Hunger Scale

[OceanSpray]

The wisdom is to start eating when you’re about a 3 and stop when you get to a 6 or 7.

But as someone very out of touch with my hunger and fullness cues, can anyone shed light on their personal scale? What does 3 mean to you? 6?

 

[Friday]

If I only ate when I was hungry? I’d only eat once every 7-10 days. I don’t eat when I’m hungry, I eat to protect/strengthen my body & mind, and as a sensory thing.

Hunger scales work for some people. Not for others.

For me? It’s a 0-10 on/off kind of thing. I don’t get hungry until I’m literally starving, and have been, for a little while. And then? If I DONT eat, my hunger shuts off, yet again.

 

[Sideways]

What does 3 mean to you? 6?

Not at all helpful for me. My body hasn’t registered feelings of hunger for years!

 

[Rose White]

I try to eat on a schedule—loosely. Not based on hunger. I learned to eat about every 3 hours a day with portion control in order to avoid a restrictive-binge cycle. In reality I eat about every 4-5 hours, usually 2-3 meals a day and 1-2 snacks. A daily meal plan made every week provides a reference for what food I’ve purchased and planned to eat. I don’t follow it exactly but I look to it every day.

 

[Teasel]

I know that 3 is before I'm hangry but after being a little hungry. So, hungry, but not pissed off and wanting to eat all the things.

6 would be hunger pangs have gone, and before I want to stop eating probably. But I'm very likely to have the opposite problem to you re hunger cues.

 

[Shaylee]

Definitely not what I thought this thread might be about. Nor did I realize I was not alone in the ‘hunger, what’s that?’ group.

I get honestly hungry about 4-6 times a year. Been that way since elementary school. Things will smell/sound/look good, but there is no desire to actually eat. I eat when other people eat and try to keep it as healthy as I can, or what my family refers to as force feeding. (I utterly despise being asked things like ‘what are you in the mood for‘… I don’t fully understand what that means). Also when it is obvious I have forgotten for a few days because I get the shakes out of the blue. I keep different types of meats and cheeses for these times. I then usually eat until whatever I am eating loses any appeal, usually averages to 6-8 deli sliced pieces of salami and a couple slices of cheese.

When I actually feel hungry? I take full advantage and stuff myself silly. Which in other people’s perspective is still not much but to me is a feast. I know that doesn’t help with the numbering aspect but I am not sure how to assign them

 

[Sideways]

The wisdom is to start eating when you’re about a 3 and stop when you get to a 6 or 7.

Is there any chance you could ask the person who suggested this what they mean? Getting insight from someone with a normally functioning endocrine system would be really helpful!!

What does 3 feel like in the body? Does my tummy rumble or something? What does 6 feel like? That’s roughly where I started when I was learning emotions - maybe it could be applied to hunger as well?

Because if I can learn to feel hunger, then presumably I can also learn to feel satiated, which I’m reeeeally interested in. Because apparently that feels great, and is a reason to love eating, which rates really highly for a lot of people. They love dining out - because it feels good to eat good food. That must be awesome!

Super curious about where this thread goes

 

[Midnightmoon]

I think my body sees hunger cues as a trauma trigger, so has switched them off all together. Never hungry (to the point serious malnutrition) so I wouldn't even know where to begin with a hunger scale. To complicate it I have physical disability which means when I do eat it causes pain and awful symptoms... probably reinforcing my brain not to want food even more.

I use the prescribed ensure type drink things, and set reminders on my phone. Not fool proof, especially when discociative amnesia comes to play, but a sort of system

 

[OceanSpray]

Is there any chance you could ask the person who suggested this what they mean?

Maybe. I came across it from this guy.

He doesn’t explain what the cues actually are. I had started working with a dietician years ago and we kinda went over that stuff but I just don’t have the same awareness of my body that other people do. I’m basically just ravenous all the time. I always feel hungry, until I feel sick, and even then I’m still hungry and still often eating while being so full I’m sick. Which I know is wrong but in the moment. . . I don’t care.

 

[Ecdysis]

I don't know if this is helpful or not... I eat a "keto" diet... amongst other things because it really stops the "carb cravings". You don't even have to cut carbs as radically as in a keto diet... Just cutting them wayyyy, waaaayyyy down really helps to stop the "carb hunger" and to get back to healthier hunger signals. (Another reason I'm doing it is because I ended up in insulin resistance, which is the pre-cursor stage to developing Diabetes Type 2, also from eating too many carbs.)

 

[No More]

I think my hunger scale is probably a little bit different as I need to use food as endurance fuel. So I have ‘fuelling strategies’

Even if I’m not hungry I always eat breakfast. Just because. And then lunch/dinner can be flexible depending on how many calories I shall be needing for the afternoon/evening. I am terrible for recognising hunger so I tend to stick to a schedule & then use carb packs or drinks when I start feeling fatigue and need to top up.
I think the hunger scale is going to be subjective on what exactly you are eating as well! I like tasty food very much so I can often be tempted into eating a little more of a very nice meal!