[six-minute read]
Can’t Get No Satisfaction?
How much food is enough to provide adequate nourishment and pleasure each day? That state of being, known as satiety, is something that we all crave. And doctors, nutritionists, and marketers have tried to supply you with all kinds of tools to achieve it. You can calculate your basal metabolic rate and count calories. You can play around with different percentages of macros to see what gives you the most energy. You can create a budget for your cravings and spend it on a “Cheat Day” after six days of self-denial. You can even buy a handheld device that you breathe into so it can tell you how your metabolism is performing in real-time and adjust your eating accordingly. But if these methods sound exhausting and haven’t been particularly helpful, mindful eating can supply a different way to eat for health and satisfaction.
Your Body Has Satiety Tools Built In
Unless you suffer from an underlying illness or condition, your body has innate tools to help you know how much is enough at each meal. As you eat and your stomach expands, nerve receptors tell your brain you’re getting full. Also, your senses have a “memory” that recalls past experiences of consuming too much or too little. Your senses share the memories with your brain to optimize your current eating experience. But if you’ve ignored all of these internal cues for a long time, they get quieter. And especially when you eat to meet emotional needs, you may overeat because your emotions’ voices drown them out even further. But that’s okay because you can recover your internal satiety cues with a bit of practice.
Dust Off Your Satisfact-O-Meter Using The Hunger Scale
Here’s an approach to help you recalibrate your awareness of true hunger and rightful pleasure while you eat. It may feel awkward at first, but the more you practice the more automatic it will become.
Identify your current state on this hunger scale:
- Starving, weak, feeling a bit faint
- Very hungry, stomach is noisy, cranky, minimal energy
- Pretty hungry, stomach is beginning to rumble
- Starting to feel a little hungry
- Satisfied, neither hungry nor full
- A little full, but pleasantly so
- Oops, you ate a few bites too many
- Feeling stuffed
- Very uncomfortable, clothes feel restrictive
- So full you feel sick and remorseful
Plate your food or fetch your Oats Overnight from the fridge when you are a 3 or 4, not a 1 or 2. If you wait that long, the likelihood that you’ll overeat (and skip savoring your food) is high.
Before you begin, take a few calming breaths and let go of any sense of hurriedness.
Begin eating and savor each bite by engaging all five senses.
Stop halfway through and ask yourself if you’re still physically hungry. If you stop now, will you be satisfied? If you eat more, will you feel like a 7-10 on the hunger scale?
If you decide you’re full and there’s still food on your plate, permit yourself to box it up for later. If you’re still hungry, continue eating with an awareness of taste, hunger, and satisfaction.
Food For Thought
At Oats Overnight we don’t sell magic remedies for weight loss or instant body transformation. We create premium, nutritious food that helps our customers reach attainable goals, one morning at a time. Join us as we journey together towards greater health, success, and joy.
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