The latest reports on diet and weight loss encourage us to eat only when we’re hungry, and then two weeks later, we’re told to eat on a specific schedule of planned meals. There’s so much conflicting information, that it’s no wonder we’re all confused. Truthfully, I think it’s a little bit of both, but it all depends on when and why you want to eat.
My dad was eternally thin; and not from eating vegetables, fish or lean meat. He ate when he was hungry and that could be at 10 in the morning or midnight. He subsisted on a steady diet of hamburgers, chili, diner specials, Mallomars and Hostess cupcakes. He wouldn’t think twice about ordering a triple carbohydrate breakfast of pancakes, hash browns and toast because that was what he felt like eating. All this and his nightly donut habit would have me waddling through the door, but he never once popped a button or split the seams on his clothes. (It probably helped that my mom wasn’t the greatest cook, but more about that later).
He never ate out of boredom or cravings; he just got food when he was hungry and did other things in between. And…. He ate only until he was full. If there was food left over, it stayed on the plate. It never occurred to him to finish it all.
I, on the other hand, have always eaten beyond hunger. I feel like I’m hungry all of the time. Not physically hungry, but my mind is in a constant state of food envy! I wake up contemplating what breakfast will make my taste buds happiest and the rest of the day is usually consumed with what flavors are next. The thought of eating only to fill my stomach is appalling to me. I have to mentally plan the flavors I let myself have so I can get the most taste from the fewest calories. I might be working, exercising or shopping, but my mind is always on food. I’ll plan my post-workout snack on the treadmill, then I’m planning lunch, and after that how long do I need to wait until my afternoon snack (but not too close to dinner), and then how long after dinner do I need to wait until I can have my 120 calorie ice cream cup? Sometimes I’m not even that hungry, but my body clock tells me it’s time and I don’t want to miss that treat!
When I see a plate of food that I love, my taste buds take over and my stomach no longer has a say in the matter! However, I’ve learned some tricks over the years that help me keep a handle on why I’m eating and how much I really want; like getting a doggie bag as soon as my meal comes and packing up half of it, splitting a full portion with a friend, ordering an appetizer as a meal, or even getting a variety of small bites by ordering the tasting menu. These can really help when we don’t have a true fullness gauge!
Below is a basic hunger/satiety scale from the book Eating Well, Living Well by Gaesser and Kratina:
0-Starving and beyond
1-You’re so hungry you want to order everything on the menu
2-Everything on the menu begins to look good. You may be preoccupied with your hunger
3-You’re hungry and the urge to eat is strong.
4-A little hungry. You can wait to eat, but you know you’ll be getting hungrier soon.
5-Neutral: not hungry, not full.
6-No longer hungry. You sense food in your belly, but you could definitely eat more.
7-Hunger is definitely gone. Stop here, and you may not feel hungry again for 3-4 hours.
8-Not uncomfortable, but you’ve definitely eaten a belly full.
9-Moving into uncomfortable.
10-“Thanksgiving full”. Very uncomfortable, maybe even painful.
Nutritionist Sheri Albert, MPH, RD recommends staying between 3 and 7 most of the time. In other words, try to eat before you’re so hungry that you think you can’t see straight, and stop eating when you feel satisfied and you’re no longer eating to satiate your hunger.
When my dad let his hunger be his guide, he remained thin and fit. We used to joke that my mom had been starving him since when he went into a nursing home and began eating meals every day at specific times, he gained 20 pounds. But I really think the forced feeding times eventually tricked his body into thinking he was always hungry at meal times.
So next time you’re craving something to eat, ask yourself what you’re really feeling: Physical hunger? Eat something. Boredom? Do something AWAY from the kitchen. Anger, anxiety, stress? Take a walk, run, go to the gym. Wait a few minutes, and then make your choice. Over time, you can train your body to respond to the right hunger cues!
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