We are many, many weeks in to quarantine now and I think it’s safe to say most of us are going a little loopy. We aren’t moving like we used to and maybe not eating the same as we used to. Maybe you’re snacking more while occupying yourself with Netflix. Maybe you’re eating more often because you keep passing through the kitchen. Maybe you’re comforting yourself a little more with food because it’s a very stressful time.
For a lot of people it can be hard to control what we eat on a regular day but when you’re stuck at home with a kitchen downstairs, coupled with feelings of stress and anxiety, mindless eating is almost a given.
I’ve read a few books on hunger and overeating recently, and wanted to share the one bit of common advice that has really stood out to me… the simple idea of a hunger scale.
Though the idea to check in with your body is not new to me, rather it’s something I often talk to clients about, the visual scale is. While the ultimate aim is to be able to mindfully listen to your body without any need for a visual cue, I think perhaps the visual aid of a real scale could be helpful in stressful times like these when someone’s mind is already so full.T
The How
The scale is numbered from 1-10: 1 being so hungry you feel ill and 10 being so full you feel sick. The aim is to try to stay in the middle of the scale, between 4 and 7. The idea is that you eat when you feel hungry but stop when you are satisfied, pretty simple right?
Actually the scale can be difficult to get the hang of at first. Not feeling hungry until you’re really hungry is common to see, as is eating so fast you go way past feeling full. The best thing is to try using it for a while without judgement. When you go to eat where do think you are on the scale and how do you feel when you finish? It can be helpful to keep a diary to see any patterns in your body signals. Everyone’s body will signal hunger and fullness in different ways, the goal is to tune in and identify yours!
If you find yourself overeating or feeling at the higher end of the scale more often than not; aside from checking in before you go to eat, here are 2 tips that might help:
Mid Meal Pause
Take a break from eating when you are half way. Put your knife, fork or spoon down and check in with your body. If you are almost full how much more do you need to feel comfortable? Are you already full but were going to keep going to finish the plate? Are you getting full but don’t feel satisfied? Maybe the food you picked wasn’t what you really wanted.
It can be easy to eat more than we need because we get distracted by TV, talking to family or are simply used to large portion servings. Having that break helps us refocus and be mindful even just for 20 seconds of the meal.
Snacks
People often eat because ‘it’s time’, going by a schedule or routine rather than their body. When we have a schedule to go by we should still practice mindful eating and plan for our hunger accordingly.
When we are feeling slightly low on the scale but not quite ready for a meal, a small snack might be enough to tide us over. We want to avoid getting ravenously hungry to stop from overeating when we finally get a meal.
We also want to avoid eating too much when we were only slightly hungry, especially if another meal is scheduled soon.
A Final Note
There are lots of reasons you might decide to eat, other than just hunger. Perhaps you’re bored, stressed, anxious or even excited. Emotions play a huge role and it’s important to recognise those.
Circumstances are tricky right now and emotions are certainly all over the shop so don’t put pressure on yourself to eat the rainbow everyday, to never overdo it on the portion sizes or to not eat out of boredom occasionally. We’re all human and all going through this challenging time together.
Have a go at using the scale as a guide going forward and please be forgiving with yourself. You are the one who decides when and what to eat, the scale is only there as a hopefully helpful aid as you start to learn your own body signals.
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