Hunger/Fullness Scale

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Some of you may not know what the Hunger/Fullness Scale is.  In the future, I'm probably going to be referring to it fairly often, so let's discuss it...

It's a scale from 1 to 10 on, you guessed it, your hunger and fullness cues.  A 1 being so extremely starving to the point that you want to eat anything and everything now, now, NOW; a 10 being so extremely stuffed to the point that you want to lay on the couch and unbutton your pants (I like to refer to this as “Thanksgiving Full”); and a 5 being neutral in that you don’t feel one way or the other.  On most days, it’s important to try to stay between a 3 and a 7.  A 3 is the point when you have realized your hunger cue is present and you need to find something to eat.  Whether you’re starting to get cranky, your stomach is growling, or you’re feeling light headed... we all have different hunger cues and it’s important that you know when and how to recognize yours!  A 7 is the point when you have realized your fullness cue is present and you need to stop eating!  This is the hardest cue for people to recognize and the easiest to ignore.  It’s important to remember that it takes your body 15 minutes to feel full.  There are going to be times in your life when you’re going to go outside the 3 and 7 range, such as special occasions, like holidays and birthdays, and that’s OK!  But, day to day, it’s really important to try and stay between a 3 and 7.

You may be wondering what the big deal is.  What happens when you ignore your hunger/fullness cues?  So ask yourself this... have you ever got to a 3 and ignored it?  Now you’re down to a 2 and then before you know it you’re at a 1 and you can’t concentrate.  You need food NOW!  Then what happens when you finally get food?  You overeat!... stuffing your face with anything and everything you can get your hands on, and you flip to the other end of the spectrum, a 10.  It’s important to try to avoid this.  It’s just as important to not ignore your hunger cues as it is to not ignore your fullness cues.  Take a look at the Hunger/Fullness Scale by clicking here.

Do you think about your hunger/fullness cues throughout the day and when you’re eating?  Or maybe this is your first time hearing about this scale; are you intrigued to start paying better attention?