Today marks the halfway point in our Intuitive Eating series. Today is all about Intuitive Eating Principle 5 – Feel Your Fullness.
In case you missed it:
- What is Intuitive Eating?
- Intuitive Eating Principle 1: Reject the Diet Mentality
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 1
- Intuitive Eating Principle 2: Honor Your Hunger
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 2
- Intuitive Eating Principle 3: Make Peace with Food
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 3
- Intuitive Eating Principle 4: Challenge the Food Police
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 4
Intuitive Eating Principle 5 – Feel Your Fullness
The snapshot of Intuitive Eating Principle 5 – Feel Your Fullness is: “Listen to the body signals that tell you that you are no longer hungry. Observe the signs that show that you’re comfortably full. Pause in the middle of eating and ask yourself how the food tastes, and what your current hunger level is.”
This Principle is closely tied to Principle 2: Honor Your Hunger. For some people, one (hunger or fullness) may be more difficult to detect; to acknowledge; or to listen to.
Perhaps you grew up in a house that belonged to the clean-plate club. It was encouraged to eat everything on your plate, regardless of your body’s physical fullness level. Or perhaps there was a past experience of food insecurity that leaves you unable to leave food on your plate, out of fear that there will not be more.
One key the authors of Intuitive Eating give regarding Feeling Your Fullness is to be conscious when you are eating. This means less distractions and more focus on the physical act of eating and how it feels in your body. This can be difficult in today’s fast-paced world, but maybe you start small, with choosing one meal or snack per day to eat mindfully or perhaps even smaller, with the first 1-3 bites of a meal or snack each day being mindful. Get back in touch with what the experience of eating is like for you in your body as it is today (not as it was in the past or what you wish it might be in the future).
What People Are Saying About Intuitive Eating Principle 5
I am continuing to love the conversation, group support, connection and insights happening in my online Intuitive Eating Group. See what people are saying about Intuitive Eating Principle 5 Feel Your Fullness:
“There was more pressure not to waste food as the reason for the clean plate perspective. I think carefully about what I put on my plate but definitely feel pressure to eat after I feel full when there is food left. IE has helped me recognize this behavior and not react to it.“
“I’m still working on listening to my fullness but I think a major signal for me is that I’m not thinking about food anymore. I know I’ve eaten enough when I can move on from a meal and not be thinking about whatever food I just ate or whatever food I will eat later.”
Intuitive Eating Support Group for Women
If you have been following along on this Intuitive Eating journey with me or hearing about Intuitive Eating elsewhere and wanting to learn more, or you’ve been doing some learning on your own and are ready to have the support of others on the journey with you, I have the perfect resource for you:
A 12-week small group coaching experience to help you heal your relationship with food and your body, ditch dieting for good, get back to trusting yourself around food AND enjoying the foods you actually like!
Group will be held live via online video >> Thursdays at 6:00pm CST (recordings will be sent out if you are unable to attend live). The group runs once per quarter. FULL DETAILS HERE.
REMINDER
This blog and Instagram series I am doing is not meant to be a replacement for reading the Intuitive Eating book or working through the Intuitive Eating Workbook. Rather it’s to provide an overview of the Intuitive Eating concept and principles to bring more awareness to the fact that there is an alternative to dieting and restricting.
For More Intuitive Eating Resources
Download my FREE Guide – 5 Steps to Stop Obsessing About Food and Your Body
Individual Nutrition Coaching – if you’re looking for more individualized support, check out my options for working together one on one.
Intuitive Eating Support Group for Women – if you’re interested in learning more about Intuitive Eating in a supportive, small group environment, this is the group for you!
