I AM STILL HUNGRY…. 

One of the areas people struggle with the most is portions. The reason they struggle is not because they can’t figure out what a recommended portion is. Anyone can google a portion and most people understand if they eat less, they will lose weight. The challenge is to only eat that much.

Why can’t we just eat the right portion?
Because it takes 20 minutes to feel full. Discomfort for 20 minutes. This leaves 20 minutes of vulnerability to overeat.

If you give yourself 20 minutes and just wait, you can decide how much food is needed after. This is coming from a different place, not hunger. Even if you are still hungry at that point, you will need less to satisfy. Most of the time after 20 minutes, this usually allows enough time to feel satisfied and get out of the overeating zone.

Another reason is, “the food still tastes good”. It will always taste good but eating past fullness has a consequence. That may be just feeling heavy after a meal or weight gain.

Have you noticed these excuses come up after you have eaten a sensible meal?

• The food tastes good. 
• I am still hungry 

How do you want to feel after a meal? Maybe light and energetic, focused. Some may want to have that full feeling in their stomach. You may prefer to have a lighter lunch so you can feel energetic and a bigger dinner. You can choose based on how much food you want to eat and what types of food make you feel your best. Put some thought into identifying how much food makes you feel satisfied versus full and stuffed. If you want to lose or maintain weight- this is a valuable tool. Once you practice the skill enough- it becomes easier to work your plan, walk away from the food knowing that you will be satisfied in 20 minutes.

Do you want to feel satisfied and ready to go or heavy? How we feel today can be more motivating than a promise of weight loss down the road. You can be uncomfortable for 20 minutes and feel the way you want after that. The other option is to continue eating and not be uncomfortable for 20 minutes and be uncomfortably full for the hours after your meal.

If you eat without the hunger hormone, ghrelin, the satisfaction hormone can not be triggered, leptin.

Thanksgiving is a great example of eating until full or stuffed, walking away, and 20 minutes later feeling terribly full.

• It takes the body about 20 minutes to send the signal to the brain that we are full in the gut. It is slow because it is a hormone messenger. So your body has to digest a certain amount of food and get it to the gut in order for it to work. Protein seems to be important for being the most satisfying macronutrient. (Over a carbohydrate or fat.) 

Some observations:  

• Start the 20 minute clock after you are done chewing. See if you notice a difference.
• It may take about 30 minutes.
• Let yourself get hungry. Without knowing what hunger feels like, you don’t know the difference between actual biological hunger and eating for pleasure. 
• The whole process is a hormone reaction. Ghrelin needs to be present in order for this to work. If you eat without the hunger hormone, ghrelin, the satisfaction hormone can not be triggered, leptin.

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