Ever wondered why your stomach signals “full” but your fork keeps finding its way to your mouth? Here are some reasons why this might happen and what you can do to help.
Hunger and Fullness Cues
You may find yourself eating past fullness when you’re not paying attention to your hunger and fullness cues. This could happen if you’re eating too quickly if you’re in a rush, or even being distracted such as eating in front of a screen. Eliminating distractions and taking time to be present with the meal you’re eating will help you to listen to what your body needs and identify when you’re satisfied from a meal.
Too hungry
You might eat past fullness if you’re too hungry before eating. This can be from not eating enough during the day, skipping meals, or spacing out meals too long. For example, if you skip lunch during a busy day, you’ll find yourself feeling very hungry once you have dinner. Make sure you eat regularly and try to stay consistent with this as much as you can. If you have a busy schedule, it can help to prepare some on the go meals and have filling snacks on you.
Restriction
If you’re eating a food you usually restrict yourself from, you may find yourself overeating as you don’t know when you will have a chance to enjoy it again. By giving yourself unconditional permission to enjoy all foods, you will no longer feel restricted and won’t feel the need to overeat them if you know you can enjoy them anytime.
