Tuning into your hunger is tough when diet culture teaches us to ignore it. Wearing your CGM can be a great opportunity to tune back in and learn to listen to your body. Read on to learn more.

Hunger is a physiological response to your body’s need for food. Unfortunately, many people have become disconnected from their body and are unable to identify hunger unless they are starving.

Using your CGM is a great opportunity to tune into what your body is telling you and gives you a chance to get curious about how it feels. If you are getting regular low blood glucose readings, it is possible that you have gone too long between meals or may need to adjust the types of meals you are eating. It is also possible that a low glucose reading has happened after a glucose spike as your body tries to get back to its baseline. Noticing these patterns is a great starting point to identify what style of eating works best for your body.

Remember, every eating opportunity is a chance to nourish and care for your body.

Ideally, we want to be eating when we get subtle hunger cues as opposed to starving. When your body is starving it is more likely that you will be looking for quick fix foods to get your glucose levels up (and most likely spike afterwards). High sugar and fat foods make total sense to your brain when it's starving!

Similarly, if your blood glucose is higher, it is less likely that you are hungry. If you are eating at these moments it is a great opportunity to explore why you might be eating. Is it because you are tired, bored, stressed, frustrated or the food is there? There are many reasons why we eat and acknowledging this is the first step. Remember, this is not so that you can judge yourself. It is simply an opportunity to get curious.

As you use your CGM, get curious about the physical sensations in your body before eating.

Notice the level of hunger you see experiencing. Are you peckish, a little hungry or absolutely ravenous? Chances are your blood glucose levels will reflect this as well.

If you are only slightly hungry with moderate glucose levels, you might only need a small meal. This will reduce the likelihood of overeating and causing a glucose spike. Whereas if you have higher hunger cues and a lower glucose reading you will need a larger meal to support your body. Remember, the goal is to be able to really listen to your body and respond to its needs.

Paying attention to your body's signals is a powerful way to create a positive relationship with food. It also helps to tune in and listen to what your body is trying to tell you. This way, when you don't have the CGM on you will have better insight into how to respond to your body based on your body's cues. Your CGM is a great tool to get insights into how your body functions and learn what it is asking for.

If you need more help with learning to understand and listen to your body, make sure you seek professional help.