Why Honoring Fullness Matters in Intuitive Eating
Intuitive eating is often associated with rejecting diet culture, letting go of food rules, and eating without guilt. But one key skill that doesn’t get enough attention is honoring fullness.
It sounds simple, eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. But after years of dieting, tracking food, or following external rules, tuning into fullness cues can feel confusing and even uncomfortable.
If you’ve ever found yourself eating past fullness or struggling to recognize when you’ve had enough, you’re not alone. This is one of the biggest challenges in intuitive eating, and it plays a major role in rebuilding trust with your body. Listen to the The Underrated Intuitive Eating Skill That You’re Probably Overlooking for Your Health episode, where we talk more about intuitive eating and the skills that you need to help you conquering hunger and fullness.
How Diet Culture Disrupts Fullness Signals
Many people have spent years overriding their body’s natural signals due to restrictive eating habits and diet culture messaging. Some common ways fullness cues get ignored or manipulated include:
- Using water or low-calorie foods to suppress hunger instead of eating enough satisfying meals.
- Avoiding certain foods due to fear of “overeating,” leading to deprivation and eventually eating beyond fullness.
- Eating until stuffed because the opportunity to eat certain foods feels scarce or restricted.
- Cleaning the plate out of habit rather than listening to internal cues.
These patterns create disconnection from the body’s natural signals, making it harder to eat in a way that feels good physically and mentally.
How to Reconnect With Your Fullness Cues
If you’re feeling disconnected from fullness, here are some practical steps to start tuning in:
1. Check In Before Eating
Before starting a meal, pause and assess your hunger on a scale of 1-10. This helps bring awareness to your body’s needs.
2. Slow Down While Eating
Eating more mindfully allows you to notice fullness as it develops rather than realizing too late that you’ve eaten past comfort.
3. Recognize the “Last Bite Threshold”
There’s often a point in a meal where you feel satisfied, but it’s easy to keep eating out of habit. Noticing this moment is key to honoring fullness.
4. Let Go of the “Clean Plate” Mentality
It’s okay to leave food on your plate if you’re no longer hungry. Over time, you’ll learn to serve portions that align with your needs.
5. Give Yourself Permission to Eat Again Later
Many people eat past fullness out of fear that they won’t allow themselves to eat again soon. Shifting to a mindset of abundance rather than scarcity makes it easier to stop eating when you’re comfortably full.
Grab the 5 Simple Steps to Reconnecting With You Hunger and Fullness to learn more about hunger and fullness.
Why Honoring Fullness Supports Overall Well-Being
Consistently tuning into fullness can have a significant impact on your overall relationship with food and your body. Some benefits include:
- More consistent energy levels without the highs and lows of extreme hunger or overeating.
- Improved digestion from eating amounts that feel good for your body.
- Less stress around food because you’re responding to what your body actually needs rather than external rules.
- Greater trust in your body’s natural cues, making eating feel more effortless over time.
Making Intuitive Eating Work for You
If intuitive eating has felt challenging or frustrating, honoring fullness might be the missing piece. It takes time to unlearn diet culture habits and reconnect with your body’s signals, so be patient with yourself in the process.
If you’re feeling stuck, I invite you to join my free masterclass: “Why Intuitive Eating Isn’t Working for You (and How to Fix It).” You’ll learn:
- The top mistakes that make intuitive eating feel impossible.
- Key mindset shifts that support long-term success.
- How to troubleshoot challenges and move forward with confidence.
Reserve your spot here: nondietacademy.com/fix
You deserve to feel at peace with food and your body.
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