How to Use the Hunger Fullness Scale for Intuitive Eating
Written by Isabel Vasquez RD, LDN
With the prevalence of diet culture in our society, it’s no wonder so many people feel disconnected from their hunger and fullness cues. According to the CDC, as of 2013-2016, about half of Americans reported trying to lose weight in the last 12 months. And the majority of people reported eating less food to do so.
When you are restricting your food intake to try to lose weight, you are generally suppressing rather than honoring your hunger. That may look like chewing gum, drinking coffee, or eating super low-calorie foods when you feel hungry rather than eating a truly nourishing meal or snack.
While this is common in our diet culture-ridden society, it does not help our bodies feel secure and get what they need–energy. It causes many people’s hunger cues to become dull and unreliable over time.
When you’re ready to ditch diets and embrace a healthier relationship to food and your body, one step can be relearning to honor your body’s hunger and fullness cues. That’s where the hunger fullness scale comes into play.
Get your free downloadable version here!
In intuitive eating, a non-diet approach to nutrition, this scale is used to connect with the nuances of hunger and fullness. It helps build awareness and promote mindfulness.
In this article, we’ll discuss what the hunger fullness scale is, how to use it, signs of hunger and fullness, and tips for connecting to these cues. So, let’s get to it!
What is the intuitive eating hunger fullness scale?
While many people could benefit from reducing the power a body weight scale has over their lives, many could benefit from using this entirely different type of scale–the intuitive eating hunger fullness scale.
This scale uses numbers 1-10 to indicate varying levels of hunger and fullness, from painfully hungry to uncomfortably full. Numbers 1-5 indicate varying levels of hunger, and numbers 6-10 indicate increasing levels of fullness.
You can use this scale to gauge what physical and mental sensations come up for you with hunger and fullness and notice what point on the scale you are at. When you connect with these nuanced levels of hunger and fullness, you can use your cues to guide when to start eating or stop eating.
These physical and mental sensations can vary from person to person, so the scale presents an opportunity to get in touch with your unique cues and how to best honor them.
Signs of hunger
When you say you’re hungry, what does that mean for you? For some people, it means they’re at two on the scale and are feeling HANGRY. For most people, eating when you're at about a three on the scale feels best. I mean, who likes being hangry?
When you wait to eat until you’re at a one or a two on the scale, you are more likely to swing to the other end of the scale and get to a nine or ten on the fullness end. It’s your body’s natural response to being deprived!
When you get to that level, oftentimes, your stomach feels like it’s going to explode! It is uncomfortable, but it’s a fairly normal experience when you’re not honoring hunger proactively. This is why it’s key to connect with your body.
Here are some subtle signs of hunger that may signal it’s time to start eating:
Thinking about food
Mild fatigue
Mild irritation
Stomach feels empty
Mild difficulty concentrating
Here are some extreme signs of hunger that may signal you’re overdue for some food:
Rumbling stomach
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Extreme irritation
Inability to focus on current task due to physical sensations or obsessive thoughts about food
Headaches
Shakiness
Signs of fullness
Similar to hunger, the ideal level of fullness varies depending on the person. Oftentimes, somewhere around a seven is a comfortable place of fullness. However, there are certainly times where another point may be ideal.
For example, maybe you know you won’t be able to eat for a few hours, so you eat a little beyond comfortable fullness to hold yourself over for longer.
Maybe you plan on having dinner in a couple of hours, but you need a snack to hold you over until then. In that case, you may want to eat only until you are at about a six on the scale to ensure you’ll still have room for dinner.
Here are some subtle signs of fullness that may signal you’re around a seven on the scale:
Pressure in the stomach area
Absence of hunger cues
No longer enjoying the food
Improved mood
Improved concentration
Here are some signs of extreme fullness that might signal you’re closer to a nine or ten on the scale:
Nausea
Extreme bloating
Significant fatigue
Uncomfortable pressure in abdomen
It’s important to note that if you’re recovering from an eating disorder or disordered eating, your fullness cues may be skewed, causing you to feel uncomfortably full before your body has really gotten what it needs.
In that instance, feeling uncomfortably full is a necessary part of the nutritional rehabilitation process. Eating adequately and consistently helps these hunger and fullness cues to kick back in and ideally become reliable once again.
In that case, working with a registered dietitian who can provide more specific guidance on your energy needs can help.
Regarding the hunger and fullness cues listed above, it’s important to note that they may signal other things besides just hunger and fullness. For example, nausea can occur for reasons other than fullness, and headaches can occur for reasons besides hunger.
If you’re worried about symptoms and aren’t sure if they’re associated with hunger and fullness, speak with a trusted healthcare provider.
Why should I even bother connecting to hunger and fullness?
When we were babies, our hunger and fullness cues primarily drove our eating. We hadn’t yet been conditioned by diet culture, so we cried for food when we were hungry and refused more when we had our fill. We weren’t busy counting calories or macros to guide our eating.
As we grow up, we receive more and more messages saying our bodies are something that need to be controlled. Particularly for those who grew up in larger bodies, diets and weight loss tactics may have even begun before reaching middle school.
This conditioning really disconnects us from our bodies. It can cause us to trust a generic diet plan more than our own bodies to tell us what they need.
And the thing is, diets are not sustainable. They tend to result in some weight loss in the short term, but the vast majority of dieters regain the weight they lost and more within a few months or years.
That being said, if you’ve reached the point where you recognize all the ways dieting has harmed you and your relationship to yourself, food, and your body, then reconnecting to your body is key to healing.
Using this scale can be a starting point to acknowledging the nuances of hunger and fullness.
It can be a jumping off point for tuning in to your body’s cues.
Our body typically feels best when it is nourished. This scale encourages you to find satisfaction and connection in your eating. That is the beauty of it.
You can rebuild your relationship with your body and promote mutual trust.
This is not another diet
While the hunger fullness scale is a huge part of intuitive eating, there is a lot more to intuitive eating than just this. Be mindful of whether you are turning this scale into a new diet based around “perfectly” honoring your hunger fullness cues. This is not meant to add more food rules to your plate.
If you notice perfectionistic tendencies or disordered eating behaviors arising, you may want to stop using the scale for a bit. Remember, this is not meant to be a set of rules or restrictions. It is simply a way to connect with your body and learn to honor its needs.
For many people, it’s best to start with the hunger side of things since most “overeating” or bingeing has roots in restriction. Therefore, simply focusing on honoring your hunger proactively can be a great place to start.
Tips to connect with your hunger and fullness
This may sound all well and good, but how do you begin connecting to these cues if you’re new to this? Below are a few tips to get you started. You may want to pick just one to focus on this week and see how it goes.
Rid yourself of mealtime distractions
Distractions can include things such as scrolling on your phone, watching TV, driving, or eating at your desk while working.
With our fast-paced lifestyles these are common behaviors, yet they often prevent us from tuning in to our body’s cues. We become immersed in what we’re doing or we split our focus, making us less inclined to notice if we are still hungry, if we are feeling full, or if we’re satisfied.
While sometimes these distractions are impossible to avoid, like on a super busy day at work, consider where you can reduce distractions to invite in more opportunities for connection. You may choose to start with just one distraction-free meal and see if you discover anything new!
Schedule time for meals
A lot of people either skip lunch or eat lunch in front of their computer due to a busy work schedule. The stress of the workday can also prevent us from noticing our hunger cues.
I have had multiple clients tell me they struggle to connect to subtle hunger cues and don’t notice hunger until it’s pretty extreme. This often happens when they’re engrossed in work or some activity that captures their focus. They aren’t pausing to take a breath and check in with their bodies.
If you can, try creating some distance from your computer or your workspace for a bit to decompress and be present with your meal. Add meal and snack times to your calendar to be sure you take that time to nourish yourself.
This dedicated time away from work to eat may be what you need to start listening to your body!
Notice subtle cues
Another common struggle I hear from clients is only noticing extreme hunger or extreme fullness cues. As you now know, hunger and fullness exist on a spectrum. Intuitive eating involves recognizing the different points along that spectrum and how they feel in your body.
Start to pay attention to what these subtle forms of hunger and fullness feel like for you through eating at a reasonable pace (be mindful of if you tend to eat very fast), honoring your hunger proactively, and ridding yourself of distractions at mealtime.
Remember it can take time for these cues to return
With a history of chronic dieting or an eating disorder, it’s very possible your hunger and fullness cues have dulled. It’s like if you repeatedly knock on someone’s door hoping they’ll answer, and you eventually give up when they don’t. Your body dulls these cues when they have long been ignored.
The good news is, they often return with consistent nourishment. So if you are on your food freedom journey and struggle to connect with these cues, be gentle with yourself and your body. Work towards regular nourishment to help your body feel safe and resume sending those cues.
Hopefully these tips will serve as a starting point to help you grow in connection to your body. As you work on building this connection, notice if there is judgment coming up around these cues. Sometimes, we can develop complicated relationships with hunger and fullness from time spent dieting.
Remember, these sensations are normal and natural. Our bodies are simply communicating their needs with us. It is our job to learn to honor them. And remember to be curious and not judgmental with yourself.
Final Thoughts
The intuitive eating hunger scale can be a helpful tool in reconnecting with your body’s cues. It can help you to notice subtle signs of hunger and fullness to prevent you from swinging from one extreme to another.
Remember, connecting to these cues isn’t meant to be a “perfect” process, nor is it meant to be another diet. It’s about continually learning to reconnect with your body and doing what you can to honor it.
Get your free downloadable version of the hunger fullness scale here.
For more support, try our registered dietitian-led 3-part masterclass on intuitive eating to help you improve your relationship with food, your body, and movement.
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