Early morning thoughts

I have been getting good sleep - at least 7-8 hours a night. I'm still "awakening" several times according to my fitbit, but not the 2 a.m. eat a bowl of cereal toss and turn kind of awakenings. I did a bit of calculating and even with my almonds, which if I am liberal are about 200-300 calories, I'm still getting 1500-1600 calories a day with juice. That is pretty good. If it's pure nutrition, it's no wonder that I'm not that hungry. As I've contemplated my "hunger" in the past, it would appear to be a ravenous tremendous dip in blood sugar craving that won't be satisfied with a glass of water or a piece of fruit. Hence, I've always fed it with calorie dense foods such as brownies, chips and dip, crackers and cheese. It was amazing that this only satiated the hunger temporarily and it came back just as viciously a few hours later. On my bike ride the other afternoon, I kept thinking about making a meal - salad with fish or chicken, and eating the pumpkin I had baked earlier with maple syrup. I "anticipated" my hunger and ravenous need for food after burning off calories through exercise. Yet, when I was home and thought deeply, I realized that I was not hungry. I decided to forego the mental craving and temptation and drank a small juice later with a few almonds. All was well and I quelled the craving. Am I truly learning the difference between a craving and hunger? Could I be becoming more mindful of my eating? This is exciting new territory for me. If I could identify these thoughts, I may be able to manage my eating under more stressful conditions as well.