16:31:50 Welcome back to the Concierge Weight Loss Podcast. I'm Kara Hackleman.
16:31:55 And today, we're diving into something that most of us never really learned.
16:32:00 How to recognize when we're actually hungry, and how to know when we've had enough.
16:32:05 Not stuffed, not done with what's on your plate. Not just out of food.
16:32:10 But, just enough. We're calling this episode, Am I Even Hungry? What to Ask Before You Eat.
16:32:17 And if you've ever stood in front of the fridge or pantry thinking, why am I even here? I just ate!
16:32:22 Then you're in the right place. When I finished START… when I first started trying to lose weight.
16:32:28 I thought hunger was just when your stomach growled. I didn't really question it. If it was a meal time, I ate.
16:32:35 If other people were eating, sure, I'll eat. I joined them. If I was there.
16:32:41 I grabbed it. If the food was available, I was probably eating it.
16:32:46 I also thought that a serving size. Listed on a package, or how much the restaurant gave you on your plate.
16:32:53 That those were what I was supposed to be eating. I thought that was a portion.
16:32:58 I didn't question whether it was a little too much or a little too little.
16:33:02 I wasn't… I wasn't questioning those things. I didn't trust myself to decide when to start or stop.
16:33:09 I would stop eating when the plate was empty, or when I felt physically ill from having too much.
16:33:14 That was my version of full. The idea of tuning into hunger and fullness cues.
16:33:20 That wasn't even on my radar. I didn't know what hunger felt like, other than I'm.
16:33:26 Starving. And stopping when I was satisfied? That wasn't even a category in my brain. I stopped when I was stuffed, or when the food was gone, or….
16:33:35 When I had guilt kicking in, you know, when it's really excessive.
16:33:40 But then, I started asking better questions, and the answers? Changed everything. Your body has always had built-in hunger and fullness signals.
16:33:50 Think about babies. They know when they're hungry. They know when they're done. They cry, they turn their head, I don't want anymore.
16:33:58 We track how many ounces they drank, or when their last feeding was, but.
16:34:03 They… they already know. They know when they need fed, and they know when they don't want any more.
16:34:10 But as we grow, we get disconnected from those signals. Life happens.
16:34:15 Outside influences happen. We lose that. Ability to hear our body say, I'm hungry.
16:34:23 I've had enough. So…. We learn to clean our plates. We learn to eat on a schedule.
16:34:29 We learn that being polite means finishing your food, or eating what was offered to you.
16:34:35 We learn that being hungry is bad. And being full means that we did it right.
16:34:42 Many times I'll hear people who had food scarcity. Maybe they didn't grow up with.
16:34:48 Routine meals, or they, uh, came from a family where. They… they had some limited resources, and so they'll have some issues with some of this, too.
16:34:59 But none of that teaches us how to listen to our own body. It actually disconnects us even more.
16:35:07 So, if you feel out of touch with your hunger. Or you always seem to eat.
16:35:12 Past full, it's not because you're broken, it's because you were never taught.
16:35:16 How to notice those cues again. You lost them. So, let's start with hunger. Most of the women I work with can recognize hunger, but.
16:35:25 They usually don't wait for it. They eat, because it's noon and that's lunchtime, or because they're at home and the kitchen is right there, that's the habit.
16:35:34 Because they're watching TV, and that's when the snacks come out.
16:35:38 Or because they're emotionally drained, and food, it's the easiest pick-me-up.
16:35:43 And they know what it feels like to be overstuffed, like, I need to unbutton my pants.
16:35:48 Stuffed, but that middle ground, where you're actually. Hungry, and then you're comfortably satisfied.
16:35:55 That's what we're going to be practicing. It's a skill, one that you can relearn.
16:36:01 And it starts with awareness. Here are some simple questions you can start asking. Am I actually even hungry, or do I just want this?
16:36:09 Uh, maybe you ask yourself, when was the last time I ate? What did I eat? How much of it did I have?
16:36:15 What am I hoping food will fix for me right now?
16:36:18 If it's not hunger. Probably we need to start talking about this.
16:36:24 So, these help you pause the autopilot. They help you go from reacting to responding.
16:36:31 And here's one of my favorite analogies. Think about how you track maybe a baby's feeding schedule. You'd ask, when was the last bottle? How much did they have?
16:36:41 Do they need more now? Or…. Maybe they need a nap.
16:36:45 Or a diaper, or a snuggle. Your body isn't that different.
16:36:51 You might need food, but. You might also just need some rest, or water, or.
16:36:57 A break from stimulation. Or…. Maybe you need a hug. If you are hungry, amazing. Eat.
16:37:04 But, now, you're doing it from awareness, from choice. Let's talk about fullness.
16:37:10 Most of us were never taught how to stop eating when we are satisfied.
16:37:15 We were taught to finish what's on our plate, to not waste food.
16:37:19 To eat while we're distracted, and to feel guilty if we have leftovers that we couldn't eat.
16:37:26 One of the things I help my clients do is recognize that enough point.
16:37:30 It's not about willpower, it's not about perfection, it's about learning to stop when your body says, hey, that's good.
16:37:38 We're good now. And knowing you can always eat more when you're hungry again, because we're going to be hungry again.
16:37:44 And you can absolutely keep practicing that skill. I am 65 pounds down, and I can tell you, I am still having to tune in and make sure.
16:37:53 Like, sometimes it needs an adjustment, a little tune-up. So, here are 4 simple ways to practice.
16:37:59 Slow down! Put away the distractions. Notice how the food tastes.
16:38:04 The texture, the speed of it! That slowing down lets your body catch up to your brain.
16:38:11 Use a halfway check-in. You know, go ahead and push that food aside.
16:38:15 Half of it over there. When you get to that spot, pause.
16:38:18 And ask, am I still hungry? Am I still enjoying this?
16:38:23 What would happen if I just stopped eating now. Uh, maybe you put your fork down between bites. It feels awkward at first, but it creates space for you to check in.
16:38:33 So, say to yourself, that was enough for now. Even if there's food left.
16:38:38 Even if it tastes amazing, you can always eat more later if you're truly hungry.
16:38:44 And this was enough. We're not wasting anything. We got what we needed.
16:38:47 That was enough for now. Let me tell you about my client. She used to panic about stopping early. She'd think, but what if I get hungry later?
16:38:56 So, I encouraged her to do something that I did. Carry a purse snack.
16:39:01 Just that one change, it created calm. She knew she could eat later if she needed to, so she stopped eating past full.
16:39:09 Her body felt better, and her confidence grew, and food no longer had power over her.
16:39:14 I explain, half the time, I don't eat my purse snack, and I end up having to throw it out because it gets.
16:39:21 All crushed, or whatever it is, it gets melted, or whatever the thing is in there, and so… but, man, there's something calming knowing it's there if I need it.
16:39:30 So, it does, it lets you break free from having to decide.
16:39:36 If this is enough or not, because you know if you didn't get it right, you've got a purse snack.
16:39:41 So, now she's even excited that there is enough left over to eat for lunch the next day. She will actually stop.
16:39:48 Early on eating to make sure there's enough for that, so that she can take her lunch with the leftovers, make another meal from it.
16:39:54 So, here's the truth. This process isn't perfect. Some days you'll eat more than you needed. Some days you'll underee because you're busy or distracted.
16:40:03 Both of those are okay. This isn't about rigid control, it's about compassionate awareness.
16:40:10 It's about building a new relationship with your body. You're allowed to eat when you're hungry.
16:40:16 And you're allowed to stop when you've had enough. You're allowed to eat again later. It doesn't have to be perfect. You are in charge.
16:40:24 And that's where sustainable weight loss begins. Not with rules, but with trust. So.
16:40:29 If you are ready to rebuild that trust, you don't have to do it alone. I've got two ways.
16:40:34 That you can take the next step. Watch the free webinar at CoachingCara.com forward slash sign up. I'll walk you through everything your doctor wishes you knew about losing weight that.
16:40:44 Actually lasts. Or you can book a free personalized solutions call at CoachingCara.com forward slash free call. We'll talk about what's going on and what you've tried.
16:40:55 What would really actually work for your life. You're not broken, and you're not beyond help.
16:41:02 You're not behind. You're just ready for something that fits you better.
16:41:06 And this, right here, is where that starts. Next week, we'll be talking about something small that makes a big impact.
16:41:13 How slowing down your meals can actually help you eat less.
16:41:17 And feel more satisfied. See you then.
