Getting to Know Your Hunger
One way to get in touch with the nuances of hunger is to check in with yourself many times throughout the day.
An easy way to do this is by using a rating scale from 0 to 5, where 0 is painful hunger, and five is neutral (neither hungry nor full)
Rating systems like this are often used to evaluate subjective sensations like hunger, fullness, mood, energy, sleep quality, etc.
In the hospital, nurses often ask patients, "on a scale of 1-10, how is your pain?".
Pain, like hunger and fullness, is a subjective experience.
If you say, "my pain is a 9" this gives the nurse valuable information about the intensity of what you're experiencing.
Once you have a point of reference, numbers on the scale become much more meaningful.
If the nurse gives you pain medication and then checks in on you a few hours later, and your pain is now a 2, this is a meaningful comparison.
Each day our appetite is different. It's impacted by a variety of things, including physical activity, stress, sleep, hormones, environment, and what we ate previously.
If your hunger was a 4 (subtle) at breakfast and then a 1 (ravenous) after an hour at the gym, this rating offers important insight into how you're feeling.
If you're ravenously hungry, you may not feel well. You may feel irritable even snap at people. You may feel sick to your stomach, and even be a bit shaky.
When you are extremely hungry (ravenous =4) your need to eat will feel urgent and intense. You may find yourself eating more quickly that usual.
When this happens, as best you can, simply try to notice your eating behaviour without judgment.
This is simply a normal reaction to extreme hunger.
The good news is that the scale has no right or wrong rating.
It is merely a way to help you listen to and become more attuned with your body and your biological hunger cues.
PRACTICE
Now it's your turn!
Use the Hunger Discovery Scale below to check in with yourself several times throughout the day. Each time you check in, ask two questions.
Q1. What is the overall QUALITY of the sensation?
At this moment, does my hunger feel...
Q2. In terms of INTENSITY, how would I rate my hunger at this moment?
Now it's your turn!
Use the Hunger Discovery Scale below to check in with yourself several times throughout the day. Each time you check in, ask two questions.
Q1. What is the overall QUALITY of the sensation?
At this moment, does my hunger feel...
- pleasant
- unpleasant
- neutral
Q2. In terms of INTENSITY, how would I rate my hunger at this moment?
