Am I Eating Too Much? Or Not Enough?

Are you confused by how much you should be eating?

Wondering if you’re having too many calories? Eating too many carbs or fats? Should you have one or two or three slices of toast? Should you go back for that second serve of dinner?

Or perhaps you’re worried you’re not eating enough?

There are so many different opinions, endless studies, and conflicting information about food and how much to eat. So who do you listen to? Who’s the ultimate authority figure with the real answers? YOU! Essentially, there’s no clear one size fits all answer. It’s not a yes or no, right or wrong, black or white sort of situation. Wanna know why? Because we’re all different! You’re different to me, and I’m different to the next person. On top of that, you’re different on a day to day basis too based on things like your stress levels, how much sleep you’ve had, the stage of your menstrual cycle and a host of other factors.

Your wants and needs are unique to you and forever changing. So when we come back to questions about how much you should be eating, don’t focus on external guidance like counting calories, weighing food or the time on the clock. Instead, turn your focus inwards and listen to your own body, your own wants and needs. A great way to start doing this is by getting more in tune with your hunger and fullness. It sounds pretty obvious right? I mean, these cues exist for a reason…just like your body tells you when you need to pee, your body will send you messages about food too! However, we often ignore them (perhaps due to being busy or years of dieting which have mean you’ve lost ouch with these cues).

With all that being said, here are a few activities I suggest to help you understand your appetite better. Disclaimer - these activities are here to build your confidence and skills in noticing your body cues for hunger and fullness. The idea of listening to these cues is not to become a slave to them. Only allowing food when hungry or being on high alert to avoid feeling overfull are just more food rules and the ‘hunger fullness’ diet. Rather, these are wonderful tools that can be used to increase the awareness and trust you have in your body. And another disclaimer - those with a history of disordered eating or eating disorders may have a harder time getting back in touch with their hunger and fullness cues, for example due to changes in hormones that regulate appetite (leptin and grehlin). If this is the case, I recommend you seek further guidance with the help of a non-diet nutritionist.

Your Hunger and Fullness Experience

Let’s explore how your body tells you that you’re hungry and full. Next time you’re hungry, write down what that hunger feels like to you. (Top tip - to help you feel more present and focused for this experience, try doing a body scan meditation beforehand). Hunger is different for everybody and your experience will be unique to you. It may be felt as:

  • Pangs felt in your stomach

  • Growling or rumbling 

  • An empty or hollow feeling

  • Feeling slightly queasy

  • Light-headedness

  • A slight headache

  • Shakiness 

  • Loss of energy, weakness

  • Difficulty concentrating

  • Difficulty making decisions

  • Feeling irritable or cranky

  • Feeling panicked

  • Feeling like you must eat ASAP

Next, find a time when you’re neither hungry nor full and write down what it feels like. Finally, find a time when you feel full and write down what that feels like too. 

Your Hunger and Fullness Gauge

Now that you’re familiar with what hunger and fullness feel like for you, this gauge is helpful in bringing awareness to the levels of hunger and fullness that you experience. Consciously notice your hunger and fullness patterns for a few days and assess your hunger using the gauge before and after each time you eat, as well as at random times throughout the day.

 Do you Notice any Patterns?

The final activity is to see if you notice any patterns around you appetite. The idea is to be curious and simply become more aware of your hunger and fullness, not to judge it or your actions surrounding it. Here are some questions to ask yourself

  • Do you get hungry at the same time(s) most days? What time(s)?

  • Do you feel more / less hungry when certain things are going on in your external world? (E.g. work deadlines, an argument with a partner, scrolling on Instagram, going to the supermarket, stressful news coverage)

  • Do you feel more / less hungry when certain things are going on in your internal world? I.e. thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations

  • Do you often get to a high level of hunger before eating? Are there certain circumstances where this tends to happen?

  • Do you often experience a high levels fullness? Are there certain circumstances where this tends to happen?

  • Does your menstrual cycle have an impact on your hunger and / or fullness levels?

  • Does stress have an impact on your hunger and / or fullness levels?

  • Does sleephave an impact on your hunger and / or fullness levels?

 

In essence, getting more in touch with your hunger and fullness - what they actually feel like to you, different levels of hunger and fullness, the patterns you may notice in them - are all factors to help guide your eating. Remember, the idea isn’t to only eat when you’re hungry and never eat when you’re full. The idea is to become more confident in honouring your hunger and fullness without judgement. Whatever the case is with your hunger and fullness, that’s okay. Also remember there are many other reasons we eat - like going out for lunch with your friends or simply because you’re hungry. If you’re curious to dive deeper into an intuitive way of eating where you listen to your own body, and your unique wants and needs, feel free to book in for a 15 minute consult with me here xx

Nina Kingsford-Smith