How To Stop Eating Before You Get Too Full

Two methods can help you control your food intake without sacrificing the pleasure of eating.

Steve and Michael have a unique approach to dining. As a couple, they love to explore new cuisines and restaurants. But what sets them apart is their ability to manage their portions while still enjoying every bite. Their secret? Two different methods of stopping eating that focus on the pleasure of taste rather than a feeling of fullness.

Steve's Method: Fullness as a Signal

Steve listens to his body and relies on the feeling of fullness to stop eating. When his stomach feels satisfied, he knows it's time to put down his fork. This approach allows Steve to control his portions and avoid overeating. However, sometimes it takes a while for the fullness signal to reach his brain, and he may accidentally overindulge.

Michael's Method: Sensory Specific Satiety

Michael, on the other hand, uses a technique called sensory specific satiety to know when to stop eating. This approach focuses on the pleasure of taste and recognizes that each bite becomes less enjoyable as the meal continues. By stopping when the taste of the food subsides, Michael can better control his portions and avoid overeating.

A Night Out: How Their Methods Play Out

When Steve and Michael dine out, their different strategies shine. At a tapas restaurant, they order several small plates to share. Steve eats slowly, savoring each bite and stopping when he feels full. Michael, however, takes a few bites of each dish, enjoying the flavors, and stops when the taste begins to fade.

At a pizza place, Steve enjoys 3 slices, paying attention to his stomach's fullness. Michael, on the other hand, stops after just 2 slices when the flavor starts to wane. This approach allows them both to control their intake and enjoy their meal without overindulging.

Research Backing Their Methods

Studies have shown that focusing on taste, like Michael's method, can be an effective way to control food intake. In one study, participants who stopped eating when the taste of their food subsided consumed less than those who stopped when they felt full. Similar results were found in other studies using water-based solutions and rice pudding.

The Takeaway

Both Steve and Michael's methods for stopping eating have their merits. Steve's focus on fullness allows him to listen to his body and eat according to its needs. Michael's sensory specific satiety technique helps him control portions by paying attention to the diminishing pleasure of taste.

By adopting these strategies, you can enjoy your meals and effectively manage your food intake without feeling restricted. So, the next time you sit down to eat, try focusing on the pleasure of taste or the sensation of fullness to help you know when it's time to stop eating. Who knows? You might just find the perfect balance between pleasure and portion control.

More On The Science

Research indicates that stopping when the taste diminishes, rather than waiting for the sensation of fullness, can significantly improve your ability to control your food intake. Let's take a closer look at the studies that support this idea.

Unlocking the Secrets of Sensory Specific Satiety

Sensory specific satiety is a concept well-understood in French and other Epicurean cultures. This form of satiety is all about the pleasure derived from each bite, and it's what makes it nearly impossible to enhance your enjoyment of food by simply eating more. To understand how this works, let's examine the details of the research conducted on sensory specific satiety.

Study 1: Cereal Consumption

In this study, nine women were divided into four groups: a baseline group asked to eat cereal until they felt satisfied, a fullness group instructed to eat until they felt full, a taste group told to eat until the flavor of the cereal was no longer pleasant, and a television group asked to eat while watching TV.

After measuring their intake, researchers found that the taste group and the baseline group had the lowest cereal intake. Meanwhile, the fullness group and the television group had the highest intake. The study concluded that relying on taste might be the best option to limit food intake.

Study 2: Water-Based Solutions

A similar study assigned 40 women to four groups, this time using water-based solutions. Again, the taste group consumed the lowest volume of the three solutions, while the group that relied on fullness consumed the highest volume of all the groups.

Study 3: Rice Pudding Intake

In another study, 40 non-obese women were divided into four groups with the same conditions as before, but using rice pudding instead of cereal. The taste group once again had the lowest rice pudding intake and reported a significant decrease in hunger, demonstrating that relying on taste to end meals can limit food intake and protect against overconsumption.

Practical Implications: Embrace the Power of Taste

Focusing on taste can be a healthier way to limit food intake than traditional methods, as it puts the brain in a pleasure-focused mindset rather than a restriction-focused one. This approach may lead to a stronger commitment to intake reduction and a more relaxed but effective weight loss plan, especially if it becomes a habit.

Moreover, in the rice pudding study, participants in the taste group were significantly less hungry after eating. This suggests that the amount of food consumed was just enough to reach fullness, and that this strategy, unlike food restriction, will probably not lead to overconsumption later on.

So, the next time you sit down for a meal, remember to savor every bite and listen to your taste buds. By delving into the science of sensory specific satiety and embracing the power of taste, you'll not only enjoy your food more but also be well on your way to a healthier, more balanced relationship with eating. Cheers to that!

To learn how to "eat until the pleasure of the flavors subside", check out the science-based online course, Neuroslim.

References :

1.   Poothullil J. M. (2002). Role of oral sensory signals in determining meal size in lean women. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.), 18(6), 479–483. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0899-9007(02)00784-0

2.   Poothullil J. M. (2005). Recognition of oral sensory satisfaction and regulation of the volume of intake in humans. Nutritional neuroscience, 8(4), 245–250. https://doi.org/10.1080/10284150500449029

3.   Poothullil J. M. (2009). Meal termination using oral sensory satisfaction: a study in non-obese women. Nutritional neuroscience, 12(1), 28–34. https://doi.org/10.1179/147683009X388869

4.   Hill, A. (2004). Does dieting make you fat? British Journal of Nutrition, 92(S1), S15-S18. https://doi.org/10.1079/BJN20041135