Stop eating before you're stuffed?

rapat
rapat Posts: 108 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Now that I've been logging, I'm trying to consciously stop eating when I'm somewhat satisfied to give my stomach signals a chance to tell me I'm full 20 minutes later.

But it takes willpower as in the moment I have the urge to just scarf down a lot more.

I've been doing an okay job but a few times I've failed and given into the urge to just keep eating.

Besides sheer willpower, how do you stop yourself from continuing to eat before your stomach hunger signal is able to catch up? Are there any methods you find reliable?

Replies

  • mjrkearney
    mjrkearney Posts: 408 Member
    Basic advice would be eating slower or eating smaller meals more often so you're never really "hungry". You could do something as simple as putting less food on your plate and not immediately getting up to get more.
  • m0pp3t
    m0pp3t Posts: 32 Member
    This is something i struggle with too. First, give yourself permission not to finish whatever it is that you have in front of you.

    Put down the fork/spoon/sandwich/etc in between each bite.

    Drink in between each bite.

    Some people say don't do anything other than eat, but I find i can also pace myself if i'm reading, and say, read 2 paragraphs before taking another bite.
  • kimothy38
    kimothy38 Posts: 840 Member
    Sometimes we get so out of tune with our bodies it's hard to tell when we're satisfied. The way it was described to me was that when you pause from eating that's when you're satisfied, not full mind you. I eat too fast and if it's something sweet there's no way I'm gonna stop till it's finished.
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
    i find less meals make me more in tune with hunger sigals, and it means i can eat BIG!
  • jnchorn
    jnchorn Posts: 250 Member
    I was reading Bob Harper's Skinny Rules book. He said to have a full glass of liquids with a scoop of fiber 15 minutes before eating a meal. He says it will help feel full sooner. Just an idea. :)
  • llamalland
    llamalland Posts: 246 Member
    I think it's the hardest habit to break! Sometimes I'll get up and brush my teeth, and it will distract me, and make more food seem less appealing until the full feeling catches up with me. I keep hoping that little trick, among others I hope to read in this thread, will help me form a healthier habit before too long!
  • leesehm
    leesehm Posts: 117
    i used to be really bad with dinner. eating till i was in pain.
    i now eat on a smaller plate. which helps

    the other day i felt sick after dinner at mums place after overeating and wondered why i felt horrible. but it was because i hadnt felt that overeating pain in the two months id been on mfp.
  • schondell
    schondell Posts: 556 Member
    I literally just ate 3 cups of pasta.. I feel overly stuffed!! I need to learn when to say enough's enough also
  • MariaChele85
    MariaChele85 Posts: 267 Member
    Eat a piece of fruit like an apple, pear , or an orange....
    drink some water....
    wait like 20 min...
    then continue with your normal meal...
    and drink water in between too

    I do this, and I usually find myself eating less than what I originally would've ate..
  • Lrdoflamancha
    Lrdoflamancha Posts: 1,280 Member
    I was once told that during every meal there is a point when you set down your fork. Obey this.... When you set down your fork the first time stop. Leave the table. I have found this to be true for me. If i stay or pick up the fork again, I will eat till I am stuffed.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    Basic advice would be eating slower or eating smaller meals more often so you're never really "hungry". You could do something as simple as putting less food on your plate and not immediately getting up to get more.

    Great advice here; Early on in the process, I think it is harder in that one is used to over-stuffing one's gullet. That being said, as we exercise moderation, it seems easier to control as our stomach begins to better reflect our newer eating habits. I would add here that for me, exercise seems to help. If I am exercising for a period of time on most days, I am less likely to engorge myself. Likewise, there is a natural tendency (IMHO) to feel less hungry around periods of exercise (except for the need to re-energize myself which is usually satisfied with a couple of hundred calorie snack). Best wishes in sustaining your journey.
  • nphect
    nphect Posts: 474
    i just eat 400-600 calories per meal. protein is what makes you feel full, so if you eat that amount in just carbs, you won't feel as full.
  • Mmmporkrinds
    Mmmporkrinds Posts: 192
    Like another on this page I find a smaller plate helps. There's some area of Japan, Okinawa maybe, where people say 'eat until you're eighty percent full' - I find that helpful too. But crikey, I do struggle with not picking up that extra piece of pizza...
  • Chinadorian
    Chinadorian Posts: 200 Member
    Sometimes we get so out of tune with our bodies it's hard to tell when we're satisfied. The way it was described to me was that when you pause from eating that's when you're satisfied, not full mind you. I eat too fast and if it's something sweet there's no way I'm gonna stop till it's finished.

    Ive heard this too!
    I also usually rest half way through whatever's on my plate and give it about 5 minutes to settle. i chat, read a book if Im by myself or text people lol. Then when I go back to my food my brain has registered that the hunger is being satiated and to slow down on the chow.
    I dont drink water during meals because its bad for your digestion. Best to drink a full glass a half hour before you eat.
  • jenj1313
    jenj1313 Posts: 898 Member
    I was reading Bob Harper's Skinny Rules book. He said to have a full glass of liquids with a scoop of fiber 15 minutes before eating a meal. He says it will help feel full sooner. Just an idea. :)

    An apple or other high-fiber snack with a glass of water 15 minutes before your meal is supposed to work too. Same concept either way, but apples are yummier, IMO :-)
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    i find less meals make me more in tune with hunger sigals, and it means i can eat BIG!

    Same

    And whenever I use a spoon I use my left hand only. Much slower, although I've gotten better at it :laugh:

    Chop sticks left handed?
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
    i find less meals make me more in tune with hunger sigals, and it means i can eat BIG!

    Same

    And whenever I use a spoon I use my left hand only. Much slower, although I've gotten better at it :laugh:

    Chop sticks left handed?

    hahah i cant eat with chopsticks with my right hand let along my left!
    i wish i could though, they make you feel pretty cool..
    what am i kidding i can do anything i set my mind to.
    #chopsticks time!
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    i find less meals make me more in tune with hunger sigals, and it means i can eat BIG!

    Same

    And whenever I use a spoon I use my left hand only. Much slower, although I've gotten better at it :laugh:

    Chop sticks left handed?

    hahah i cant eat with chopsticks with my right hand let along my left!
    i wish i could though, they make you feel pretty cool..
    what am i kidding i can do anything i set my mind to.
    #chopsticks time!

    One of life's unnecessary skills...until you go to Asia :wink: (that's where I got my skills from) I am going to practice my left handed choppies usage though. Going to be the slowest sushi eating you've EVER seen.
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
    I've learned that certain foods take a while to catch up, namely cereal and pasta. So, for those, I have to be really careful.

    With everything else, I make sure to pay attention while I eat. No eating in front of the TV or reading the internet. It's too easy for me to mindlessly fill my mouth with food when I do that. I focus on my food and chew every bite slowly. I drink water between every couple bites.

    Also, if I have a plate with, say, meat, veggies, and potatoes/starch, I'll eat the meat first, then the veggies. If I'm still hungry, I'll have a bit of the potatoes/starch. In the past, I'd eat the potatoes/starch first because I love them, then the meat, then the veggies. By switching it up, I usually get full before I get to the starch, and that means I'm full on protein and veggies. Win/win.
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
    i find less meals make me more in tune with hunger sigals, and it means i can eat BIG!

    Same

    And whenever I use a spoon I use my left hand only. Much slower, although I've gotten better at it :laugh:

    Chop sticks left handed?

    hahah i cant eat with chopsticks with my right hand let along my left!
    i wish i could though, they make you feel pretty cool..
    what am i kidding i can do anything i set my mind to.
    #chopsticks time!

    One of life's unnecessary skills...until you go to Asia :wink: (that's where I got my skills from) I am going to practice my left handed choppies usage though. Going to be the slowest sushi eating you've EVER seen.

    after a few tries i can usually pick up a piece of vegetable or noodle... but sushi. never haha
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
    I decide how much of my calorie budget I'm going to use for each meal plus a bedtime snack, arrange the appropriate amount of food on my plate, then eat it. No seconds, no eating between meals. 1 pint of water at least between each meal.

    Not that I never-ever slip up. But I've been at this for a little over 2 months, and most days I do not slip up. It makes me feel good about myself. It's also beginning to feel more natural to eat this way. I'm not an eating machine anymore; yay me!
  • Molly_Maguire
    Molly_Maguire Posts: 1,103 Member
    I literally CHUG a full 8 oz glass of water between every 2-3 bites. It takes forever to finish a meal, because I usually have to get up and pee before I finish eating! That, and I only serve myself as much as I'm allowed to eat. (One "serving") I have a strict "no seconds" rule that I adhere to religiously.
  • rapat
    rapat Posts: 108 Member
    Wow -- lots of great advice. It's good to know that it's not just about the willpower.

    I'll try having an apple and just drinking more water leading up to & during the email
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
    One tip from my diabetes instructor is to just portion out the food that you are going to eat that meal and then PUT THE REST AWAY before you actually sit down to eat. It's much harder to go back for seconds if it's all put up already.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member

    after a few tries i can usually pick up a piece of vegetable or noodle... but sushi. never haha

    coincidentally, I had a noodle dish and sushi last night. Left handed for noodle stir fry was all good. I was quite surprised actually. Didn't want to risk losing any sushi :tongue:

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