How do you measure hunger?

Remember when we were kids? We were natural intuitive eaters. We ate only specific things; we would only eat if hungry and stop when we had enough. It often required my parents to trick me into finishing my plate.

Somehow, along the way, these instincts got lost. We started ignoring our body signals, and they dampened. Eating Buddy is here to help you get in touch with them again.

Hunger is specific to each individual, but here are a few signs to watch for:

• stomach grumbling or even hurting in some extreme cases
• low energy
• shakiness or problem focusing
• lightheaded or headaches

As important as knowing when you’re hungry is learning what triggers you to eat when you’re not. It might be environmental factors (a food place that smells good) or emotional (boredom, stress, relief, etc.).

Unlike real hunger that builds over time, these cravings come out of nowhere. To better identify them, use the check-in buttons regularly (you can set a reminder in the app’s settings). Also, please try our Checkpoints challenge, which focuses on check-ins, for extra fun.

Eating when hungry is half of the equation. The other half is learning to stop when comfortably (slightly) full.

As previously mentioned on the getting started page, no food should be off-limits. Stopping before full will be much easier if you know you can have that food again whenever you like.

Secondly, try to eat it mindfully. Mindful eating is paying attention to the process of eating in the present moment with full awareness. Chew slowly, savoring each bite, and pay attention to the textures and flavors.

As with any other skill, learning takes practice. There will be times when you eat too fast, and that’s okay. It’s all part of the process. When you eat a meal mindfully, take some time to tag it with #mindful. We have a set of challenges for it, too.