Okay, so if I’m hungry – if my stomach is growling, etc., does that mean that the energy from any previously eaten food (like a my lunch or a piece of cake) has been used? Or just… Stored for later?
(I really hope someone understands what I’m asking.)
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It just means the stomach is empty and expecting a top up in food, in no way does it relate for your need for extra energy or that your stores are running low.
Your stomach can make noises due to gas or illness, but normal hunger-related growling means your stomach is physically empty (food has passed into the intestines) and your blood sugar has dropped to a level that triggers the brain’s “time to eat” signal.
The energy could have either been stored as fat or used up. You may or may not actually *need* more food, but your body wants more food.
The body considers fat to be an emergency storage system, so it will not immediately burn fat when hungry. It first signals for more food.
Going hungry for a prolonged time or exercising when hungry can trigger “famine mode,” which prompts the release of hormones that store even more fat.
That’s why extreme dieting is counterproductive in the long run, and effective weight management is a gradual process. There is no one-size-fits-all eating pattern or ideal time to eat, but in general there is a caloric threshold that you should maintain to avoid this hormone shift.
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