The Overfed Head and Stopping When Hunger Ends vs. When Full

[Guest guest]

I have so appreciated Bill's sharing of the free PDF of the e-book " The Overfed

Head. " Rob s' discussions about fullness vs. satisfaction have been real

eye-openers for me. He says thin people like feeling " hungry " because it means

they can eat and enjoy whatever they want. They dislike " full. "

p. 128 " What thin people often especially dislike about fullness - feeling

heavy, dull, and groggy - may be perceived as a benefit by someone who is driven

to overeat by anxiety or stress. Being full has a sedative effect. "

p. 129 " If your weight problem is sever enough to qualify you for such [gastric

bypass] surgery, the issue you need to come to grips with is your compulsion to

feel full. Healthy people dislike that feeling, and you can retrain yourself to

dislike it, too....

The moment of satisfaction is subtle. It is the absence of the strong

feeling that initially drove you to eat, rather than an equally strong new

feeling like fullness. Most overeaters fail to perceive the moment of

satisfaction because they are busy pursuing fullness. By the time your belly

feels heavy or your belt is getting tight, you are well beyond the satisfaction

point. "

p. 137 " At the point you can no longer detect the feeling of hunger, consider

yourself a bite or two away from complete satisfaction. Savor those last two

bites, then stop. "

p. 143 " Once you have some experience of being satisfied without being full, you

can compare and contrast. Notice what unpleasant about being full - the

bloatedness, the dullness and sluggishness, the possible indigestion, the

feeling that what you ate two hours ago is still lingering in your stomach.

Compare this with how you feel when you've left the table after eating exactly

enough and no more. "

This was good stuff for me.

Jane