Trusting Your Body: Reconnecting with Hunger and Fullness
Recently, I asked a poll on Instagram: “Do you trust your body’s hunger and fullness cues?” A striking 76% of you said “No”, highlighting a common struggle many of us face.
It’s no surprise, really. Diet culture has taught us to override our body’s signals, convincing us to ignore hunger, suppress cravings, and push through fullness. But here’s the truth: your body is built to guide you. Hunger and fullness are innate signals designed to help you nourish yourself and feel your best. Reconnecting with these cues is a key step toward building a healthier, more trusting relationship with your body.
How Diet Culture Breaks the Trust
Diet culture thrives on disconnecting us from our bodies, bombarding us with rules and restrictions that tell us:
“You can’t trust yourself to know when or how much to eat.”
“You need a plan, an app, or a diet to control your eating.”
“Hunger is something to fear or suppress.”
Over time, these messages erode your confidence in your own instincts. Instead of listening to your body, you start relying on external cues—like calorie counts, meal plans, or the clock—to tell you when and how to eat.
Relearning How to Trust Your Body
The good news? Your body hasn’t forgotten how to send hunger and fullness cues. You might just need to relearn how to listen. Here’s how to get started:
1. Understand Hunger and Fullness
Your body uses hunger and fullness to communicate its energy needs.
Hunger: This can feel like a growling stomach, fatigue, or irritability. It’s your body’s way of asking for fuel.
Fullness: This might feel like a sense of satisfaction, a comfortable heaviness in your stomach, or the desire to stop eating.
Tip: Hunger and fullness exist on a spectrum. You don’t have to wait until you’re ravenous to eat, nor do you need to feel stuffed to stop. Aim for a balance that feels comfortable.
2. Tune Into Your Body
Start reconnecting with your body by noticing its signals throughout the day.
Before eating: How hungry am I? What does my body feel like it needs?
During eating: How does this food taste? Am I feeling more satisfied as I eat?
After eating: How full do I feel? Do I feel energised, sluggish, or satisfied?
This practice helps you tune in without judgment—it’s about noticing, not controlling.
3. Ditch the Rules
Diet culture loves to impose rules like “Don’t eat after 7 p.m.” or “Only eat three meals a day.” These rules can make you second-guess your body’s natural cues.
Try this: Give yourself unconditional permission to eat when you’re hungry, regardless of what the “rules” say.
4. Practice Self-Compassion
Relearning how to trust your body takes time, and it’s normal to feel unsure along the way. Instead of judging yourself, approach the process with curiosity and kindness.
Mantra: “I’m learning to listen to my body, and that’s a process I’m allowed to take at my own pace.”
5. Challenge Diet Culture
Ask yourself: Who benefits from me doubting my body? Diet culture profits off your insecurities, but you can reclaim your confidence by rejecting its messages.
Actionable Step: Diversify your social media feed with body-positive and intuitive eating accounts to drown out diet culture noise.
The Benefits of Trusting Your Body
When you reconnect with your hunger and fullness cues, you:
Develop a more peaceful relationship with food.
Feel more in tune with your body’s needs.
Build confidence in your ability to nourish yourself.
It’s not about perfection—it’s about creating trust and balance that feels sustainable and freeing.
The Bottom Line
Relearning how to trust your body is a journey, especially in a world that encourages us to second-guess ourselves. But you’re not broken, and your body hasn’t forgotten how to guide you. With patience, curiosity, and self-compassion, you can rebuild that trust and find joy in eating again.
If trusting your body feels like a challenge, I’d love to help. Together, we can create a plan to reconnect with your body’s natural wisdom and make food feel simple, nourishing, and stress-free.
Morgan x
