In this brief video, Dr. Michelle May answers the question, “How do I stop eating?”
How do I stop eating when I’m satisfied?
Video Transcript
Hi, I’m Dr. Michelle May, the founder of Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs and Training.
We are building a new Mindful Eating Community, and I asked you to share your challenges and questions about mindful eating. Today I’ll answer the question from Janet:
“How do I stop eating when I’ve reached that ‘sweet spot’ of feeling satisfied, instead of continuing to eat more than my body needs?
It’s natural to struggle to stop eating when you’ve had enough. There are many reasons for this:
- First, pleasure is a powerful motivator that can override the potential consequences of eating too much.
- Second, the discomfort of being overly full is delayed—typically 20 to 30 minutes—so by the time you feel uncomfortable, it’s too late.
- In addition, past dieting can make it more difficult to stop eating foods that have been restricted, because deprivation gives these foods more ‘power’ over you.
- And ironically, guilt can make it harder to stop. Thoughts like, ‘I shouldn’t be eating this! I won’t eat it again, so I better eat it while I can!’ can lead to overeating. (And by the way, when I use the word overeating, I mean eating past the point of comfort, not eating more than you were allowed to eat on past diets! Learn more here.)
- Plus, if you eat fast or mindlessly, you’ll have less awareness of your body’s signals and experience less satisfaction and enjoyment, leading to eating even more.
- And perhaps the most common reason it’s difficult to stop is when you’re eating for reasons other than hunger, like boredom or stress. After all, if hunger doesn’t tell you to start eating, how do you know when to stop?
To help you navigate all of this, set your intention to find your “Satiety Sweet Spot.”
The satiety sweet spot is the invisible point when the pleasure of eating something delicious will soon be replaced by the discomfort of eating too much.
This graph shows the subtle line where pleasure and fullness intersect. Learning to use mindfulness to recognize when you’re approaching your satiety sweet spot will help you stop eating while you’re still comfortable – even when the food is really good!
Here are some strategies to help you stop eating at the point of satisfaction:
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- Before you eat, ask, “Am I hungry?” Remember, when a craving doesn’t come from hunger, eating can’t fully satisfy it.
- Choose foods that you truly enjoy and that are a fit for what you want and need at that time.
- Minimize distractions like watching TV or scrolling on your phone so you can fully experience your food.
- Create a speed bump to remind yourself to pause midway through your meal to re-assess your hunger level.
- When you eat too much, don’t miss the lesson! Notice I said when not if; eating too much sometimes is part of normal eating. So, when you eat too much, notice how you feel and think about what you could have done differently. Your body’s feedback makes it possible to learn from your inevitable mistakes.
By practicing these mindful eating strategies, you can develop a more peaceful, confident relationship with food and your body’s needs.
