Your Fullness Signals (Rate Your Hunger)

To be aware and in touch with your body's hunger and fullness signals is a big secret to weight loss. Many people have a hard time knowing when to stop eating, and many people eat when it is not necessary.

Here is a handy chart you can reference to measure your hunger levels:

Instructions

First, you must learn to be aware of biological hunger signs. Keep in mind it is normal and even healthy to feel hungry before meals; you don't have to eat at the first sign of hunger. It's nothing to be afraid of. Hunger means your body has burned off your previous meal or is close to it and is now having to tap into fat stores -- that's a good thing! At the other extreme, if you let yourself get ravenous, you may end up losing control and going overboard once eating starts -- or grab whatever is the most convenient (typically junk food) instead of making a better decision. We highly suggest using the Pre-Fill technique when you first notice yourself getting hungry.

Rule: If you have reached the middle of the scale where you are no longer hungry but are not overly full -- what we might call "comfortably or pleasantly full" -- it's probably time to stop eating. You could also stop for several minutes to give your body's satiety mechanisms time to kick in, then see how you feel. Avoid going past an "8" on the scale.

As you eat, ask yourself "Am I still hungry?" and then rate your hunger. It takes roughly 20 minutes for all your body's Satiety Signals to kick in.

Use your food journal: Recording your hunger ratings regularly in a log or journal will really help you figure out which foods fill you up, and which don't.