Tune into your hunger and fullness cues.
When it comes to weight loss, many people focus on the number on the scale. However, focusing on weight loss can lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as yo-yo dieting, disordered eating, and an obsession with food and weight. Instead of fixating on weight, it’s important to tune into your body’s hunger and fullness cues.
What are hunger and fullness cues?
Hunger and fullness cues are physical and emotional signals that tell you when to eat and when you’ve had enough to eat. These cues are different for everyone, and can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as hormones, blood sugar, and hydration levels.
Some people are in touch with their hunger and fullness cues and eat intuitively, while others may not be as attuned to their body’s signals. If you’re not used to listening to your hunger and fullness cues, it may take some time to learn how to read them.
What are the benefits of eating according to hunger and fullness cues?
Eating according to hunger and fullness cues has a number of benefits, including:
• weight loss or maintenance
• improved digestion
• increased energy levels
• improved mood
• reduced cravings
• improved sleep
How can I learn to eat according to hunger and fullness cues?
If you’re not used to listening to your hunger and fullness cues, it may take some time to learn how to read them. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
• Pay attention to your body. Before you eat, take a few minutes to assess how hungry you are on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being famished and 10 being stuffed. During your meal, pay attention to your body’s cues and stop eating when you’re satisfied, not stuffed.
• Don’t wait until you’re famished to eat. If you wait until you’re starving to eat, you’re more likely to overeat. Eat regular meals and snacks throughout the day so you don’t get too hungry.
• Listen to your hunger cues. Hunger cues can be physical, such as a growling stomach, or emotional, such as irritability or fatigue. If you’re not sure if you’re really hungry, try waiting a few minutes to see if the feeling passes.
• Slow down. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register that you’re full. Eating slowly gives your body time to register satiety cues.
• Avoid distractions. When you’re eating, turn off the TV, put away your phone, and focus on your food. Eating mindfully will help you tune into your hunger and fullness cues.
• Choose nutrient-rich foods. Eating a variety of nutritious foods will help you feel satisfied and prevent overeating. Make sure to include lean protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates at every meal.
• Don’t label foods as “good” or “bad.” This can lead to unhealthy relationships with food and restrict your diet. Instead of labeling foods, focus on how they make you feel.
• Be patient. Learning to eat according to your hunger and fullness cues takes time. Be patient with yourself and trust that your body knows how much to eat. Original Content
Challenge your food rules.
If you grew up like most people, you probably had a lot of rules around food. Eat your vegetables. Don’t eat too much sugar. Don’t eat after 7pm. And so on.
As you get older, you may start to challenge some of these rules. Maybe you realize that you actually like vegetables after all. Maybe you decide that a little sugar isn’t so bad.
But what about the bigger, more pervasive rules around food? The ones that dictate what we should eat, how much we should eat, and when we should eat?
It’s time to challenge those food rules.
If you’ve been dieting for any length of time, you know there are a lot of rules around food. Eat less. Eat more of this, less of that. Avoid carbs, eat more protein. And on and on.
The problem with all of these rules is that they’re based on the flawed assumption that we know what’s best for our bodies. But the truth is, our bodies are remarkably good at taking care of themselves.
If we give our bodies the opportunity, they will naturally maintain a healthy weight. They will tells us when they’re hungry and when they’re full. And they will let us know what types of food they need.
Unfortunately, diet culture has taught us to ignore these signals. We’re told that we need to lose weight, so we restrict our food intake. We’re told to eat less fat, so we avoid all fats. We’re told to eat more protein, so we load up on chicken and tofu.
But what if we stopped following all of these rules? What if we started listening to our bodies instead?
Here’s what that would look like:
• Eating when you’re truly hungry, and stopping when you’re satisfied
• Eating a variety of foods, including those that you may have been avoiding
• Respecting your hunger and fullness signals, even if they don’t fit into your rigid meal plan
• Listening to your body when it comes to food cravings, and giving yourself permission to indulge sometimes
• Allowing yourself to enjoy your food, without feeling guilty or ashamed
• Not using food as a way to cope with negative emotions
by following these simple guidelines, you can start to develop a more healthy, balanced relationship with food. And that’s something we can all benefit from.
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