Today, we’re talking about how to recognize when you’ve had enough to eat — and stop before you feel too full.
It’s safe to say that we all know the feeling of being stuffed after eating….bloated, clothes are tight, uncomfortable…
Been there? Me too!
It could be that we are more than we needed or wanted because we zoned out and became unaware of how we were feeling.
When you tune in to your body and listen to those internal cues (of hunger and fullness), you can enjoy the foods you love without overeating (no more restriction and deprivation required!).
And that leads me to today’s tip.
Tip #3: Eat to Be Satisfied, Not Stuffed
This tip has you let go of the idea that you need to clean your plate. Instead, you need to think of your hunger and fullness feelings on a sliding scale of 1-10.
On one end, you feel extreme hunger (1 of out of 10) and on the other end, you feel totally stuffed (10 out of 10).
In an ideal world, you would never be at a 1 or a 10, but move more around the middle.
I have two action items you can put into practice to know when you’ve had enough to eat.
Strategy 1: Reduce Distractions
Scrolling our phones or working while eating is a habit that most of us have. And once and a while won’t impact us a lot. But doing it often prevents you from being in the moment and being aware of what your body is telling you as you eat. You’ll miss those hunger and fullness cues!
In this strategy, you want to try to reduce distractions while you eat. So put the phone down, turn away from the computer or tv and stay with your food. Chatting with friends or family is okay as you can likely still check in with yourself while having a conversation!
Strategy 2: Match Your Eating to Your Goals
Use the scale above to determine where you should be when eating to reach your personal goals.
Rule of Thumb: When you’re eating a meal, aim to stop some where between a 7 and a 9 out of 10 on the scale.
o If your goal is fat loss, aim for 7. When you’re at a 7 out of 10, your hunger has been met, you feel good, and you could eat a little more, but you don’t really need to.
o If you’re looking to maintain weight and current body composition, aim for 8. This is when you’re comfortably full. You could get up and easily take a walk.
o If your goal is muscle gain or weight gain, aim for 9. At a 9, you’re over-full. You might feel fine, or you might be slightly uncomfortable, sluggish, or even a bit sleepy.
Have you been following the theme this month and using any of the tips? I’d love to know!
Want to create real change? Reach out today!
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