fabulous and you're all done, or if the meal was missing something...I almost want to say emotionally. LOL Wow! But do you know what I mean? I could stuff my belly full of fibrous plants and skinless animals, be really physically full, but never have addressed my need for salty crunch, or cool and creamy, or juicy sweet, or warm and comforting. Therefore, the off switch doesn't engage. Therefore, I'm hungrier sooner and cravings come into play.
Head fullness, it's a thing, an important one if you don't want to rely on willpower to stop eating, or to make it to the next meal.