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Hunger Cues

“Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right’. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along." Napoleon Hill

What is your initial hunger level?

  • Are you eating because you have been prompted by hunger cues or are you eating out of emotional hunger?
  • 1-4: eating out of physical hunger
  • 6-10: eating out of emotional hunger

Hunger Scale
1. You are so hungry you feel light-headed and dizzy
2. You need to eat, you feel irritable and cranky. You feel ravenous
3. Your stomach is growling
4. Continued hunger signals
5. You feel just right – neither hungry or full
6. You are comfortably full, little full
7. You feel very full
8. You feel uncomfortably full
9. Your stomach is so full that it hurts a little
10.You've eaten so much you feel stuffed beyond capacity, you feel like you could get sick

If you eat at a 1 or 2 (ravenous) you will tend to overeat. When you are eating at a below a 5 you are eating out of physical hunger. When you find yourself eating at a 6 or more you might be eating for emotional reasons. Ask yourself what purpose is food serving you. The art of following hunger cues is a balancing act. It is not allowing yourself to get too hungry or too stuffed. Try eating at a 3 and stopping at a 5.

Emotional/Mouth Hunger versus Stomach Hunger

Emotional or Mouth Hunger / Stomach Hunger
  • Even after I had a large meal, I still want dessert
  • I have had a tough day I really want something sweet
  • When I walk into the mall and walk by the cinnabon I get hungry
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  • I often get a knowing feeling in my stomach
  • I feel light headed if I haven’t eaten for while
  • There is a time every day that I feel hungry

The Effect of Dieting on Hunger Cues

Obstacle: Perpetual dieting can wreak havoc on listening to your body and recognizing when you are hungry. A dieting body is a starving body (Tibole, E. Intuitive Eating)

Solution:Establish a regular eating pattern. Eating every 3-4 hours prevents you from becoming ravenous. An eating pattern (breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack and dinner) helps you to recalibrate hunger and fullness signals.

Michelle Market, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Wellness Coach who began her career as a wellness counselor in 1995. Michelle is dedicated to helping individuals feel better physically and emotionally. She has a private practice in Herndon, Virginia as well as a virtual practice and works with Adolescents & Adults. Michelle provides counseling, coaching and workshops. She specializes in self-esteem and healthy food relationships. Her mission is to create and maintain positive change in the lives of her clients.She offers on-going groups on Emotional Eating, Eating Disorders, and Self Esteem.

Michelle Market, LPC626-C Grant St

Licensed Professional CounselorHerndon, VA20170

Wellness Coach

703.597.7869