Principle #2: Honor Your Hunger<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Principle #3: Make Peace with Food<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Principle #4: Challenge the Food Police<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Principle #5: Discover the Satisfaction Factor<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n As we start talking about principle #6 and how to honor our fullness, it\u2019s important to note that many of us have been taught to do the exact opposite. Growing up this may have looked like being a member of the \u201cclean plate club\u201d and having to eat all of your meal, or having to eat all your dinner to then get dessert, which often leads to eating past the point of fullness. You may also feel overly cautious about \u201cwasting food\u201d, which drives you to eat food even when you aren\u2019t really hungry for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or, you may just be in the habit of eating the food until it\u2019s gone. Every time you make a meal, order out, or even grab a bag of chips you know you will eat until the food is gone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Others eat in a chaotic and rushed manner that causes you to bypass any physical sensations as you try to get food in as fast as possible. These can all be clear signs that it\u2019s time to reconnect with your body\u2019s fullness cues so you can truly honor your wants and needs when eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try to take time to recognize what kind of eater you are. Are you eating because the food is there? Do you feel guilty if you don\u2019t finish the food? Do you feel pressure to eat everything on your plate? Once you are able to identify how you eat you can better identify how to stop when you do reach fullness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re learning how to feel when you are full (and stop eating) really stems from the ability to make peace with all food<\/a>, and know that the food you are eating will be available again in the future. Remember that you don\u2019t have to eat all of the food now. You don\u2019t have to say \u201cscrew it, now is my chance\u201d. You are able to return to the food again in the future when you are both hungry and desire it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Typically when we eat we reach a point of being comfortably full. <\/em>A helpful tool to use while learning to recognize your hunger is the hunger\/fullness scale, as shown below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a moment to look at the chart below. Where do you normally fall? Where have certain diets or eating patterns left you on the scale? What about meals? Do certain meals leave you feeling closer to one end of the scale or the other?<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you eat there are also questions you can ask yourself to check in (remember- being mindful is key and this can help bring us back to the present moment!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learning to identify physical feelings of fullness is a key component of intuitive eating principle #6. As you learn to tap into these physical sensations you will be able to better understand when you\u2019re \u201cdone\u201d with a meal. Let\u2019s review some of the physical sensations you may notice as you start to approach fullness:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stomach: stretching, bloating<\/p>\n\n\n\n Head: less thoughts about food and eating, the desire to eat has gone away<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mood: shifted, feeling more relaxed and calm<\/p>\n\n\n\n Energy: some people feel more energized after a meal or snack, others may feel more drowsy<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additional tips for getting in touch with your fullness:<\/p>\n\n\n\n CHALLENGE: <\/strong>Take a moment to reflect on your current eating habits. What is the environment usually like when you eat? How do you feel when you eat? Afterwards? Is it something that you just try to get out of the way, or is it a sacred time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being mindful of how we can cultivate a more relaxing and enjoyable space around eating can help us feel our fullness and greatly improve our relationship with food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe for you this will look like actually making yourself a plate of food and sitting down to eat rather than eating your kids leftovers. It could also look like putting in some headphones if your house is hectic so you can feel more present and enjoy your meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe at work this looks like putting away your laptop and actually walking away from work for your lunch break so you can cultivate a more safe, relaxing environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bringing mindfulness to not only what <\/em>you are eating but how <\/em><\/strong>and where <\/em><\/strong>you are eating can be really impactful!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re still having a hard time understanding or feeling those physical symptoms, here are a few exercises you can try:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Feeling fullness can be harder in pregnancy, especially as you reach the end of pregnancy. Your body may feel slightly foreign to you and your hunger\/fullness levels may not be what they normally are. Be gracious with yourself and accept these changes as they come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have gestational diabetes in pregnancy and\/or are checking your blood sugar in pregnancy it may be helpful to plan foods that will keep you full longer so you can check your levels in the amount of time you and your providers have discussed. For example, if you will be checking your blood sugars in two hours, you don\u2019t want to get hungry before then!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember that intuitive eating and learning to feel your fullness is important- even in pregnancy. It\u2019s important to check in with yourself and notice when extra support, especially if you have a history of eating disorders or disordered eating. There is no shame in asking for help- it can be incredibly transformative and help you manage your gestational diabetes and pregnancy in a more balanced and healthful way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Know that it is really common to at past fullness or have trouble mastering this skill. Over time outside influences have given us rules and \u201ctips\u201d to help us ignore hunger, such as filling up on salad first just to get hungry again in an hour or ignoring hunger all day then feeling out of control later in the day. Sadly, these things have made it difficult to know how to feel our fullness and be okay with that. Remember to be gentle with yourself as you practice this skill and get more comfortable with intuitive eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\nReasons you may be eating past fullness<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Recognizing physical signs of <\/strong>fullness<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Being Mindful While Eating<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Feeling your fullness in pregnancy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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