Getting in touch with your appetite

Today, I want to talk to you about your appetite. We’ll start off with some info on the difference between appetite and hunger, and then talk about how to get in touch with the cues your body is sending you when it comes to the need to eat food (aka hunger and fullness cues) as well as some of the other messages (aka emotions).

What is the difference between appetite and hunger?

According to the Cambridge dictionary, appetite is “the feeling that you want to eat food” whereas hunger is “the feeling you have when you need to eat”.

So, basically, appetite is the desire to eat whereas hunger is related to the biological need to eat. I am certain that you have all experienced a desire to eat, without being physically hungry (which is 100% normal and also completely OK!). Some of the common reasons we can want to eat food (related to appetite) are :

- because we are hungry - because we are bored or want to escape some uncomfortable feelings - because it’s “time to eat” - because delicious food available now and won’t be later

- because we want to connect with people through food

Mindful eating Hunger and fullness scale

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Are there any other reasons that you would add to this list?

Generally, we seek to eat in response to a need, whether it be physiological, psychological, or social. Getting in touch with your hunger and fullness cues (as well as the other messages your body is sending you through emotions) will help you better connect with your needs (physical, emotional, etc.) in order to best answer them. But how do we do that? Mindfulness, and more specifically, mindful eating.

What is mindful eating? Basically, it’s eating with the intention of paying attention to how you feel about your food. It means taking the time to notice what’s going on without judgement. It’s all about presence and curiosity. If you are interested in the concept of mindful eating, feel free to visit www. thecenterformindfuleating.org or The Mindful Eating Workbook by Vincci Tsui, RD.

One of the tools that I love to share with people when they begin to explore mindful eating is the hunger and fullness scale!

First off, let me just say that the hunger and fullness scale is a tool – nothing more! Basically, it’s a way to get to know all of the different levels of hunger and fullness you feel (and how those levels of hunger feel in your body) in order to help you make an informed decision in how you want to answer your needs.

The scale goes from 0 to 10, 0 being “empty” and 10 being “uncomfortably full”. There is no “ideal” place to start or stop eating, it’s more a question of identifying when your body wants to start or stop and then try to respect that as much as possible. Sometimes this means planning food ahead so that you don’t end up uncomfortably hungry and sometimes it means saving some food for later so that you don’t end up uncomfortably full. And sometimes it’s not possible to connect with or respect your hunger level, and that’s OK too.

It’s important to add here that hunger and fullness cues can be majorly impacted (and therefore not so reliable) by several factors such as severe caloric restriction, eating disorders, emotional distress, and medication. Please seek professional support if you fall into one of these categories before trying to rely on the cues your body is sending you.

Also, if you’re interested in connecting more with your hunger and fullness cues but would like some guidance, please feel free to reach out (info@coraloomis.com)! I offer some pretty awesome nutrition counseling both in person (in Sherbrooke) and online.

www.coraloomis.com