Intuitive Eating Principle #6 – Feel Your Fullness
& Experience Goodness
Today, we dive into Intuitive Eating Principle #6 – Feel Your Fullness.
Last week’s post on the Satisfaction Factor started with this note: “If you have an older version of the Intuitive Eating book or workbook, you may see the principles listed with “Feel Your Fullness” as Principle 5. Since I’m “hip with the times” (phrase specifically used to show I am in no way hip with the times), we’re going to go with the new order of principles and chat about satisfaction this week and fullness next week! You’ll quickly see how these principles go hand in hand.”
Honestly, my kids have figured this out better than I have. They haven’t spent decades tangled in food rules and black-and-white thinking. They trust themselves more easily and give themselves grace more freely.
As I shared last week, my husband and I have taken longer to catch up. But just the other day, he shared a story of progress on this journey.
Our kids asked for soda at dinner—a rare but reasonable request. Since it was a school night, I said yes as long as it was caffeine-free. We’ve been buying mini sodas since they rarely finish a 12 oz can, and they had a few options to choose from. They got their sodas from the fridge, we continued dinner, and I didn’t give it another thought. They had a desire for something sweet, I gave a parameter, they ate their food, there was no arguing, and we all moved on with our lives.
All of us, except for my husband. He began the dinnertime cleanup and as he cleared the table, he realized that neither of our children had recycled their soda cans. When he went to pick them up, he had another realization: neither of our children had finished their mini soda!!
At first, this was a bit of a triggering realization for him – it feels wasteful for them to ask for something they aren’t even going to finish. But my husband quickly softened. What an amazing sign of kids who know how to listen to their bodies for satisfaction AND fullness. No external pressures, no urge to finish just because. Just natural attunement to satisfaction and fullness. What a sweet gift to be reminded of the progress that our family has made toward freedom.
What about you? Are you able to recognize fullness?
Fullness isn’t just a feeling in your stomach—it can show up in different ways throughout your body.
Physically, you might notice a gentle stretching or pressure in your stomach, a sense of warmth, or even a subtle slowing down in your eating. Some people feel fullness in their head, like a shift in focus or a fading interest in food. Others experience it as a change in mood—satisfaction, calmness, relaxation.
Energy levels can also shift. A comfortable fullness might leave you feeling steady and content. Tuning into these signals can help you recognize when you've had enough, without relying on external rules.
How does fullness show up for you?
One of the biggest barriers to recognizing fullness is distracted eating—I’m definitely guilty of this, especially at lunchtime. I like to use that time to step away from the demands of the day and enjoy some quiet “me time,” which often means watching a show or scrolling social media while I eat.
Distractions don’t just come from screens, though. Reading, working, doing chores, talking on the phone, or multitasking can all pull attention away from your body's signals. When we're focused elsewhere, it’s easy to eat past fullness or miss the subtle cues that we’ve had enough. Becoming more mindful, even for just a few bites, can help reconnect with those signals and make meals more satisfying.
Let’s take a moment to revisit the hunger and fullness scale:
When we discussed Intuitive Eating Principle #2: Honor Your Hunger, we explored hunger on a scale from 5 down to 0, imagining the stomach gradually emptying until it reaches complete emptiness (0).
Now, let’s look at the other end of the scale. Fullness can be measured from 5 up to 10, with the stomach gradually filling until it becomes uncomfortably full. As we assess our fullness (from 5 → 10), we can also consider whether the sensation feels pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
5 – You are neither hungry nor full. Simply neutral.
6 – You might begin to feel fullness cues, but this is a neutral fullness.
7 – You feel content, comfortable, and satisfied. This is a pleasant fullness.
8 – At this point, fullness is classified as neutral. You are a little too full but it’s not unpleasant.
9 – You are uncomfortably full and may need to unbutton your bants. This hunger is unpleasant.
10 – If you are at a ten, you are painfully full. You may even feel sick. It’s very unpleasant.
As we tune into our fullness cues and get curious about where we fall on the 5 (neutral) to 10 (unpleasantly full) scale, we start to recognize when it feels right to stop eating.
One helpful concept is the last bite threshold—the point where you take that final bite that leaves you feeling comfortably satisfied rather than overly full. You’ll know you’ve reached it when food starts to lose its appeal, your stomach feels content but not stretched, or you sense a natural pause in your eating. Paying attention to these subtle shifts can help you stop at a place that feels good, rather than eating past comfort out of habit or distraction.
Use this Fullness Scale Journaling Activity to help you practice recognizing fullness cues. Checking in during and after meals allows you to notice where you are on the scale, whether your fullness feels pleasant, unpleasant or neutral, and if you stopped at a satisfying point. Over time, this awareness makes it easier to honor your body’s natural signals without overthinking.
Fullness Scale Journaling Activity:
Use this 5→10 scale to check in with your fullness during and after eating.
Fullness Scale (5→10):
5 – Neutral (body feels nourished, neither hungry nor full)
6 – Neutral (gently full, could eat more but don’t need to)
7 – Pleasant (comfortably full, satisfied, content)
8 – Neutral (very full, might feel slightly sluggish)
9 – Unpleasant (overly full, stomach feels stretched, low energy)
10 – Unpleasant (stuffed, uncomfortable, possibly feeling sick)📝 During Eating – Pause & Check-In:
Where am I on the fullness scale (5→10)?
Does my fullness feel pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral?
How does my body signal fullness (stomach, head, mood, energy)?
📝 After Eating – Reflect:
Where am I on the scale now?
Do I feel satisfied, or did I eat past a comfortable fullness?
Were there any distractions that made it harder to notice fullness cues?
Did this meal leave me feeling physically and mentally satisfied? Why or why not?
Practicing these check-ins can help strengthen awareness of your body's natural signals without judgment.
As you practice the Fullness Scale Journaling Activity, you may start to notice patterns—times when stopping at a comfortable fullness feels easy and times when external pressures make it harder. Recognizing fullness isn’t just about physical cues; it’s also about learning to trust that food will be available when we need it and that we don’t have to eat out of fear, scarcity, or obligation.
This is where goodness comes in. Just as God provides for us spiritually, He also cares for our physical needs. Psalm 27:13 reminds us that we will see God’s goodness here and now—not just in eternity, but in our daily lives. One way we experience that goodness is by honoring the way He designed our bodies, including the ability to feel satisfied and stop eating when we’ve had enough.
This truth became clear to me in the most unexpected way—over a cup of ice cream.
Yesterday, my daughter had an orthodontist appointment in the middle of her school day. I made the sacrifice and stopped at Chick-fil-A for lunch—so I could grab her an ice cream treat to eat on the way to the orthodontist.
I usually get a grilled nugget kids’ meal with fries since Chick-fil-A sometimes makes my belly sad, and a kids’ meal is usually enough to leave me full and satisfied. Plus, I know that if I need more, I can always add some fruit or veggies at home or order something else while I’m there.
Before heading to pick up my daughter, I traded my kids’ meal prize for a cup of ice cream. When she got in the car, I passed her the surprise treat, and we headed to Five Below to kill some time before her appointment.
As we drove, she told me she probably wouldn’t finish the ice cream before we got to the store. I reassured her there was no rush. But when we pulled into the parking lot (we live super close to everything, so it didn’t take long), I could see her slowing down. I asked if she was done, and she hesitated—“Is that fine?”—before making a face and starting to take another bite.
“DON’T EAT IT!!!” I practically shouted. “If you’re full, you don’t need to eat it!”
“Are you sure?”
“YES, I’M SURE!! If you’re full, you can stop eating! Just throw it out on our way into the store.”
Her hesitation struck me. How often do we do the same—pressuring ourselves to finish food because of external expectations rather than tuning in to what our bodies are telling us? When we consider our fullness, we are reminded that we don’t have to eat just because something is there or expected. We can trust our bodies to tell us when we've had enough, just as we trust in God’s provision.
This ties beautifully into the Fruit of the Spirit—Goodness. Just as we don’t have to wait for heaven to experience God’s goodness, we don’t have to wait for a certain weight, diet, or set of food rules to honor our body’s needs. God designed our bodies with wisdom—including the ability to recognize fullness. When we listen to these cues, we practice trust—knowing food will be available when we need it—and goodness—caring for our bodies in a way that respects the satisfaction He designed us to experience.
So the next time you feel pressure to eat when you’re already full, I hope you hear my voice in your head yelling: “DON’T EAT IT!!!!!!” More importantly, I hope you hear God’s gentle whisper reminding you that His goodness is already present, and you can trust the good body He has given you—right here, right now, today.
Peace,
Emily
Intuitive Eating Counselor & Coach at IE with Emily
If noticing fullness feels difficult—or you tend to ignore it altogether—you’re not alone. This principle often takes gentle practice. Coaching can help you reconnect with those cues in a supportive and judgment-free way. Learn more about Intuitive Eating Coaching here.
P.S. Read for Principle #7 - Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness? You can find the next post here!
I have this little sigh I make when eating. It's my cue I'm full about 1-2 bits away.
Once I started IE is when I started noticing it.