That 'you're full stop eating' switch

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  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
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    I don't has that switch. That's why I log my food.
  • JennyHollyHansen
    JennyHollyHansen Posts: 40
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    Use a smaller plate to fill up
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    My switch is broken :/.

    I was sat eating dinner last night and as I was starting afresh today I didn't bother paying attention to how much was on my plate, I figured I would use it as an experiment to notice that little switch that tells me I'm no longer hunger. It just didn't hear that switch at all. I felt hungry all the way through and then knew I'd eaten too much afterwards.

    How do I kick the switch back into working?
    It's not broken. Human beings have evolved to eat tons of calories at a sitting. Through 99% of human history, food was scarce, so we evolved to be able to eat a lot when we found food, so we could store fat to keep us alive until we could find food again.

    This is why logging food and being aware of portion sizes is so important. Your brain won't tell you to stop eating until about 20 minutes after you're already "full." That's the way it's supposed to work.
  • stephe1987
    stephe1987 Posts: 406 Member
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    1. Use a small plate.
    2. Wait 20-30 minutes before getting seconds to make sure you're actually hungry and aren't just eating more because it tastes good or because of habit.
    3. Only eat until you are 80% full or until you've hit your calorie limit (whichever comes first). A lot of us tend to eat until we feel (100%) full or even overeat until we cannot put any more food in our stomach without feeling nauseous (120% full).
  • yungibear
    yungibear Posts: 138 Member
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    The way I slow down while eating is using a fork and knife in the continental style of eating and pretending that I'm fancy (I know this sounds silly). This means you keep your fork in your opposite hand and the knife in your dominant hand. You do not cut all your food at once. I try to cut small pieces so I can easily slide the food onto my fork and keep it there without making a mess.

    I found that the act of taking time to cut and fit everything on my fork delays my food inhalation habit. As a result, I get the "I'm full" switch at the right time.
  • sugarlemonpie
    sugarlemonpie Posts: 311 Member
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    The way I 'retrained' mine was to just portion everything out. I felt hungry at first, but I knew that's all I could eat and kept envisioning how awesome I'd look and focus my attention to thinking about the workout I want to do in the morning as opposed to dessert. It also helps to allow yourself to snack frequently. I will eat a big bowl of cantaloupe or strawberries if I am dying for some dessert after my dinner. Fills me up, not many calories, and not too much sugar!
  • StefNeville
    StefNeville Posts: 1
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    hi
    I also struggle with portions. I now eat from a mid size plate (between side plate and main course plate size) which helps with portions. I use a soup/dessert spoon to dish out food, not a ladle, and I have started adding more veggies or salad to the plates first. Trying to eat slow, but thats difficult for me, so I sometimes use chopsticks. But yes, stopping when satisfied- not full- is tricky...also listening to body to recognise when its hungry rather than just bored/ thirsty etc.

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