Need help on reading the signs of stopping eating.

escalada22

Ok, so this may be a stupid question, but how do you know when you are truly full? I mean, I am great at overeating, that is obvious with how much I have to lose. Reading into my body signals I fix a bowl of food, all measured out. I eat about 1/2 of it and I feel full. Should I stop? Shoudl I stop and rest and see if I am still hungry in 5 mins? I don't want to over eat, but I want to get proper nutrition. Any suggestions?

tekwriter

It is someething you have to learn to look for. It is hard to reunite with the feelings of hunger and satiety. Eat less than you think you want and wait. You can always have more.

bcattoes

If you are not used to reading your body's signals, then I'd stick with a planned regime for a while. Tracking calories, macros, making sure to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, maybe even planned meal times. After you keep your body on track through planning for a while, you will probably learn to read your hunger and full signals correctly.

ThisGirl2013

I def don't eat if I am not hungry.
In the event that I prepare a meal and get full while eating I simply wrap it up and put it in the fridge for later.
I try to drink a lot of water.
I know that I am really hungry when my tummy growls and I am not craving any food in particular.
Cravings, for me at least, indicate an emotional "hunger" and I just drink water with some fruit pieces thrown in instead or coffee with flavor - anything that will take the edge off.

Tercob

My problem is I eat too fast. I eat so fast that I dont give my body time to let me know I am full then when it catches up I feel sickly over stuffed. I am working on it, I have been working on it. My other problem is, I am a social eater, if we are some where I eat, not even hungry just because it gives me something to do and not look like I am just taking up space( I guess).

Mokey41

You don't need to be full or feel full. Set out your calorie budget, plan your meals, eat the food you have planned. When it's gone, you're done. Some people never get the full feeling.

If you feel full too fast, take a look at what you're eating. You're going to fill up a lot faster on a huge plate of broccoli for few calories compared to sitting down to a steak. Eat more calorie dense foods to get the same calories in with a lesser amount of food.

quirkytizzy

I try to set a calorie limit. It's highly unlikely that 400 calories is going to give me what I need. 800 calories is closer. So if I've downed 1000 calories and STILL feel hungry, it's a good enough bet that by that point, I'm just eating to eat.

GauchoMark

I think the biggest thing is slowing down.

When you eat, fix yourself a plate of food that uses the "recommended" serving sizes. The plate will look comparatively small! Eat that, then wait 10 minutes or so. If you are not SATISFIED (notice I didn't say "full" - if you are full, you are overeating more than likely), fix yourself some more as long as you have the calories for it.

Obviously, if you don't have the calories, don't eat it and you may need to re-evaluate your food choices to less calorie dense items.

In our society, food is always nearby. Just ask yourself - "now that I have eaten, can I make it for 3 hours without my stomach growling?" If the answer is yes, stop eating.

escalada22

Thanks everyone for all your insight. I am def. getting the full feeling but just want to make sure my body is getting the proper nutrients to fuel, burn calories and lose weight!

Thanks again all - I love mFP!

LINIA

I def don't eat if I am not hungry.
In the event that I prepare a meal and get full while eating I simply wrap it up and put it in the fridge for later.
I try to drink a lot of water.
I know that I am really hungry when my tummy growls and I am not craving any food in particular.
Cravings, for me at least, indicate an emotional "hunger" and I just drink water with some fruit pieces thrown in instead or coffee with flavor - anything that will take the edge off.

Dear 'This Girl 2013'---your advice is, to put it simply, AMAZING!!!! Continued progress to you as you work towards your goal.

CoraGregoryCPA

If you feel full.. stop! Take advantage of that. Don't overstuff yourself. But why are you feeling full so soon? Are you hungry an hour later? Can you eat again at that time? Maybe your "half of a bowl" is more than enough.