Kids are great at knowing how to eat when they’re hungry and stop when they’re full. What happens when you try to feed a baby that’s full? That’s right they will spit it out and turn their head. Even if it’s a favorite food!
Just know you are not alone!
As adults, we lose touch with this sensation. Survey’s conducted reveal that most adults can’t remember the last time they actually felt hungry. That is short of starvation!
Read more about a tool that will help you tune in more to your body’s hunger and fullness signals.
I just don’t have an appetite
The ability to feel hunger and fullness is a quality that we were born with.
Babies and little kids do not need to be told how much milk or food they need to consume to feel full; instead, when they are satisfied, they become disinterested in food and simply stop eating.
As we mature, this ability becomes blunted because we learn to ignore it, confuse it with thirst or forget it altogether. Then when you through in the dieting factor, it really throws our body signals off.
In a nutshell, our metabolism “goes to sleep” or in “hibernation” – nothing to do with age, sex or being pre- , menopausal or post. YIKES
Luckily, we can train ourselves to tune in to our ability to feel hunger and fullness again. Hence, wake up our metabolism!
One tool (on the mindfulness side) is the “Hunger Scale”, which will help you become more intentional about why you’re eating
The Hunger Scale
Imagine a meter ranging from 1–10, “1” being near empty, Energy levels are low, and productivity is down. You may feel shaky, and have poor concentration and mood swings.
“10” being Thanksgiving dinner type of full, where you ask yourself “Why did I eat so much?” and ready to go to sleep.
I will provide a reference point for you to begin to determine where you fall on the hunger scale before and after you eat a meal or snack.
The question to ask before and after you eat is….
“Where should I fall on the hunger scale?”
Here are the ranges you want to avoid.
1 Empty (weak & light-headed) Signs: stomach acid churning (reason we feel nauseous)
2 Starving (very uncomfortable) Signs: feeling irritable & unable to concentrate
…
8 Stuffed (uncomfortable) Signs: feel stuffed & too full
9 Bloated Sign: Need to loosen clothes
10 Nauseous: Signs: Stuffed and need a nap
It is important to keep hunger between a 3 and 7 on the hunger scale in order to avoid unpleasant feelings, and that you do not feel out of control of your hunger.
3 Fairly Hungry (stomach begins rumble)
..
5 Neutral (comfortable) – More or less satisfied, but could eat a little more
6 Satisfied (Perfectly comfortable) – Practical side helps with learning this feeling…
7 Full (Satisfied) – Feel a little bit uncomfortable
Summary
It’s important to listen to and understand your body hunger and full signals. In order to fully get in tune with your body’s signals, understanding nutrition basics (nutrition survival skills) is essential.
Sandra Recommends…
I am really focused on helping people with their weight related struggles that they were not able to focus much attention to before being on “home confinement”.
To dive deeper into how Nutrition 101/ nutrition survival skills applies to YOU and what it really means to give yourself permission to eat, I invite you to apply for a complimentary 40-minute “Weight loss Breakthrough” session.
This is designed to break through challenges you had before the quarantine such as keeping the weight off and feeling tired all the time. As well as the obvious avoiding weight gain during this time of confident. All of this is normally valued at $125.00.
I am gifting “12” of these complimentary sessions because of the uncertainty and hardship caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Here is just a snapshot of what will occur during the call, we’ll.
• Define a crystal clear vision of your specific nutrition/weight loss path
• Uncover the hidden challenges and unconscious self-sabotage that’s been holding you back from losing weight and keeping it off
•You’ll leave the session not only inspired, but also with tangible next steps to finally start seeing results from all your hard work!
To put your name in the hat and claim on of these life changing and informative sessions CLICK HERE
Fill out the short application and it submit. Over the next two weeks, I will choose 12 applicants to receive a complimentary “Weight Loss Breakthrough” session from me.