Not sure if I can tell if I'm actually hungry or not

Hi there,

So I'm about 2 1/2 months out, eating normal food with no restrictions.  I can definitely tell while I'm actually eating if I become satisfied, and have no problem stopping.  What I can't quite tell is whether I'm experiencing actual hunger (say, mid-morning or mid-afternoon) or the illusion of hunger (aka head-hunger).  I'm having about 1,000 calories a day, give or take a few (about 600-700 is actual food, about 300-400 is protein drinks to get my protein in).  When I think I'm hungry mid-morning or afternoon I do try drinking something (water, decaf tea, whatever) but I usually still feel like maybe I'm hungry.  That's when I have a cheese stick or a few pistachios or something. 

Does anyone else have trouble determining real hunger from fake hunger?  Anyone have tips to tell the difference (other than to drink something, since that's apparently not working for me)?

I don't think that I have a problem telling the difference but if I am bored or my energy level is getting low I think I need to eat something to give myself a boost.  Maybe I need to start having a protein drink?  Like right now, it is 3:27pm and I could use a boost .  Maybe yogurt and strawberries would help.

For me, feeling excessively tired is a huge light bulb for me that I am hungry. True body hungry, kwim? But I always make sure to have a glass of water first to make sure I'm not just thirsty.

I'm in the same boat. It's probably been going on for the past couple of weeks, so I'm not sure if it's just an adjustment to eating more food or I'm truly feeling hungry. I've been trying to up my water, and that helps sometimes.