How do you know if you’re still hungry? When to stop? Satiety, in the dictionary, is described as an amply satisfied desire.
That makes me smile. In Spanish in my family, after a meal, it is polite to say: “I am satisfied, thank you! You don’t say, “I’m full.” Which doesn’t mean we’re not!
heaviness
Raise your hand those who leave the table with a belly too full? It’s never been natural for me to tune into my appetite. In other words, to know how to feel the feeling of satiety. Still, it should be simple, but it’s far from easy for me. I have to chew and eat slowly and put my fork down between bites. Leaving food on my plate is also something my mom taught me.
I’m not the only one to be told paradoxically to finish her plate so as not to waste. Why not make leftovers with those little bites that you don’t actually want anymore? Without saying so, my mother still set the example.
Know yourself without judging yourself
The reality is that we are what we are! If you’re like me and you eat your mouthfuls wholeheartedly (I’ve improved a lot in the last few years, I want to congratulate myself by the way), let’s remember my mom’s tricks. The feeling of leaving the table and having eaten just enough is so pleasant. Who doesn’t know the uncomfortable feeling of having to unbutton your pants at the table with the feeling that you’re going to explode? I know, I confess.
My Microwave Thing
With my children, I wanted to teach them to manage their appetite themselves. Babies, they did it naturally. They turned their heads to signal that one more bite of mash was too much. Older, when they asked me if they could help themselves a second time (and a third time now teenagers), I always answered them that I had no idea. “Ask your stomach. How do I know if you’re still hungry? »
They were very small and I punched them in the microwave and added 10 minutes to that time. If it was 6:10 p.m., I would tell them, “At 6:20 p.m., ask your stomach the question again and it will answer you. Most of the time, 2 minutes later, they didn’t think about it anymore and asked to leave the table.
I am very happy that they know how to manage their “hunger budget” by listening to their body’s signals, with intuition. That doesn’t mean they don’t have gaps, like with a financial budget, but they master and know the principles of mindful satiety.
All is not won yet
In my case, the faster I eat without chewing, the more I take. My taste buds always remind me that they live in my mouth and not in my stomach. When I send myself mouthfuls at high speed, they ask me for more, for lack of time to relive this great pleasure of tasting delicacies. I’m not satisfied as the dictionary indicates, but then very stuffed.
That’s life, I don’t put pressure on myself. Before each meal, I try to remember to eat slowly and chew. It multiplies the infinite pleasure of eating. My favourite sport. Enjoy your meal !
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