Episode 78: What’s the Deal With Mental Hunger? Reasons You Can’t Stop Thinking About Food and What to do About it

Today’s podcast is all about mental hunger (aka thinking about food all the time), the reasons it happens and what to do about it.
Mental hunger is a very common experience in those recovering from restrictive eating or who have been stuck in a deprivation mindset around food.
You don’t need to have an eating disorder to experience mental hunger, but it is a much more common experience in people that are in recovery from one.
It can be confronting and frustrating to always have food on your mind – but there’s a really valid reason this is happening for you.
In this episode I want to explain what mental hunger actually is, and why you can’t stop thinking about food on a physiological level, how to respond to these cues, and mindset shifts to reduce the fear around eating if you’re experiencing mental hunger.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- What mental hunger is and how it differs from physical hunger
- Different scenarios you may not realise are actually mental hunger, but really are
- Why mental hunger happens on a physiological level
- Does mental hunger disappear during recovery and if so how long does it take?
- Mindset shifts to help you cope if you’re experiencing these symptoms
Ready To Improve Your Relationship with Food and Get Your Period Back?
Sarah King is an Exercise Physiologist and Health Coach specialising in helping women reconnect with their bodies and improve their relationship with food and exercise.
Through her 1:1 Health Coaching Sessions clients learn to nourish their bodies without guilt, move for joy, improve body image and self worth, plus recover from Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and get their period pack if it’s gone missing.
Click below to book your free discovery call and get started.

Sarah King
Hi future friends, I’m Sarah King, an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and health coach.
Science, not trends is the foundation of my approach. By nourishing the body and mind with scientific facts we can build foundations for a life of realness, not just wellness.