Knowing when you're full

[ceeveg]

My friend struggles with compulsive eating. Today she sent an email, asking me how someone knows when they're full, and how they know when enough is enough.

I'm not sure how to respond. I want to give her courage and comfort. Thank you for any suggestions!

[WorldsBestMom]

Well normally when one stomach feels full that is how they know that they have had enough. If your stomach feels as if its about to burst even if you have a strong appetite to continue to eat more they should stop. Thats my suggestion.

[dachshundqueen]

I have found that I have to consciously eat slowly, and give myself small quantities. Slowly replenishing my plate as it takes a while for the brain to recognize the full signal. This forces me to enjoy my food rather than stuff myself. If you are truly still hungry, you will know it. Also, being aware of common portion sizes is important too while you're trying to retrain yourself.

Liz

[ceeveg]

I'm one of those grazers, so I never really get to the point where I feel very hungry or very full. Those are good responses. Thank you very much! I think the portion tip would be especially helpful for her. From what I know, I think she tends to skip breakfast and lunch, and then eats mostly at night. I don't think I could do that! I need a little something every few hours, it seems ...

[MountainMamaGC]

Wait 20 min before you get seconds as you may find that you dont need seconds after all.

[wytchywoman]

Chew her food well and put her fork down in between bites. I've noticed that when I am engaging in emotional eating I can really shovel the food in and I eat quickly, so I am really really full by the time I'm done. Paying more attention to what she is eating and not watching tv while she eats are more good tips. And don't drink alcohol before or during a meal. That stimulates appetite and leads to overeating.

[lynsage]

I went looking for the "fullness scale" that I used when I was doing Weight Watchers and I found this, which is more detailed and has lots of info:

From the Duke Diet & Fitness Center

The Hunger/Fullness Scale was developed by Barbara Craighead, PhD, to help people gauge their hunger to determine whether they need to eat or not. The next time you feel hungry or finish a meal, take a moment to rate your feeling of hunger or fullness on the scale

1 – Very Hungry
2 – Moderately Hungry
3 – Mildly Hungry
4 – Neutral
5 – Mildly Full
6 – Very Full
7 – Much Too Full
(The desirable zone is 2.5 to 5.5)

Here’s a little more about what the numbers mean:
1: Very hungry; starving; desperate. Your stomach is “screaming.”?
2: Moderately hungry; ready to eat. Your stomach is “talking.”?
3: Mildly hungry; beginning hunger. Your stomach is “whispering.”?
4: Neutral. You feel no sensations of hunger or fullness.
5: Mildly full. You feel satisfied.
6: Very full. Your stomach is beginning to feel a bit distended.
7: Much too full. Your stomach feels stuffed.

This is a subjective scale — it isn’t objective in the way that counting calories is. For that reason, it can be more difficult to use. However, continued focus and practice will help you become more sensitive to your body’s signals of hunger and fullness. Here are some tips:
• We recommend staying between 2.5 and 5.5.
• Never allow yourself to get down to 1. Have healthy snacks planned in advance and eat one if you fall below 2.5 on the scale. It typically takes three to four hours for the stomach to empty, so you should try not to go too much longer than that without eating.
• Stop eating at 5.5. Eat slowly — it takes 20 minutes for your brain to know your stomach is full.

Eating while watching TV is a huge overeating trigger for me, so I take a reasonable portion of whatever I want to snack on while watching something with DP and do not go back to the kitchen for more. No taking the whole bag of chips/container of dip/whatever into the living room.