Hunger Training or Biofeedback

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robingmurphy
robingmurphy Posts: 349 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone tried "hunger training" using glucose level biofeedback? This is a technique where you measure your blood glucose when you want to eat, and only eat if your glucose level is in a certain range. It's supposed to help you know when you are actually, physically hungry.

easacademy.org/research-news/article/hunger-training

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  • robingmurphy
    robingmurphy Posts: 349 Member
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    You must have a much better grasp of when you're actually physically hungry than I do then.
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
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    I would think that measuring and logging your intake while sticking to your calorie goal would be much easier and less complicated than checking my blood glucose every time I want something to eat.
  • robingmurphy
    robingmurphy Posts: 349 Member
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    I'm trying to understand when my body is actually hungry with the theory that I can rely on those signals to maintain a healthy weight in maintenance.
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
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    robingmurphy wrote: »
    I'm trying to understand when my body is actually hungry with the theory that I can rely on those signals to maintain a healthy weight in maintenance.

    But you can also do that by tracking your intake and learning portion control. If you lose your weight in a healthful way, and you don't do it by crash dieting/using appetite suppressants/cutting out food groups, it's entirely possible to learn what actual hunger feels like and learn how to control your eating in maintenance while still living your life.

    When you switch to maintenance, keep track of your weight. If your weight trends up more than a few pounds, start tracking your intake again. It doesn't have to be complicated.
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    edited September 2016
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    robingmurphy wrote: »
    Has anyone tried "hunger training" using glucose level biofeedback? This is a technique where you measure your blood glucose when you want to eat, and only eat if your glucose level is in a certain range. It's supposed to help you know when you are actually, physically hungry.

    easacademy.org/research-news/article/hunger-training

    I do this but only for my first meal of the day. After that I eat every 4-6 hours apart. However, I do it because I'm a diabetic and need to know where my glucose level is before I eat and stumbled onto the coincidence that I'm just not hungry until my level falls to about 120 ... and that if I then keep my mealtime carbs to about 45 grams I won't be hungry again for that long.
  • robingmurphy
    robingmurphy Posts: 349 Member
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    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »
    robingmurphy wrote: »
    I'm trying to understand when my body is actually hungry with the theory that I can rely on those signals to maintain a healthy weight in maintenance.

    But you can also do that by tracking your intake and learning portion control. If you lose your weight in a healthful way, and you don't do it by crash dieting/using appetite suppressants/cutting out food groups, it's entirely possible to learn what actual hunger feels like and learn how to control your eating in maintenance while still living your life.

    When you switch to maintenance, keep track of your weight. If your weight trends up more than a few pounds, start tracking your intake again. It doesn't have to be complicated.

    One thing I struggle with is tricking myself into thinking that "Oh, I must be a little hungry ... I should probably have a few bites more" when really I'm not and just want an excuse to eat. Data could help me address that, I think. And, okay, I'll admit - I'm also a science and data junkie and I'm kind of interested in how my hunger levels correlate to my glucose level. I was just curious if others had tried it.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited September 2016
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    If you have diabetes, or making holes in yourself is your kind of fun, go ahead. It's just that if you aren't diabetic, or pre-diabetic, etc., blood glucose levels don't vary that much.

    Another technique, or a low tech version of the same technique, that I have used successfully, is combining "the hunger scale" with MFP. MFP taught me what proper portions should look like, the hunger scale taught me what proper portions should feel like, Allen Carr taught to wait for my meal (and looking even more forward to it). I have a few "control questions" to help me distinguish between real hunger and just wanting something to eat. I tend to eat only when I'm hungry, because I prefer that. But sometimes it's okay to eat just because I want to.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Wow

    I think you'd be far better judging if you've eaten in the last couple of hours, going for a 20 minutes walk and then if still hungry eating something rather than over medicalising something with tests

    Transitory hunger is not true hunger ...20 mins is long enough to test it
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,973 Member
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    Now that I'm focusing on foods that satiate me, I'm only hungry right before meals. I've learned what portion sizes of protein, starchy carbs, and non-starchy veg fill me up, so take that much and I'm good.

    My appetite goes up premenstrually and I eat at maintenance for a few days at that time, usually adding in an extra snack, bigger dinner and/or a treat.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    Eat what you want, when you want, but remain in a calorie deficit. It really is not hard to grasp. Why the need to over-complicate things?
  • Derpy_Hooves
    Derpy_Hooves Posts: 234 Member
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    Sorry but that just sounds crazy
  • oolou
    oolou Posts: 765 Member
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    Not tried it, but it sounds interesting. I guess it's really the same theory as mindful eating but with a wedge of science put in to gauge hunger. Not sure I would try this though as I'm not looking to do daily blood glucose tests ... I'm learning to recognise hunger through doing 5:2 fasting - it's helped me distinguish between when I eat out of habit/boredom, or because my appetite has been piqued by a delicious smell, and when I eat out of hunger. It was kind of an eye opener to realise that I very rarely eat because I am actually physically hungry.
  • SillyAnneh
    SillyAnneh Posts: 7 Member
    edited September 2016
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    As a fellow junkie of data gathering, I would be interested to know how my numbers fluctuate too. I don't know that I would necessarily base my eating habits exclusively off of glucose readings (I would probably just check to see how I fluctuate throughout the day before/after eating, but probably wouldn't attach numbers that dictate when to eat.) I've actually considered getting a glucose monitor to check myself, even though I'm not a diabetic. I'm just curious as to what is normal for me. And glucose levels vary extensively from person to person; for example, for those with diabetes, "normal" fasting blood glucose is 80-130 mg/dL (based on this year's information from the ADA), though I talk to patients at work all the time who get the sweating/dizziness/lightheadedness due to low blood sugar at 140 and 150. I would say, if you're willing to put in the funds to buy the monitor and the lancets and testing strips, and as long as you test yourself properly and safely, it would be interesting to at least know how your body runs.

    As for "over-complicating" things...it's your health, your interest, and your decision. I don't personally think that that's too complicated a thing to do, or want to do.

    Edit: Rephrased a few things that sounded ambiguous, added last sentence because I re-read it, and it sounded antagonistic.

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