This week in our series on Intuitive Eating, we will discuss Principle 5 – Feel Your Fullness. This principle encourages one to pay attention to your hunger fullness scale throughout the eating experience. Taking note of how the food tastes and makes you feel. This involves listening to your body to determine your current fullness level and stopping when you feel full/satiated. Practicing this principle can lead to significant fitness benefits of intuitive eating, as it promotes a healthier relationship with food. By honing in on internal cues and recognizing fullness, individuals may find themselves making better food choices. Ultimately, this approach fosters a sense of well-being and can enhance overall physical health.
So how do we feel our fullness cues? First, it is important to recognize your hunger and fullness cues. I like to think of this as a hunger/fullness scale rating from 1 to 10. As previously discussed in the blog, Intuitiv/e Eating: Honor Your Hunger, we will use the same hunger/fullness scale to discuss feeling your fullness cues. Understanding the satisfaction factor in intuitive eating allows us to cultivate a more mindful approach to our meals. As we learn to recognize and appreciate our fullness, we begin to separate emotional responses from physical hunger cues. This shift not only enhances our relationship with food but also promotes a healthier and more satisfying eating experience.
As discussed from the previous post, honor your hunger, a rating of 1 indicates feeling starving, shaky, irritable, etc., to 10 indicating feeling overstuffed and sick, and a rating of 5 being neutral, thus content. It is important to stay towards neutrality throughout the day meaning, when you have the first feelings of hunger, such as a rating of 4, you begin seeking out food so when you get to the point of being ready to eat, such as a rating of 3, you can honor your hunger and eat. By allowing yourself to eat when you become hungry, rather than waiting until you feel starving, rating of 1 to 2, you are able to eat an appropriate portion of food that your body needs. Often, when individuals wait until the point of starvation or feeling “hangry”, we eat large amounts of food very quickly leading us to feel overly full or sick, a rating between 8 to 10.
So what does feeling your fullness cues have to do with intuitive eating? Feeling your fullness means allowing yourself to be comfortably full and satiated. Often individuals struggle to stop eating a meal, typically a meal one really enjoys, resulting in uncomfortable fullness, even to the point of feeling sick, and negative self-feelings. Often, over-indulging and/or binge eating can lead to foods being categorized as “off-limits”. However, restricting certain foods is unsustainable, thus resulting in the endless cycle of restricting, binge eating, and compensating. You can practice feeling your fullness by checking in with yourself throughout the meal and rating your hunger/fullness. Sometimes, we can feel full, but continue to want to eat. During this time, I would encourage you to set a timer for 10-20 minutes, distract yourself from the food, and afterward, revisit the thought of it you actually want more food or if you are in fact comfortably full. In doing so, you can learn to honor your body, mind, and spirit.
Resources:
1TRIBOLE, E. V. E. L. Y. N., & Resch, E. (2020). Intuitive Eating: a revolutionary program that works. S.l.: ST MARTINS ESSENTIALS. Embracing selfacceptance through intuitive eating is a journey that fosters a positive relationship with food and body image. By letting go of restrictive diets and focusing on internal cues, individuals can discover a sustainable approach to nourishment. This practice not only nurtures physical health but also enhances emotional well-being, promoting confidence and joy in everyday life. Rejecting the diet mentality approach allows individuals to break free from the cycle of guilt and restriction often associated with conventional dieting. This shift encourages mindfulness and self-compassion, enabling a deeper understanding of one’s body and its needs. As people learn to listen to their own signals, they often find greater satisfaction in their meals and an improved overall sense of well-being. In addition to embracing self-acceptance, individuals often explore emotional eating coping strategies to navigate challenging situations and emotional triggers. These techniques help in identifying the difference between physical hunger and emotional cravings, allowing for healthier responses to stress. By developing greater awareness around eating habits, individuals can cultivate resilience and make more conscious choices regarding food.
Series:
Introduction: Intuitive Eating: The Anti-Diet
Part 1 – Reject the Diet Mentality
Part 2 – Honor Your Hunger
Part 3 – Make Peace with Food
Part 4 – Challenge the Food Police Incorporating mindful eating techniques for beginners can significantly enhance your relationship with food. By focusing on the sensory experience of eating, you can learn to appreciate flavors and textures, which fosters a more intuitive approach to meals. These practices not only promote a healthier mindset but also help establish a sustainable and enjoyable way of nourishing your body. The principles of intuitive eating approach emphasize listening to your body’s hunger signals and making peace with food. By encouraging individuals to reclaim their relationship with eating, this method aims to foster a healthier mindset and reduce the obsession with dieting. As you explore these concepts, you’ll find valuable insights that can transform your eating habits and overall well-being.
