How Do You Stop Eating When It Tastes So Good
I understand that you may need help learning when and how to stop eating. People say stuff like this to me:
- Well, it still tastes good so it is hard to stop.
- How do I know when I am not hungry anymore?
- I am used to eating a certain amount and it feels so strange to not eat the same.
- I was taught that leaving food behind is wasteful.
Okay, I get all of these. Let’s take them one by one:
1. Yes I know food can still taste “good” when you are not hungry. But pay attention to how much better it is when you are truly hungry. And remember the pay off for this is huge. Eating when you are hungry and not when you aren’t means that you can ALWAYS eat when you ARE hungry! Keep reminding yourself of that. For as pretty good as food can be when you aren’t hungry, NOT eating when you ARE hungry is terrible!
2. It takes some time to reacquaint yourself with your hunger patterns. Keep listening. If you eat and are hungry 20 minutes later, you were probably still hungry and perhaps stopped eating a little too soon. Just keep paying attention. Practice listening and you will get the hang of it. LIsten to your body’s voice without judgment, respond and reflect on how your hunger was taken care of and use that information the next time.
3. Yes, if you are used to eating a certain amount it takes a little while to adjust. If you always eat soup and salad and bread and dessert, it may take you a while to understand that you don’t need all of that to satisfy your hunger. Or, maybe you need more? This depends on you, your body, your metabolism, your level of activity etc. Listen to your body’s voice instead of old habits. And when you replace those old habits with new habits, it will be a permanent fix.
4. You are not wasting food just because you didn’t put it in your stomach! Put it in your fridge instead! And as you learn about what amount of food works for you and get your Healthy Thin Mentality strong, you will be better at judging how much food to put on your plate.