Heed the body's signals

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.

Pay attention to your body

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."

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