"I'm full" cues

BigE · Post by **BigE** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:10 am

Does anyone else experience this? This is what I felt tonight and it's very typical for me:
I was quite hungry when I sat down to dinner. I had a pretty generous meal: creamy pasta with spinach and chicken, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and a small handful of potato chips (all on one dinner plate, of course). From the moment I started putting food in my mouth (6:00) to when I felt NOT HUNGRY ANYMORE was about 2 hours! (8:00). I think part of it is that I've become a very fast eater. But this really makes me think about my habits of eating beyond my caloric needs: my stomach doesn't know it's full until it's too late. I think this is why I have such an urge to graze throughout the day: otherwise, if I get to the really hungry stage, it just takes so long to feel satisfied again.

~reneew · Post by **~reneew** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:19 am

Be sure to drink enough fluids with your meal... that does the trick for me.

I feel it right away.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 5:11 am

The nerve impulses from our stomach that signal the brain that it's full are quite slow actually.. Don't beat yourself up. This is a common experience, not a personal failing you should feel bad about.
Also, I think it's just a matter of the stomach getting used to smaller portions, not grazing, etc.
But yes, it really does take time for the sensation of fullness to "register" in our brain, so just try to relax and resist seconds, and *know* that your feeling of being full is not too far away.. Drink water to finish off your meal or some nice tea..

Debs

Post by **reinhard** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 1:49 pm

Habit makes a huge difference here.

Burn into your brain that eating ends when your one plate meal is over and eventually your stomach will get the message.

It takes time for this message to sink in, but it will. Habit is slow but extremely powerful.

Reinhard

BigE · Post by **BigE** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:37 pm

Thanks to all of you for your advice. I do not drink very much water with my dinner so I'm ready to try that. And of course I needed reminding that my body will get into this habit. Patience!

BigE · Post by **BigE** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 2:08 am

Reneew, I had a full glass of water with dinner tonight. That helped tremendously -- I had dinner late, after sitting through a kid's birthday party at McDonald's (I LOVE McDonald's -- my weakness!)

masher · Post by **masher** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:32 pm

Big E,
I used to think I was abnormal because it took at least 20-30 minutes after eating for the signals to get to my brain that I had eaten enough. I am not.
So - what to do? I deliberately slow myself down by putting my fork down after every bite. At first it feels awkward. But after a few days it seems normal to not rush food. I also try and put small amounts of food on my fork. This is not easy at first because I am truly hungry!!! But that habit also slows down speed. Third, and finally, I finish what I am chewing before I take another bite. Sounds intuitive but....

Good luck,
Masher

BigE · Post by **BigE** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 8:24 pm

Wow, that really surprised me how "unnatural" it felt to actually put my fork down. I've known for a long time that I've become a very fast eater. My lunch break at my former job (teaching in a small Catholic school) was 15 minutes. I got to the point where I could eat lunch, go to the bathroom, and chat with the other teachers in less than 15 minutes!

Anyway, back to the fork. I found a very nice side benefit from putting my fork down between bites: I immediately started drinking more water. Just the act of putting the fork down made me realize that I was thirsty, so I drank a sip of water with just about every bite. Also (this is so embarrassing) I realized that I wasn't even finished SWALLOWING my bite of food before I put another bite in my mouth! I'm defnitely continuing this habit, even into S days.

masher · Post by **masher** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:38 pm

Big E,

Hurrah for you!

I wrote the message to you because I wanted to remind myself as well.

So happy to hear that it helps you too.

Best,
Masher

Kathleen · Post by **Kathleen** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:04 pm

I was never full. I was always hungry.

Now it doesn't matter. When the plate is empty, I'm done. I no longer have to worry about full or hungry. I cannot tell you how much easier it is to follow this diet!

Kathleen

jenlio97 · Post by **jenlio97** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:36 pm

I am going to try drinking more water with my meal. When I do feel full at the table I feel sick 20 mins later, because I have really eaten too much. Sometimes I am so wooried that I will be hungry between meals that I have increased my portions at meals. So I need to find my balance in appropraite amont to get to next meal and not so much that I feel sick.

Post by **reinhard** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 1:46 pm

I was never full. I was always hungry.

Now it doesn't matter. When the plate is empty, I'm done. I no longer have to worry about full or hungry.

This is exactly the idea (thanks, Kathleen!).

I know it might seem hard to believe when you first start no-s, but keep at it, and you'll train yourself to be like this.

Reinhard

The Great Fatsby · Post by **The Great Fatsby** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 9:05 am

I have the opposite problem, that is, I get full very easily. (No, it hasn't stopped me from eating past fullness

In a way, fullness is hardly a significant factor in whether or not I eat at this point in my life

),

What Ive found', though, in these first few weeks of No S, is that I can't quite eat enough at each meal to tide me over to the next meal. I'm so used to snacking, the whole mini-meal thing, that ALL my meals have been sort of like snacks. I find that I'm having to train myself to eat well past fullness (especially when I have the bulky good-for-you- stuff on my plate) in order to have enough fuel to get me to the next meal.

BTW, I do know what you mean, though. Thinking back to the 90's when I did the Zone diet, I would be quite full after eating, but then get ravenously hungry for a while about an hour after eating. If I white knuckled it through that hungry period I could actually go a lot longer before getting hungry again.....

oliviamanda · Post by **oliviamanda** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:05 pm

I've mentioned that I am vegetarian. When I ate meat, I was definitely more prone to wanting second portions. Recently I find I put my fork down because I am hitting that stopping point a lot quicker now. I love it! It reminds me of why I am losing weight now, and why I gained weight when I did.

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:40 pm

I think it's also worth remembering that it's fine to be hungry shortly before your next meal is due -- if you're really peckish by 5:30 for your 6:00 or 6:30 dinner, you'll enjoy it more!

As Reinhard has quoted here before, "Appetite is the best sauce."

BigE · Post by **BigE** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:23 pm

So far it's helped tremendously to put my fork down in between each bite. I feel like right now, while on vacation with my extended family, if I can stay on No S now then it's smooth sailing when I'm back on my regular routine.

The toughest challenge is not having a routine, and being with a group so that I'm never quite sure when we're going to have lunch or dinner. It's amazing to me know, with my new habits, how often my mother-in-law breaks out the appetizers an hour or so before dinner. If you're hungry, why can't you just eat dinner?????????

Ah well, I try to enjoy my meals thoroughly and so far it's working. I've been thinking about years ago when I read "Nickel and Dimed," and the author talks about how often waitresses smoke cigarettes because it's a way to give themselves a break. I think I've been doing the same thing with food -- I give myself dozens of "little breaks" throughout the day, instead of just letting myself enjoy the real meals.