Recognizing hunger can be a critical part of your weight-loss plan.
When it’s time to eat, most people will start to notice physical cues such as a growling stomach, fatigue, or a slight headache.
Using the three-point scale below, think about your body’s signals for hunger or the need for food.
Zero on the scale is neutral, the place where you’re not hungry and not full.
At the first sign of a little hunger, you reach a minus one on the scale. Maybe you feel hollow or your stomach growls making you realize it’s lunchtime.
If you ignore this signal, you later realize that you’re very hungry. You’re now at the minus two on the scale.
If you still don’t eat, you’ll eventually reach the point where you feel starved and ready to eat everything in sight. This is a minus three on the scale.
Hunger scale levels
0 = Neutral, not hungry, not full
– 1 = A little hungry
– 2 = Very hungry
– 3 = Starved, way too hungry
To manage hunger effectively, learn to recognize when you’re at a minus one on the scale. Once you notice the first twinge or awareness of hunger, plan to eat soon or at least within the next 20 to 30 minutes.
Today’s assignment (my answers are in blue)
1. Start watching for hunger signals such as having a growling stomach, fatigue, headache, or loss of focus. Notice if you feel somewhat weak or shaky, grouchy, listless, or faint. Write down what you typically get for hunger signals.
Slight hollow, rumbling feeling in my stomach. This is a clear sign that it’s time to eat.
2. Describe the hunger sensations you felt today. Write down the times of day ?as well as how you knew you were hungry.
I especially notice hunger in the mid afternoon, and again when it’s close to dinner time. Sometimes I feel tired, hollow, and don’t think as clearly.
3. Whenever you recognize a hunger signal, respond to it and eat something within 20 to 30 minutes. Write a few notes about how you did with this today.
I tend to eat by the clock as well as listening to my body. I simply know when it’s close to time to eat, and that waiting too long will be disaster.
Excerpted from Day 31 in the book, 100 Days of Weight Loss