The Hunger Scale

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Here is the meeting summary from 06.21.2011.

Are you neglecting your tummy? Does your stomach tell you when it is hungry and when it is satisfied?

In short…yes it does, the bigger question is do we listen?

Majority of the time when we eat, it is not because we are physically hungry. We tend to eat due to emotional hunger. We are bored, lonely, tired, happy, sad, depressed, stressed…..are you starting to get the picture?

So what would it take to really start to understand and respond to our hunger levels? Below you will find a hunger scale to kind of help you rate and determine at which level you are before eating.

The Hunger Level Scale
Level 1 — Famished; your stomach is completely empty; you’re weak and light-headed.
Level 2 — Starving; you’re uncomfortable and irritable and unable to concentrate.
Level 3 — Uncomfortably hungry; stomach is rumbling.
Level 4 — You’re slightly uncomfortable and just beginning to feel the signs of hunger and can’t wait to eat.
Level 5 — Neutral and comfortable. You’re more or less satisfied.
Level 6 — Completely satisfied.
Level 7 — Satisfied and feeling full.
Level 8 — Uncomfortably full. You feel bloated and are starting to feel uneasy.
Level 9 — Very uncomfortable and full. Feel like loosening your clothes.
Level 10 — Completely stuffed and miserable. Feel nauseous and need to take some kind of stomach relief; can’t function and you want to lie down.

Keeping this scale in mind before and during eating will help you to control your food intake and ultimately, result in weight loss. Our body is designed to help us know when and when not to eat, however on a regular basis we override the system. To be successful in your weight loss journey, becoming in tune with your body and knowing your hunger levels is extremely beneficial. This next week really try to listen to what your stomach is telling you.