Sometimes, it is easy for us to allow ourselves to get too hungry, or eat until we are over full. Over time, if this happens regularly, it can become confusing. We start to miss the signals our body's send to us, and it can become increasingly difficult to analyse how full, or hungry we feel.
That is where a hunger fullness scale comes in. What is a hunger fullness scale? I like to think of it like a seesaw. Lets say its out of 10. 5 is when we are right in the middle, not hungry, not full. Perfectly comfortable. 4, we are starting to get hunger pangs, 3, we start to get 'hangry' (hungry/angry), drop down to 1, and you want to chew your arm off. Or going up, at 6, starting to feel satisfied. 7, comfortably full. Jump up to 10, and you feel so full you want to be sick.
How does it work? Think about where you might sit on the scale before eating. Acknowledge if you are over hungry, and maybe at risk of over eating. Or are you not actually hungry, but wanting to eat for another reason? I like asking my clients to include it on their food diary, to help them begin to learn their own individual cues for how hungry/full they feel.
Have you ever tried this? If not, give it a go!
Chloe McLeod is a dietitian at BJC Health.
This blog focuses on diet & nutrition generally and diet & nutrition in relation to the treatment of arthritis and arthritis-related diseases. Contact us if you’d like our help in managing diet-related health issues.
