© 2019 Precision Nutrition precisionnutrition.com
The Hunger Game
NAME DATE
The “how you should feel timeline”
Today, notice how you feel before, during, and after eating. Rank your physical hunger on a scale from 1 (no hunger) to 10 (worst
hunger ever). When you’re truly physically hungry, eat. Eat slowly, and stop at 80% full. Adjust your meal size and frequency
depending on your body cues.
Just before
eating
Are you physically hungry? Pause and check in. Look for signals like a rumbling stomach,
lightheadedness, irritability, etc. You want to be around a 7 out of 10 on the hunger scale.
Immediately
after eating
To be 80% full, shoot for about a 2 or 3 out of 10 on the hunger scale. Pause for 15-20
minutes before you eat more. This will give your brain time to catch up. You want to feel
satisfied, not stuffed.
One hour
after finishing
You should still feel physically satisfied with no desire to eat another meal.
Two hours
after finishing
You may start to feel a little hungry, like you could eat something, but the feeling isn’t
overwhelming.
Three to four
hours after
finishing
Check in. You may be getting a bit hungry, perhaps a 4 to 6 out of 10. If you’re around a
7, eat. Not really hungry yet? That’s OK. Follow your body cues.
Four or more
hours after
finishing
You’re probably quite hungry, like nothing is getting between you and the kitchen. If you’re
around a 7 or higher, eat. Not really hungry yet? That’s OK. Keep checking in with your
body. You may find you need to act fast once your body decides to be hungry — so be
prepared with a healthy and quick option, just in case.
© 2019 Precision Nutrition precisionnutrition.com
This worksheet helps you get into the habit of noticing how physically hungry or full you are. Look for body cues such as:
growling stomach or sense of stomach
emptiness
lightheadedness; headache
irritability, shakiness
The more you practice observing your physical hunger cues (and
differentiating them from just wanting to eat), the better you will get.
Goals
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Stay aware of your
physical hunger cues
and learn to calibrate
your eating.
Start eating when
you’re around
a 7 or higher.
Stop eating when you’re
around a
2 or 3 (80% full).
Notice your thoughts,
emotions, and physical
sensations around
eating times.
Try to distinguish “need
to eat” from “want to
eat” or “should eat”.
How to use this worksheet
1. Mark TWO numbers for each meal: how hungry you are when you start eating, and how hungry you are (or aren’t) when you
finish eating.
2. Observe and record your physical and emotional sensations at each meal. For physical sensations, focus on how your
stomach feels in particular
Example
DATE TIME HUNGRIEST NOT HUNGRY
Jan 26/14 12 PM
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Notes
Starving when I started out… didn’t eat breakfast. Over-ate. Feel really
gross and full now; upset stomach.
5 PM
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Notes
Didn’t stop soon enough; feel sluggish and bloated.
9 PM
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Notes
Feel good. Went to the store and bought some nice berries to eat.
Stomach upset subsiding.
0
0
0
0
0 0
The Hunger Game (cont’d)
© 2019 Precision Nutrition precisionnutrition.com
1. Mark TWO boxes for each meal: how hungry you are when you start eating, and how hungry you are (or aren’t) when you
finish eating.
1 = not hungry; 10 = hungriest you’ve ever been. Your goal is to start eating when you’re around 7-8, and finish around
2-3 (80% full).
2. Observe and record your physical and emotional sensations at each meal. For physical sensations, focus on how your
stomach feels in particular. Also feel free to jot down any thoughts or other notes about what helps or hinders you to eat slowly
and stop at 80% full.
DATE TIME HUNGRIEST NOT HUNGRY
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Notes
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Notes
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Notes
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Notes
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Notes
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Notes
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Notes
The Hunger Game (cont’d)