The 3 Types of Hunger (and My 15:30 Trap)

Winter snacking in the home office is my sneakiest habit — and it’s not because my stomach is empty. In the dark, cold months, my brain starts treating food like a coping tool: warmth, a break, a mood shift, a little hit of “nice.”

The weird part is how predictable it is.

15:30 is snack time in my house. For my boys, it’s been the rhythm for as long as I can remember: school ends, they come home, and the snack clock hits. Add the German “coffee and something small” culture and it becomes so normal that it barely registers as a habit.

But that’s the problem.

At 15:30, I’m usually in my home office. The day’s work is still running, my brain has been in focus mode for hours, and outside it’s already dark. Then I hear movement in the kitchen — wrappers, plates, the little sounds that mean: snack time is happening.

And my brain goes:

“Oh right. We eat now.”

Not because I’m starving.

Because my environment is running an old script — and that script is unbelievably well-trained.

In spring, summer, and fall, I can interrupt that script more easily: more daylight, more movement, easier resets. In winter, the combination of darkness, cold, and long indoor hours makes the 15:30 pull feel stronger — and I still need massive support to not snack.

Once I stopped calling it “willpower” and started calling it what it is, things got easier to work with. Hunger isn’t one signal. It’s at least three overlapping systems that can all shout “eat” for different reasons.

The 3 Types of Hunger, Simply (Fuel vs Reward vs Gut)

1) Homeostatic Hunger (Fuel Hunger)

This is the basic “I need energy” signal. It rises when my body genuinely needs fuel and drops when I’ve replenished.

How it feels (for me):

• Steady, not urgent
• Almost any real food sounds fine
• I feel better after eating a normal meal

Example: After a long run, a hard training day, or a day where meals got delayed. This is hunger doing its job.

2) Hedonic Hunger (Reward Hunger)

This is “eating would feel good” hunger. It’s triggered by cues, habits, and emotions — not by actual energy needs. Winter makes it louder.

How it feels (for me):

• Shows up suddenly
• It’s specific (“something crunchy,” “something sweet”)
• Spikes when I’m bored, stressed, or stuck on a task
• I can be physically full and still want “a little something”

Example: I finish lunch, I’m fine… then 30 minutes later I’m wandering into the kitchen like a Roomba with a snack mission. That’s not my stomach. That’s my brain chasing a hit of “nice.”

3) Microbiota-Influenced Hunger (Gut-Influence Hunger)

This one is tricky because it’s not a single “microbe makes you eat” thing. It’s more like this: my gut ecosystem can influence appetite and cravings through metabolites and hormone signaling, and my routines feed those patterns over time.

How it can show up (in my experience):

• Cravings that feel persistent and oddly specific
• Stronger pull toward ultra-palatable snacks
• A weaker “I’m satisfied” feeling

Winter routines can amplify this: less movement, less variety, and more comfort-food patterns.

Why Winter Home-Office Snacking Hits Harder at 15:30

By 15:30 in winter, I’ve often been sitting for hours. The daylight is fading. Work still isn’t “done.” And the house is warmer than the world outside.

So “hunger” becomes a label my brain slaps onto something else: a break, relief, stimulation, warmth, a quick win. The cue is real — and my brain has decades of training attached to it.

Why It Was Easier During Colmar Half Marathon Training

When I was deep in training for the Colmar half marathon, this felt different — especially outside the winter months.

Not because I suddenly became more disciplined.

Because the system changed:

• My daily movement was higher
• My stress felt more purposeful
• My evenings were structured around recovery
• My identity was “I’m in training”
• Snacking wasn’t a default reward — it was a decision with consequences I could feel on the next run

Training creates an honest feedback loop. Winter home-office life is the opposite: quiet, comfortable, repetitive… and sneakily snack-friendly.

The 10-Second Test I Use Before Snacking

When I feel snacky at the desk, I ask:

“Would I eat something boring?”

• If yes → likely fuel hunger (homeostatic).
• If no → likely reward hunger (hedonic) or habit-loop hunger.

Then I add one more check:

“What do I actually need right now?”

• Warmth?
• Movement?
• A break?
• Stimulation?
• Stress relief?
• Hydration?

Naming the need reduces the spell.

What Actually Helps Me With Winter Snacking in the Home Office

A) For Fuel Hunger: Eat a Real Meal, Not a Snack

If it’s real hunger, I respond like an adult mammal:

• Protein-first
• A proper plate
• Sit down
• Finish the decision

Random snack grazing doesn’t solve fuel hunger — it just creates more decision noise.

B) For Reward Hunger: Replace “Snack” With “Interrupt”

Reward hunger is often a request for a state change — a quick shift in mood, stimulation, or comfort.

So I keep a short menu of state-changes that don’t require food:

• 2 minutes outside (yes, even if cold — light + air matters)
• Hot tea or sparkling water (warmth + ritual)
• 10 bodyweight squats or a quick walk loop
• One song break
• A simple “new phase” reset (wash face, brush teeth)

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s breaking the automatic link between stress/boredom and snack.

C) For Habit Loops: Make Snacks Less Frictionless

Home-office snacking is dangerous because it’s frictionless.

So I add speed bumps:

• No snacks at the desk
• Snacks require a plate + sitting in the kitchen
• Keep default snacks “real” (yogurt, eggs, deli meat, fruit)
• Keep hyper-palatable snacks harder to access

Not punishment. Just environment design.

The Winter Insight That Changed Everything

In summer, I can sometimes muscle through hunger signals. In winter, that strategy fails — because winter adds more fatigue, more mood friction, more indoor time, and more subconscious seeking of comfort.

So instead of fighting harder, I try to get smarter:

Identify the hunger type → apply the right tool.

That’s the whole game.

Tiny Experiment: The 15:30 Shield (2 Minutes)

Pick one and run it for 7 days:

Option 1: The “Boring Food Test”
Before any snack, ask: “Would I eat eggs or plain yogurt right now?” If no, do one non-food reset (tea / walk / 10 squats) first.

Option 2: No Desk Snacking
You can snack — just not at the desk. Kitchen only, plate only, sit down.

Option 3: The 15:30 Shield
At 15:25, make a hot drink and stand up for 90 seconds. You’re not “avoiding food” — you’re breaking the script.

Winter isn’t a personal failure. It’s a different environment with different defaults.

And 15:30? That’s not hunger. That’s history. (And yes, I’m still working on it.)