How to rate your hunger

How do you know how hungry or full you are? Many of us grew up with the “clean your plate” mantra, which can shift eating cues to what’s on the plate instead of how people actually feel. So, to help people tune in, experts created a Hunger-Satiety scale. It’s a 10-point scale that you can use to help you dial into your hunger or satisfaction and gauge when it’s time to eat and when it’s time to stop.

The hunger-satiety scale

The first step is to think about how your stomach feels: how hungry or full are you? Then see where you are on this scale: 

1—Starving, no energy, very weak

2—Very hungry, low energy, weak, and dizzy

3—Uncomfortably hungry, distracted, irritable

4—Hungry, stomach growling

5—Starting to feel hungry

6—Satisfied but could eat a little more

7—Full but not uncomfortable

8—Overfull, somewhat uncomfortable

9—Stuffed, very uncomfortable

10—Extremely stuffed, nauseous

How to use the scale

Once you know where you rank on the Hunger-Satiety Scale, you can make informed decisions about when to eat. Have a bite when you’re at a 3 or 4. Try not to get so hungry that you’re below a 3. Check in with yourself several times while you eat, and eat slowly. It takes time to register how full you feel. (See our article “How to practice mindful eating.”) Once you get to a 6 or 7, consider meal time done. You’ll have renewed energy—without the food coma. 

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