Hunger vs. fullness
For many of us, though, the hungry/full signal-response pattern is more complicated. Our eating patterns are shaped by external influences:
- Family rules around mealtimes
- Cultural messages about “good” and “bad” foods
- Exposure to different types of foods
- Exposure to diet culture
And, if we have a history of disordered eating behaviors, like restricting our food or binge eating, our ability to detect and respond to our body’s cues can really suffer.
Why do I never feel full?
If you've gone through cycles of extreme dieting or binge eating, know that the restrict-binge cycle can be one of the most detrimental influences on our ability to feel fullness and hunger.
When we diet or restrict what we consume, our body operates as if it’s in starvation mode, just like in earlier times when there were periods of famine. Our bodies try to conserve energy and signal us in all the ways it can to get energy.
Why can't I stop eating?
For many of us, this natural cycle eventually sets us up to binge eat. Bingeing was actually adaptive once upon a time, because our bodies were trying to consume as much as possible when it was available, fearful that there would be another “famine.”
Today, when a wide variety of food is largely available to many of us, you can imagine what binge eating or severe restricting does when repeated over and over.
Both our physical and our psychological tools for detecting our own hunger and fullness are disrupted. The hormones that signal our brains to eat or to stop eating are dysregulated. Our sense of trust in our bodies is threatened.
What does hunger feel like?
One of the first steps in learning to re-establish the connection with our satiation (fullness) is to distinguish between what might be emotional vs. physical hunger.
Emotionally driven hunger:
- Comes on suddenly
- Feels as though it can only be satisfied with a specific food
- Feels as though it must be satisfied urgently
- Feels like it exists in your head or mind
- Pulls for you to be uncomfortably full or stuffed before it eases
Physical hunger:
- Generally, comes on more gradually
- Tends to reside in the physical body
- Generally, goes away when you are physically satisfied
You can use this helpful hunger and fullness scale below to redevelop your awareness of these cues.
How to use a hunger and fullness scale
Patients at ERC often ask, "when should I stop eating?" A hunger and fullness scale can help you you determine the intensity of your hunger, guiding your food choices.
- 1 (extreme hunger) — feeling completely famished, and maybe even feeling weak
- 3 (hunger) — your stomach may signal that you feel hungry
- 6 (pleasantly full) — feeling satisfied
- 10 (extreme fullness) — feeing physically ill and extremely uncomfortable because of fullness
Ideally, you don’t allow yourself to experience either end of this spectrum (a 1 or a 10).
How to tell if you're hungry
Take a look at the scale above. The goal is to start eating when you are at around a 3 or 4, per the scale above. This is around the point at which your stomach may be signaling to you that you’re feeling hunger. Food becomes more appealing and appetizing when you’re in this range, but you still have a sense of control over the choices you’re making around eating.
How to know when to stop eating
We aim to stop eating when we reach around a 6, per the scale above. This is around the time that you will feel pleasantly full and satisfied. The physical sensations that accompany this will be a little different for each person. Generally, our stomachs do expand some when we eat and our hormones signal to the brain that we are “rewarded” for eating – it feels good to have nourished ourselves!
The key is to increase your body awareness
For those who have been living with eating disorder behaviors for a long time, re-establishing these hunger and fullness signals can take some time.
The hunger and fullness scale is something that can be used before, during, and after each meal or snack. To start practicing the awareness needed in this process, it can help to take a mindful breath before identifying your “number” on the fullness scale. And if you’ve eaten past the point of comfortable fullness, remember not to beat yourself up. This is a practice for a reason, and there will be times that we miss the mark.
Address co-occurring issues
If you are still struggling to know what your body is telling you, consider what other factors may be making this difficult to assess.
- Is your eating environment too stressful or distracting to be attuned with yourself?
- Are you suffering from anxiety or depression? Those conditions can alter your appetite significantly.
- Are you taking medication? Some medications might make this challenging as well.
Consider how you can create frequent, predictable, low-stress eating times in your day, as much as possible. And be sure to connect with a medical or mental health provider if you’re struggling with physical or emotional problems that are throwing off your internal cues.
You deserve a peaceful relationship with food
If you have questions about eating disorder symptoms or if you are concerned that a loved one might have an eating disorder, you can fill out this form or call 866-622-5914 to speak with a Masters-level clinician.
Thank you, Ashley Solomon, PsyD, for contributing to this piece.
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