Cause of hunger: thinking or enjoyment?

Question

No duplicate! I have read here.

Reading newspaper or even preparation for IELTS test, walking fast, with-no-stop working in supermarket all makes me feel hungry as a sign of losing calories, but when I study mathematics especially with enjoyment I feel much more need for food for recovery!

Is it because of enjoyment (sad or at least normal non-excited people don't like too much eating) or it is because math is harder?

The other problem is that I gain a lot of weight when I eat a lot due to feeling hungry while studying math. So I also think the sign of hunger and lack-of-energy (and really feeling headache like similar to starving) doesn't come from losing calories. (?)

How can I avoid such feelings while still studying well and not gaining a lot weight?

Thanks a lot.

Answer 1

There are studies showing that so called "ego depletion" (the common mental resource used when doing though things, like math or pushing yourself physically) is affected by intake of sugary drinks, even tasting sugary drinks tend to have this effect in fact! Not sure about artificial sweeteners. Diet coke works for me, as does taking breaks.

From the ego depletion wikipedia site:

The role of glucose as a specific form of energy needed for self-control has been explored. Glucose, a sugar found in many foods, is a vital fuel for the body and the brain. Multiple experiments have connected self-control depletion to reduced blood glucose, and that self-control performance could be replenished by consuming glucose (e.g., lemonade).[3] However, some (but not all) of the findings were questioned.[4] Several recent experiments have found that resource depletion effects can be reversed by simply tasting (but not swallowing or consuming) sweet beverages,[5][6][7] which can have rewarding properties.[8] Others have suggested that the taste of sugar (but not artificial sweetener) has psycho-physiological signaling effects

Something else that worked remarkably well is eating a strict keto diet, I got hungry, but my mind didn't get as fuzzy as it does when eating a regular diet. Give it a try. It takes a week to get used to.

Answer 2

My guess is that you are not eating out of hunger but more or so of habit. I would suggest trying to gradually eat less by methods such as: only eating 3 times a day 3 or 4 times a week, or cutting your overall calorie count down gradually until you are at something like this most of the time: 3 meals a day, 1500-2000 calories a day. The bottom line is that you probably have made it into a habit to eat often, so break the habit. Also, if boredom appears to be the cause, look for activities to do like reading, swimming, etc.

Answer 3

How can I avoid such feelings while still studying well and not gaining a lot weight?

Well, studying also use calories. With that said, instead of consuming more food, try drinking more water to fill you up. Sometimes, its not hunger. Since you mention lack of energy and have some headache, try taking a break once in a awhile by taking a short nap, taking a slow walk and etc.

Is it because of enjoyment (sad or at least normal non-excited people don't like too much eating) or it is because math is harder?

Whenever I enjoy doing something, I tend to forget about eating. If I don't enjoy doing something such as preparing for examinations, I tend to eat more.