Eating to Satisfaction (and how to find it)

Does the idea of eating to satisfaction confound you?

If you’ve struggled with being on and off diets, the idea of feeling “satisfied” at the end of a meal might be really hard to grasp.

Because the concept of satisfaction in itself is nuanced.

You can be full, but not satisfied.

(think of eating a huge salad when what you really felt like was a cheeseburger)

Or, you can be satisfied, but not necessarily full.

(think of a really rich food you enjoy that you find you can’t eat much of all at once*)

And sometimes, you can be both full AND satisfied. It’s a nice, comforting feeling.

But here’s the problem: you can really only experience satisfaction if you aren’t starving all the time.

If you are trying to limit how much you eat to control your weight, you are more likely to swing between always-hungry and too-full. And if you are coming off the diet, you may spend a LOT of time in too-full mode.

What to do?

First, make sure you are well-fed. Adequate nutrition isn’t about eating as little as possible (in fact, that’s called “poor nutrition”). Make sure you’re getting regular, filling meals throughout the day. Find your hunger first and honor it. Then you can practice listening for satisfaction.

It may prove elusive at first, but with enough time and practice (and no judgment), you’ll begin to learn to eat with satisfaction. It’s a delicious feeling!

*if you are actively dieting, you may not be able to experience this right now

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