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Heed the body's signals

September 11, 2005 1:06 am

IF YOU'VE EVER been a yo-yo dieter or felt your eating was out of control, you may have stopped trusting your body's signals of hunger and fullness.

Ironically, attempts to eat according to external guides--diets, calorie counts and other rigid plans--often fail, as dieters lose weight but then regain even more. Instead, trusting your internal signals of hunger is worth a try for most people.

If you walk or do other moderate physical activity, focus on balanced meals with several food groups on your plate. Pay attention to normal signals of hunger and fullness, and you may find that your weight stabilizes in a healthy place for you. This is far more satisfying than feeling deprived on traditional diets.

Your body's signals of hunger and fullness are more accurate guides of how much you need than counting calories.

Each day, you need a slightly different amount of energy, depending on your physical activities. For young women, energy needs varied by 400 calories a day at different points in the menstrual cycle, during a small Canadian study.

It's nearly impossible, even for dietitians, to predict subtle changes from day to day. Luckily, we don't have to--we can pay attention to feeling hungry or sated. The problem is that many people are too rushed to pay attention; others try to "stuff" uncomfortable emotions down with too much food.

Keeping a journal of foods, hunger and fullness can be very helpful. People find interesting patterns, such as waiting too long to eat between lunch and dinner and then overeating; or consistently eating when not hungry to alleviate stress on certain days. Once you see a pattern, you can try different solutions, either on your own or with coaching from a dietitian.

I strongly recommend using the free food journal available at nourishingconnections.com/stay_attuned_tools.htm, along with the "Basic Hunger/Satiety Scale" there. It shows you how to rate your hunger and fullness both before and after a meal, on a scale from zero to 10, with zero being ravenous and 10 being "Thanksgiving full."

Karin Kratina, a dietitian, exercise physiologist and anthropologist, developed the scales. With dietitians Nancy King and Dayle Hayes, Kratina co-authored a book called "Moving Away from Diets." They write it's healthy to eat when your hunger rates as a 3--hungry but not ravenous--and stop when you feel like a 7 or 8--full but not uncomfortably stuffed.

If you go more than four or five waking hours without eating, you may become so ravenous that you gobble food and end up overeating.

Consider planning regular meals and snacks to avoid long gaps. When you eat on time, it is far easier to eat slowly and notice when you are hungry or full.

Scheduling meals and snacks takes planning; you may want to write out some menus and shop for ingredients. Those too busy to cook may need to plan their schedules so that jobs or errands bring them near a restaurant or supermarket salad bar at regular times. Some people like to carry backup snacks such as a granola bars, peanut butter crackers, or a handful of fresh almonds or an apple or fruit cup.

It takes about 20 minutes to physically feel full, because it involves a complex interplay of chemical messengers that the stomach and small intestines release into the bloodstream. These messengers eventually reach the brain, which makes us feel full.

It's hard to be sensitive to sensations of hunger and fullness if you distract yourself by eating in front of the TV or computer, or while driving, or even standing up.

Multitasking is popular in today's busy world, but it can backfire when eating is involved. I'll use myself as an example of eating and doing something else. If I eat microwave popcorn out of a bag in front of the TV, my hand may touch the bottom of the bag before I realize it. At that point, I feel bloated and physically uncomfortable.

If I make popcorn before the movie and eat it out of a bowl at the table, I may eat one-quarter to three-quarters of the bag, depending on the day and how hungry I am, but I have never wanted the entire bag.

So when you eat, turn off the TV and computer, sit down at a table, or park your car if you absolutely must eat in the car.

Pay attention to your food. If you're eating a BLT, for example, enjoy the contrast of the crimson tomato and green lettuce, the smell of the fresh bread, the crunch of the bacon and squish of the tomato in your mouth, the juicy taste of it all. This is the way to satisfy your hunger; multitasking just doesn't deliver the same sensual pleasure.

If you find yourself overwhelmed by anxiety, sadness or other uncomfortable emotions when you eat without distractions, you may have problems that you've been using food to avoid. It may be helpful to see a counselor.

For most people, focusing on the food is simply delicious.

JENNIFER MOTL, a registered dietitian, welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteating.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.