Intuitive Eating is a non-diet approach that helps you reconnect with your natural hunger and fullness cues. This week, I’m focusing on the 6th Principle of Intuitive Eating, Feel Your Fullness. Understanding and learning how to apply this principle in your life is key to breaking free from the diet mentality and developing a healthier, more compassionate relationship with food and your body.
What Does “Feel Your Fullness” Mean?
At its core, this principle is about tuning in to your body’s natural signals that indicate when you’ve had enough to eat. It invites you to slow down, listen, and honour your body’s internal cues of hunger and fullness, instead of relying on external rules or pressure to decide when to stop eating.
Many of us are accustomed to eating while distracted, perhaps in front of the TV or while scrolling through our phones (guilty!) It’s no surprise that many people struggle with recognising when they’ve had enough food. The culture of fast-paced living means we rarely take the time to pause, eat mindfully, and check in with ourselves during and after meals.
Feel Your Fullness encourages you to change this pattern by giving yourself permission to eat what you want, while also pausing mid-meal, to assess whether your hunger has been satisfied.
Why is Feeling Your Fullness Important?
One of the biggest benefits of honouring your fullness is that it promotes body trust. When you let your body tell you when it’s time to stop eating, you’re building a relationship with it based on respect and attunement. This is a stark contrast to the diet culture many of us grew up in, where we were taught to mistrust our bodies and control them through restriction and rules around food and mealtimes.
Learning to feel your fullness also helps prevent the cycle of over-eating and guilt. Myself and many others I’m sure will have experiences with chronic dieting, where we were told to stop eating after a certain portion size, regardless of whether we were still hungry. This often led to frustration, rebellion, and later, overeating in response to that deprivation. By tuning into your body’s natural cues, you break this cycle and give yourself the chance to eat according to your own needs, not someone else’s rules.
Steps to Help You Feel Your Fullness
- Eat Mindfully – One of the first steps in feeling your fullness is to practise mindful eating. Take the time to notice the textures, flavours, and aromas of your food. Slow down your eating pace. It’s easy to overeat when you’re rushing or distracted, but by slowing down, you give your body time to register when it’s had enough.
This might mean sitting at the table without distractions, such as the TV, and simply focusing on your food. You may also notice how certain foods make you feel, both physically and emotionally.
- Check In with Your Hunger Levels – A useful tool in Intuitive Eating is the hunger-fullness scale, where 0 represents extreme hunger and 10 represents being uncomfortably full. Before you eat, check in with your hunger level. Are you at a 2 or 3, meaning you’re starting to feel moderately hungry? Or are you at a 7 or 8, where you might still be comfortably full from an earlier meal?
Throughout your meal, pause and ask yourself where you are on the scale. This helps you to assess whether you still need more food or if you’re starting to feel satisfied.
- Listen to Your Body’s Signals – Fullness doesn’t always look the same for everyone. Some people feel physically full in their stomach, while others might feel more energised or notice a change in the taste of the food. It’s about learning to recognise your personal signs of satisfaction.
A lot of us have probably grown up with the “clean your plate” mentality, where we were encouraged to finish everything, regardless of how full we felt. Letting go of this mindset can be challenging, but it’s essential to trust that your body knows best. You don’t have to finish everything on your plate if you feel full.
- Practice Self-Compassion – You may not always get this principle “right,” and that’s okay, this journey is about progress, not perfection or rules. There will be times when you misjudge your fullness or continue eating past the point of comfort. Practice self-compassion and remind yourself that it’s normal to eat beyond fullness sometimes, we’ve all been there!
Overeating occasionally doesn’t make you a failure. It’s simply part of the process of reconnecting with your body. Each experience offers valuable insights that can help you better understand your body’s needs in the future.
Common Challenges with Feeling Your Fullness
Distracted Eating
One of the most common challenges people face with this principle is distracted eating. We live in a culture where multitasking is often seen as a virtue. Many of us eat while working, driving, or watching TV. When you’re distracted, it’s easy to miss the subtle signals that your body is full.
To overcome this, try setting aside specific times to eat without distractions. Even if it’s only for one meal a day, this practice can help you become more attuned to your body’s cues.
Fear of Wasting Food
Another challenge is the fear of wasting food. Many of us have been taught that it’s rude or wasteful to leave food on our plates. This can make it difficult to stop eating when we’re full.
If this resonates with you, consider serving yourself smaller portions and giving yourself permission to have more if you’re still hungry. You can also store leftovers for later. Remind yourself that your body’s needs are more important than clearing your plate.
How to Make Peace with Fullness
Making peace with fullness is a journey. At first, you may feel unsure or uneasy about leaving food behind or stopping before you’re completely stuffed. But with time and practice, it becomes easier to recognise and trust your body’s signals.
Ask yourself: How did it feel to stop eating when I was satisfied? What thoughts or emotions came up for me? By exploring these questions, you can begin to understand your relationship with fullness on a deeper level.
Embracing the Freedom of Intuitive Eating
Learning to honour your fullness is a powerful step toward healing your relationship with food. It allows you to move away from restrictive eating patterns and instead trust that your body knows what it needs. In a society that often prioritises dieting and control, this can feel revolutionary.
Remember, Intuitive Eating is a process that takes time. Be patient with yourself, and trust that every step brings you closer to a healthier, more peaceful relationship with food and your body.
If you’re interested in learning more or need support on your Intuitive Eating journey, feel free to reach out and book in a free consultation call. Together, we can work to break free from diet culture and embrace a more intuitive and fulfilling way of eating.
