Finding a Balance Between “Hungry” and “Stuffed”

One of the challenges for many dieters is retraining their stomach and brain to understand hunger cues and appropriate levels of fullness.

If you’ve been overeating for years, you may be habitually carrying on past the point of fullness. Rediscovering a “normal” portion size is a shock to many people, but you might also be surprised how easily you’re satisfied with less. You’ll also find that you appreciate food much more when you have an appetite for it, rather than when you’re eating simply because food is there.

Here are four steps to getting back in touch with your body, recognising your hunger, and stopping eating once your stomach’s full.

Rate Your Hunger

Many dieticians advise rating your hunger on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is “completely stuffed, couldn’t eat another bite” (think Thanksgiving dinner) and 10 is “absolutely ravenous”. You should be at about a 6 or 7 on that scale when meal-times come around.

Don’t be afraid of hunger. It’s normal to feel a slight stomach rumble half an hour or so before a meal. The first few days of a diet can be tricky as your body gets used to less food, and you may feel hungry considerably more than usual. If this lasts for more than a few days, though, consider whether you’re trying to restrict your food intake too much — no-one should be suffering hours of hunger pangs. Being hungry for too long is counter-productive, as it often leads to overeating or binging.

If you’re feeling hungry and your next meal is a couple of hours away, have a small snack. A piece of fruit, a couple of crispbreads with a low fat topping, or a small bag of plain popcorn are all great snacks to keep hunger at bay for a little longer.

Use Smaller Plates and Bowls

Have you been eating your cereal out of a giant bowl, packing in 100g with plenty of room to spare? Switch to a much smaller one – a 40g portion won’t look so lost in the middle of it. The same trick applies to plates; two rounds of toast might be plenty if you use a side plate, not a dinner plate, for your breakfast.

Smaller plates and bowls are also very useful as a way to estimate your portions without weighing everything. Once you’ve weighted out 40g of fruit and fiber flakes for a few mornings, you’ll have a good idea of exactly where it comes to in your bowl. Similarly, filling half a dinner plate with veg and the rest with chicken and boiled potatoes can make it easy to eat a balanced meal in the evening without fiddling around with scales.

The Small Plate Movement explains that:

…the sizes of our bowls and glasses have steadily increased and the surface area of the average dinner plate has increased 36% since 1960.

Many studies have shown that larger containers and serving implements lead to people serving themselves larger portions.

Eat Slowly and Thoughtfully

When you’re on a diet, treat everything you eat as extra-special. Make time to really savour and enjoy your food – don’t scoff it down whilst sending emails, or absent-mindedly snack away when you’re cooking. Sitting down at a table, and eating slowly and thoughtfully, will make flavors and textures much more vivid.

If you’re struggling to break the habit of eating too fast, try putting your knife and fork down between mouthfuls, or eat with another person who you can chat to during the meal. Stopping to sip water at regular intervals can also help.

Pay attention to how full you’re feeling. Get away from the idea that you must always clear your plate: if you’re feeling satisfied, you can stop. (This is another good reason to dish up small portions.) Try cooking dishes which will easily produce leftovers or lunch for the next day; then you don’t need to worry about the food being wasted.

Wait Twenty Minutes

Once you’ve finished your portion, wait for at least twenty minutes before deciding whether to get a second helping. Notice how you can still feel slightly hungry immediately after eating – and notice too how your hunger may have completely vanished after twenty minutes.

This is the time it takes for the feeling of fullness to register properly in your brain. (In fact, some studies suggest that it may take five minutes or so longer for overweight people to feel full than it does for those of normal weight, so you may want to leave it half an hour.)

There’s a proverb from Okinawa, in Japan, where residents enjoy long life expectancies and good health. They say “hara hachi bu” – eat until 80% full. This could be a great rule of thumb to adopt in your own eating habits. Eat until sated, not stuffed, then wait to see if you’re still hungry later.

Have you had to re-educate your brain and stomach about feeling hungry and full? What tips do you have for us?