How to Feel Your Fullness

Feel your Fullness is the sixth principle of Intuitive Eating. Unfortunately, diet culture almost neglects this with their food “rules” and expectations for dieters. Being able to feel your fullness comes with SO many benefits such as being able to enjoy and taste your food, allowing yourself to leave food on the plate without guilt, being able to stop eating when you feel fulfilled and leaving your plate with a comfortable fullness. It is important that we learn to listen to our body because it knows best and will tell us when we are full.

This does not come easy to everyone, especially if you have a history of feeling like you have to finish your plate, not wanting to waste food, only stop eating when the food is gone, begin eating feeling famished, food insecurity, etc. With those who often diet, there tends to be “rules” for set meal times or when it is acceptable to eat, even if you are not hungry. However, feeling your fullness is a practice that CAN be learned without the guilt of leaving food on your plate and especially without rules.

In order to achieve this, you need to trust your body and it’s signals it is giving you, such as when you are still hungry vs. when you are comfortably full. Feeling your fullness coincides with the second principle of intuitive eating, honor your hunger. If you become aware of your hunger cues, you will have an easier time becoming aware of your fullness cues and being able to stop when you feel content. Recognizing a comfortable satiety can feel like a content stomach, feeling satisfied (physically and mentally), and a pleasant completeness when you are finished eating. It is not about stopping when you are immediately full (this can turn diet-y), it’s about stopping when you are truly satisfied. Whereas being uncomfortably full can bring physical discomfort and tiredness.

Tips to feeling and respecting your fullness while being consciously aware- - Eat without distraction.

- Enjoy and appreciate your eating experience, taste each bite. By focusing on your food rather than the TV, your phone,  a book, work, etc., you will become more aware of your body signals while you are eating and feel more satisfied. This may not seem realistic for every meal and that is okay! But when you do have the chance to truly eat undistracted, allow yourself to really be present and feel the difference.

- Pause in the middle of a meal or snack to check in with your body.

- Taste check- How does the food taste? Are you enjoying it? Or are you just eating it because it is there?

- Satiety check- What is your hunger or fullness level?

- When you are finished eating, ask yourself how you feel.

- Would you say you feel pleasantly full, unpleasantly full, or neutral?

- Reinforce your conscious decision to stop eating.

- If you have reached a satisfying fullness, try doing something to put it into action, like inching your plate forward or starting up a conversation. If after some time you want more, have more! If you are realizing you are full, pack it up and save it for tomorrow. Full permission either way is key.

- Defend yourself from obligatory eating.

- In social settings, food can be offered quite often where you may feel obligated to take it. Remember, you have full permission to say yes to food when you want it and no to food when you truly do not want it (you can read more about this in the Intuitive Eating Bill of Rights)! Practice saying “no thank you” for these situations when you are not interested in taking the food.

Depending on what you eat, how much time has passed since the last time you ate, your initial hunger level, and social influence- each of these factors will all play a role in your fullness level. Some meals/snacks will fill you up faster than others, depending on the content of the food, and that is completely normal.

Remember- YOU are in charge of how much you eat and drink! This practice takes time, so be patient and kind to yourself while learning to feel and honor your fullness.

Piece written by: Emily Goldschmidt

Hi, I’m Emily! I am a HSH intern, a nutrition student at West Chester University of PA, and an RD to be! I love everything health and wellness, with a special passion for Intuitive Eating. 

Thank you for being here, now let’s have some fun with food and nutrition!

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Written by Lauren Smith

Hey, I'm Lauren! I’m a Registered Dietitian at Happy Strong Healthy. I believe nutrition should add to the fullness of your life and make you feel empowered and confident!

Learn more about me and the HSH offerings here.