A templative beginning.

I feel that I have been rather winging it lately.  You have probably noticed!  In order to better explore and keep track of everything I put together this template.  This includes a hunger scale.  There is a lot of benefit to asking yourself what level your hunger is at before you eat, and after.  The Intuitive Eating book even recommends that you check in halfway through your meal and gauge your hunger then.  I am not ready to take all of that on, but I am ready to start checking in before and after.  The goal here is to have 3 meals and 2 snacks.  These would be approximately 3 hours apart.  If I am not hungry however I will not be eating.  That is what the hunger level is for.  :)  Ideally I will eat when my level gets to a 3 of hunger,   Stop at a 6-7.  I don't need to be full.  Just satisfied.  There will be more meals to eat.   I am not limited to just these meals either.  This is just an idea.  If I am hungry still after eating dinner, I can certainly eat again.  This is just a template---up for daily interpretation.

This is the book I took the hunger scale from.  I have completely fallen in love with it!  When I first was introduced to the idea of intuitive eating I was in a cycle of deprivation.  I thought to lose weight I needed to hold back on certain foods, which would then make me crave them.  I would set a hard rule.  "In the morning I will have no sweets!"  The rest of the day I would eat all that was in the house, only to make the same declaration and subsequent actions the next morning.   I learned through intuitive eating that food is not the enemy.  There is no good or bad.   I am not good or bad based upon what I eat.  Food is just that, food.   I did not need to feel guilty for eating something "forbidden"  There was nothing forbidden.  The idea is that every food has good for us.  Emotionally, physically, spiritually.  The key is to learn what your body needs.  We will talk more on this later.  Just wanted to throw it out there!  :)  

Feel free to use it if it helps you.  :)  You can print using the print button under the post. 

Morning Blood Sugar:

Exercise:

Breakfast:  
Time:
Hunger Level*:
Ate:
Comments:

Snack:
Time:
Hunger Level*:
Ate:
Comments:

Lunch:
Time:
Hunger Level*:
Ate:
Comments:

Snack:
Time:
Hunger Level*:
Ate:
Comments:

Dinner:
Time:
Hunger Level*:
Ate:
Comments:


Water intake:

**Hunger Scale is from 0-10 with zero being absolutely empty, ravenous and 10 being so stuffed that you are absolutely sick.
0--Empty
1--Ravenous
3--Set
4--Pangs
5--Neutral
6.5--Satisfied
8--Full
9--Stuffed
10--Sick
"Every time you start to eat, check your hunger level.  Ideally, aim for around a level of 3 to begin eating.  If you are at a 5 or above, you are not biologically hungry.  If you are at 2 or lower, you're likely over hungry and at risk for overeating."  Scale and comments taken from the book "Intuitive Eating" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.