Thanksgiving is just around the corner! That means we get to enjoy delicious foods like turkey, mashed potatoes, rolls, and pumpkin pie! With so many tasty options, it is easy to eat too much at Thanksgiving. Our tummies might hurt and we may even feel a little sick. That’s not very fun, is it? We can avoid this feeling by simply learning how to listen to our body’s hunger messages.
Captain CREATE likes to use the hunger scale to help him know when to eat and when to stop eating. Captain CREATE knows that when he listens to his body, he feels better. The yellow faces below show us how we feel at different spots on the hunger scale.
When we are too hungry, sometimes we are grumpy. Our tummies hurt and all we want is food. We may not make the healthiest choices when we are very hungry.
Luckily, we don’t have to wait until this stage to eat food. Our body tells us we are hungry as soon as our body is ready for more food. Captain CREATE likes to start eating at this stage – when he is just a little hungry.
As we eat food, we will start to feel ok. Our tummies will feel happy – not too hungry, not too full, but just right! It’s good to stop eating when we feel ok.
Sometimes we may eat a little more after we feel “ok.” This may make us feel a little full. We don’t feel sick, but we don’t want anymore food. Captain CREATE often stops eating at this stage.
Eating too much is uncomfortable and we might feel sick. It’s not fun to feel too full.
Try listening to the hunger messages your body is sending you. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at eating when you are just a little hungry and stopping when you are just a little full.
Happy Thanksgiving!