What's the hunger scale?
The hunger scale, sometimes called the “hunger/fullness” scale, is a way to check in with your body to see how it’s feeling re: food. It’s a scale from 1-10 that acts as a range going from Very Hungry/Beyond Starving all the way to Uncomfortably Full/Feeling Sick. Below is an image I created that illustrates the scale:
Created by Sami Main
Not everyone in their food journey will be ready to use something like the hunger scale to judge when/what they want to eat. Folks who are still in early stages of eating disorder recovery should follow what their recovery team/doctors instruct(s) them to do.
It’s difficult for people, like myself, who spent years ignoring their own hunger cues to start to listen to and trust their body once again. With a tool like the hunger scale, you can begin that process on your own terms and begin to pay attention to your body’s needs and wants.
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