RTM - how to judge 'fullness'

[whatsnewpussycat]

After exactly 5 months, I've finally made it to goal. Yippee.

So on Saturday I started route to Management (very exciting) and I've already hit a slight snag. I understand from my counsellor that I'm supposed to make a meal, eat it slowly, savour every mouthful (so far no problems!), and then stop when I feel full - assuming this is before you finish the meal. This is the bit I'm having problems with. I have absolutely no idea when I'm full. I never had an 'off' switch before LL, and I'd hoped that with a totally shrunken stomach (I stuck to foundation and development religiously), I'd somehow magically have gained one. But I haven't. I mean I felt full about 20 minutes after eating, and I felt thoroughly satisfied with what I'd eaten, but at no point (not even 2 or 3 hours later) did I feel uncomfortably full.

Did anyone else have this problem when they started eating again? Will I ever learn how to judge 'fullness'?

Cerulean - I've read and re-read your management thread and it looks like you had problems with this too - but have you now conquered it?

Comments or reassurance please! Thank you

 

[KD]

People use the phrase "stop when full" when I think they mean "stop when satisfied". Quite a difference there. I could have the whole of my days food for breakfast if I stopped when 'full'

I eat intuitively 'eat when hungry....stop when satisfied'. It's taken a lot of time to recognise the signals, but I've pretty much got it off pat now

There are a number of different signals. How satisfied I am depends on how I feel. Sometimes I'll stop when I'm not hungry any more.

When I'm hungry, I find it hard to concentrate on anything. It's more than just a fancy for food. I'm beginning to feel uncomfortable. My thoughts are constantly interrupted that I really need to eat, but I can still wait while I cook it. It's not a compulsion. I don't have to have it straight away.

Then I eat and my concentration is totally on what I'm eating. Then I'll find that my attention wanders again, and I know that I'm reaching a state when I don't need much more. I'm not full just not hungry any more.

Sometimes I go on a little longer...but never until full.

 

[whatsnewpussycat]

Thank you for that. I like the sound of 'stop when satisfied' - I think I'll still have to learn to recognise 'satisfied' earlier than I currently am, but 'satisfaction' will definitely be easier to judge than 'fullness' for me.

At the moment I'm trying to eat at a set meal time rather than when I'm really hungry because I know from the past (not only from pre-LL times, but also during LL on food packs) I'm very likely to eat too quickly (and too much) when I'm over-hungry. But the concentration tip is a good one. I'll try and monitor mine tomorrow when I'm having my protein meal.

Eventually I'll learn the signals. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself only 3 days into management!

 

[Mrs Lard]

Hello WNP

If it's any help (and by the way, I really like Karion's idea about being satisfied not full), I really couldn't judge when I was 'full' either. There was much talk about a magical 20 minutes (to wait) to feel full; well, it just didn't happen for me and I would feel full about two or three hours later, which made judging portion sizes very difficult. So, invariably, I would eat too much and end up with indigestion. BUT BUT BUT your body does let you know; you just have to be hyper alert in those early days.

The other challenge for me was to really appreciate just how little food we really need. After years of eating far too much, it was a shock to realise (several hours later, of course!) just how little I needed to feel full. The fact that you are coming out of abstinence, too, makes a huge difference.

Another really important fact to remember (and please learn from my mistakes) is it is very, very, very easy to slip into old ways, particularly on the "am I hungry" scale.

If you override that delicate balance, your body can't communicate what it really wants; I find tiredness, alcohol, feeling overwhelmed and certain food types all enable me to disturb that balance very easily.

I wish you lots and lots of luck with Route to Management; do look out for Claire's (Just Do It) journey in Route to Management. And Amanda Jayne's.

Tomorrow I am going to try the 'eat until satisfied' approach; I think it will be a winner!!!

Take care.

Mrs Lxxxxxxx

 

[whatsnewpussycat]

Mrs Lard - thank you so much! I read everything you write with relish and I noted your comments earlier today on your post about not needing a lot of food. In fact I wrote your comments straight into the notes page in my journal to remind me of this tomorrow when I'm eating my meal.

I've already checked out Amanda Jayne's journey and Cerulean's, and read your RTM journey. I'll look out for Claire's as well. Unfortunately due to starting a new job 6 weeks ago I've been a bit sporadic recently coming to minimins, but hopefully I'll be able to come here more often because it really makes a difference. It's always nice to know you're not alone - that someone will have been through exactly the same as you and will have some words of wisdom and encouragement.

Let's both try the 'eat until satisfied' approach tomorrow and fingers crossed.

Night night.

Mxx

 

[Deb G]

Difficult one..... my plan is to eat from a small plate. Once I have finished eating I will stop. If, after 30 mins, I am hungry, I'm going to eat some more. I never had an off switch either, and could merrily eat my way through TONS of pasta!!! I'm also intending to veggie low-carb for the rest of my life as a long-term weight management 'way of eating'.

 

[Cerulean]

Hello there - this was a tricky one - and to be honest I still need to work on it. How I counter it is the opposite of some people - I make a huge portion - much bigger than I can actually eat and then eat slowly - I think having the visual signal of more than I can possibly eat on the plate makes me more likely to leave a bit.

I find that Paul McKenna has been a big help - the mantra from his I Can Make You Thin CD - 'There will always be food' has really helped me through my panic binges. I even find that if a food isn't exactly what I want I am more liable to just take a couple of bites and find something else to eat instead. RtM made me panic because of the sparsity and small portions so I countered that panic by making sure there was always plenty.

I also try, whatever happens, to leave a small mouthful of food. just to get me used to the idea that it's okay.

 

[peanut]

I agree with Dancing there - a light bulb has just gone off in my head also.

As Cerulean says so wisley 'there will always be food' - Well before I started LL I used to eat like I was going into famine torn place. I just scoffed and scoffed.

I have never been one of these people that say 'oh i couldnt eat the whole pack' or 'to much chocolate makes me feel sick'. I could eat a huge bar to myself no problem. But thinking back... my bf loves choclate and will buy a big bar a few nights a week. My partner would stop after a quarter say and then id eat the rest. I must have been concious of this - as I used to feel a bit embrassed when he noticed or looked at me.

I was a secrect eater as well. Id go to make tea/get a drink (that was the excuse) and when in the kitchen I would eat something and pretend I had not and if he caught me id die of shame. Didnt stop me tho.... I still did it. And come to think of it - this could be up to twice a night.

But you know I like the way I am saying that i 'was' and not I 'am'. I am not going back to those ways .I am sick of only being half the person I truely belive I am inside - I feel like I have a lot more to give but this layer of fat stops me from doing that.

Peanut xx

 

[Alibongo]

I have never been one of these people that say 'oh i couldnt eat the whole pack' or 'to much chocolate makes me feel sick'. I could eat a huge bar to myself no problem. But thinking back... my bf loves choclate and will buy a big bar a few nights a week. My partner would stop after a quarter say and then id eat the rest. I must have been concious of this - as I used to feel a bit embrassed when he noticed or looked at me.

I was a secrect eater as well. Id go to make tea/get a drink (that was the excuse) and when in the kitchen I would eat something and pretend I had not and if he caught me id die of shame. Didnt stop me tho.... I still did it. And come to think of it - this could be up to twice a night.

But you know I like the way I am saying that i 'was' and not I 'am'. I am not going back to those ways .I am sick of only being half the person I truely belive I am inside - I feel like I have a lot more to give but this layer of fat stops me from doing that.

Peanut xx

that is so me, i could have written that.
it is so good to know i am not alone

 

[California girl]

me too. having 3 kids and a dog there was always someone else to blame when the fridge/biscuit barrell got raided!! i seemed to have a bottomless stomach prior to starting this journey. I used to order food at a restaurant based on how much there was/how filling it would be. If i didnt feel fit to burst by the end then it wasnt a good night out!!

 

[peanut]

Oh yeah that as well.

Id sit there and think 'Humm what can I order that will fill my plate' plus always having a starter was a must. All the time and with takeaways also id have a starter. On top of the main meal mountain we had orderdered.

 

[Alibongo]

i would always have a starter, main course and a pudding, even if I was full, i would never skip pudding.