Food for Thought: Your Appetite Isn’t the Same Every Day
Appetite isn't fixed. It naturally changes from day to day — and sometimes throughout the same day.
How hungry you feel can be influenced by many different things, including sleep, stress, hormones, activity levels, illness, medication, emotions and what or how much you've eaten previously.
Some days you may feel hungrier
Your appetite might increase after being more physically active, during periods of growth or hormonal change, after eating less than usual, or simply because your body needs more energy that day.
You don't need to justify being hungry.
Other days your appetite may be lower
Stress, anxiety, low mood, tiredness, illness, medication, sensory overload or changes in routine can all affect someone's desire to eat.
For some neurodivergent people, interoception and hyperfocus can also make appetite and hunger signals more difficult to notice.
Importantly, having a low appetite isn't always the same as your body not needing food.
Appetite and hunger aren't exactly the same
Hunger is your body's physiological drive for nourishment.
Appetite is your desire or interest in eating and can be affected by emotions, environment, sensory experiences, food availability and many other factors.
Sometimes you can be physically hungry without particularly wanting food — and sometimes you can want to eat without experiencing obvious physical hunger.
Notice rather than judge
Instead of thinking:
“Why am I so hungry today?”
or
“I shouldn't need this much food.”
try becoming curious about what might be happening in your body and your day.
Your needs won't look identical every day.
Changes in appetite aren't automatically a sign you've done something wrong — they are information your body may be giving you.
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