Imagine a scenario where you don’t feel nervous around meal time, you can eat a meal you love, and not feel incredibly stuffed, sluggish, and guilty afterwards AND you can have it again later… That’s what I believe the 80% full principle can help you do, that’s at least what it did for me.
I talk about this concept frequently on my Instagram, and every time I have people DM me with questions, so much so that I decided to go on a LIVE and share the questions I’ve gotten and help people learn how to practice this themselves.
Let’s start with what the 80% Principle is NOT:
Me (or anyone else for that matter) telling you when to start/stop eating.
A method of restricting or cutting calories in an effort to achieve weight loss.
“still hungry,” it’s full and satisfied vs. full & stuffed.
You HAVE to stop eating.
and then go into what it IS:
A way to bring mindfulness into your meal - to become more present
This is YOU telling YOU when you are satisfied and not in need of more food at this moment.
A way to build trust within yourself and your body to feel confident when eating out.
Recognizing you have a choice to continue eating but you choose not to right now
See AlsoThis island unlocked the secret to long life—and knows how to get through tough timesWhy Do I Feel So Uncomfortably Full After Eating a Meal?How to Eat Until 80% Full (And Why It’s a Key Practice for Weight Loss)When You Always Eat Until You're Full, This Is What Happens To Your Body - Health Digest
Why Adopt This Practice?
It can help improve appetite regulation and digestion because you’re eating slower and more mindfully.
It minimizes dependency on “food rules” like calorie counting and diet plans.
It increases your body awareness which can help you regulate and better understand your needs.
It connects you to your body’s ACTUAL nutritional needs - which are naturally individual and unique to everyone.
It can help you enjoy your food more and it allows you to continue to eat the foods you love.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How to know you’re 80% full?
When you take a bite and think, “I’m going to be so full if I eat anymore.”
I was always taught to leave nothing on your plate, so now I feel guilty if I do.
Let’s take a step back here, most of us were raised by parents in a feeding environment that came out of lack-there-of food situation (depression, war, socioeconomic differences, etc.) and we were fed messages like, “You HAVE to clean your plate.” We were forced to eat things we didn’t like. We had to “earn” things like dessert. There was a lot of control instilled during meal time. Now, every time we were forced to “clean our plate” we were essentially being told that we don’t know when we’re hungry and full and therefore we were trained to trust that the person giving us the plate of food knew what we needed more than we did (our parents aren’t perfect, we’re all just trying our best to do our best). Now, ESPECIALLY since the food system has changed a lot (we now have access to really large amounts of low cost foods) we go to a restaurant, get a plate of heaping food, and believe we have to eat it all - we feel uncomfortable and guilty if we don’t and now we’re eating way more than our bodies need. We need to regain that trust and confidence in OURSELVES and stop assuming others know what’s best for us. Listen within.
Also, side note, how are "hungry children in another country” going to benefit from you eating all the food in your plate? They’re not. Here’s a thought: Buy less. Be grateful for what you have. Donate.
I don’t want to “waste” the food that I bought (guilt around leaving food you purchased).
Leftovers. We ALL know I’m the QUEEN of eating leftovers, and for a good reason. You get to enjoy the food now AND later.
When it tastes really good, I don’t want to stop.
I’d recommend watching the video for this answer, tbh.
I don’t know when I’m going to have it again, so I feel like I need to eat as much as I can.
Again (and I know, I’m sorry, this is an annoying answer) I’d recommend watching the video for this answer, there’s a lot that goes into this.
How can you start implementing this practice today?
Make sure you don’t go into your meals starving
Waiting until you’re ravenous will cause you to eat faster and not enjoy your meal long enough to realize how full you’re getting.
You don’t have to abide by food times. Eat when your body tells you it’s ready, not at 12:00pm.
Make sure you’re nourishing yourself enough throughout the day. If you find you’re always hungry an hour or so after your meals, it’s time to add some more density to your meals!
Eat meals undistracted
That means no computer (especially no work), no phone, no TV.
Enjoy this time with yourself or someone else and savor your yummy meal.
Eat slowly
It takes the sensory system in your stomach 15-20 min to tell the brain it’s reached fullness.
Put down your utensils with every bite.
Chew, don’t inhale, your food.
Practice mindfulness, really take the time to taste the flavors, feel the textures, etc.
Check-In with yourself throughout your meal to determine your hunger/fullness levels
0% - I need food and I need it NOW (feelings of dizziness, fatigue, nausea, stomach pangs, etc. can occur in extreme cases)
20% - I got the edge off, but I definitely need a full meal soon.
40% - I’m feeling much better, but if I stopped I’d be hungry really soon.
60% - Feeling satisfied, but not satiated quite yet. If I want dessert though, I should probably stop now.
80% - I feel filled, but not full. If I keep going I might be too full. I feel energized like I could go for a walk.
90% - I’m a little too full. I feel ok, but I don’t really want to move around a whole lot right now.
100% - I don’t feel so good. My belly feels really tight and I feel like my food is in my throat. I don’t want to move at all.
What you’ll come to notice, is that these systems work together. It’s hard to eat until you’re 80% full, if you go into your meals starving, because it’s hard to eat slowly when you’re starving. It’s hard to not go into your meals starving, if you’re not eating enough throughout the day. Always remember to nourish yourself.
Finally, some friendly reminders:
This is a TOOL, not a RULE - You don’t need to practice this ALL the time.
Always be curious, and not judgmental towards yourself. If you find this is really hard to do, ask yourself why you think that is? Are you eating too quickly? Are you going into your meal starving? Are you coming from a scarcity mindset (I can only have this once) rather than an abundant mindset (I can have this whenever I want)? Etc.
This WILL be more difficult for you (not impossible in most cases though) if you have a current eating disorder if you have an autoimmune disease that affects your hormones (like the hunger hormones Ghrelin and Leptin), if you’ve been yo-yo dieting for a long time and have impacted your insulin resistance, etc.
If you’re looking for a safe space where you can learn how to let go of dieting for good, enjoy food without guilt, and turn exercise into something you love to do rather than something you “have” to do, submit a client application to get in contact with me! I work with clients virtually all over the world helping those who are frustrated with dieting and want to change their relationship with food and themselves.
Hi, I’m Azul Corajoria, an Integrative Health Coach, Personal Trainer & Yoga Instructor. I support my clients in making step-by-step changes so that they can live a healthy and balanced life. By recognizing the interdependent roles of mindset, nutrition, and movement I educate and hold my clients accountable for achieving their health goals through lifestyle and behavior adjustments with an emphasis on self-care. Together, we navigate the contradictory world of nutrition through intuitive eating, practice mindful movement, and implement small mindset and lifestyle shifts that empower them to be their best selves in the easiest way possible.
