Weight Loss: Fullness Signals
Content by: NCES, Inc.
Recognize the signals of "comfortable fullness"...Read More!
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The primary role of food is to fuel the body, like gas fuels a car. Just as it is not necessary to overfill a car’s gas tank, eating more food than you need is also unhelpful. Your metabolism can adjust to an occasional overeating experience. But, if the overeating occurs daily or even weekly, your metabolism cannot burn off the extra calories.
Comfortable Fullness: The Key to Avoiding Excess Calories.
In order to stop eating at the point of satisfaction or comfortable fullness, recognize the feeling of physical satisfaction and learn to stop eating at that point. It doesn't matter how much is still on your plate. Save it for another meal!
Fullness Signals. During your meals and snacks, you should pay attention to how full you are getting. Below are some common fullness signals. Be sure to add your own, too!
What does comfortable fullness feel like?
It's a feeling of satisfaction or relief, like: “Ah, I’m not hungry any more.”
A feeling peacefulness.
No more stomach pangs or twinges.
Feeling like you don’t need any more food.
Food starts to taste less good.
At the edge of pressure on the stomach.
Quick Tips!
Acknowledge when:
1. You didn’t need those last few bites
2. You feel very “full” or have discomfort or pain in the stomach
3. Need to loosen clothing at the waistband
4. Become fatigued or sleepy after eating
5. Food is substantially less tasty than usual
Next Steps:
1. Do not let others determine your portion. For example, just because you order a large french fries, that doesn’t mean you must eat them all! You should eat only as much as it takes to satisfy you. That might mean leaving some fries behind.
2. Resign from the ‘Clean Plate Club.’ Although your parents meant well when they told you to clean your plate, practice telling yourself it is okay to leave food on your plate. If you are in a restaurant, bring what you don’t eat home with you.
3. Learn to eat leftovers. Saving part of your meal for another is smart. The food taste good, its a lighter portion at another time, and you will look forward to the next meal.
3. Make sure not to be distracted while eating. Be mindful as you eat. If you get lost in conversation, thoughts of work or other, then you miss the signals of being full. Just make sure to “check in” with your stomach during the meal to see how full you are. Put down the fork between bites.
