Fullness Versus Satisfaction
Have you ever eaten a meal, felt physically full, and still felt the urge to eat something else? Maybe you wanted a taste of something sweet or maybe you stood in front of the pantry for a while feeling frustrated that you didn’t really know what you wanted. No matter what the circumstance, nothing is wrong with you for experiencing the desire to keep eating!
One reason this sensation may occur has to do with the distinction between fullness and satisfaction. Keep reading if you are interested in learning more about the difference between the two.
Consider this: you are presented with an apple and a cookie with the choice of which one you want for snack. The cookie looks amazing and you REALLY want it but that voice in your head convinces you to choose the apple instead. You eat the apple, it fills you up, but you can’t stop thinking about the cookie. In this situation you are experiencing fullness, not satisfaction, and both are important parts of the eating experience!
The Definition of Fullness
Dictionary.com defines fullness as “containing or holding as much or as many as possible; having no empty space.” When we think about fullness in the context of food, we are referring to how much our digestive tract can comfortably hold at a given time. Fullness fluctuates in response to a variety of factors, and when we are nourishing our bodies appropriately, we often feel fullness at varying times of the day.
The Definition of Satisfaction
Dictonary.com defines satisfied as “contended; pleased.” In the context of food and the eating experience, satisfaction refers to how we felt about that eating experience. Was the food enjoyable? Did you eat what sounded good? Did the eating environment support your needs? When satisfaction is missing from a meal, we often can leave that meal with the feeling that something is missing.
Aiming to fulfill both fullness and satisfaction at meal times is important for proper nourishment! Remember that food is not just a utility. Food can be culture, joy, connection, comfort. If we are eating just to fill our stomach, we are missing all of the wonderful experiences of eating. The same is true for only eating for satisfaction. If we eat only to satisfy a craving but do not address the hunger, we are not meeting the needs of our bodies. Eating to fully nourish your body AND enjoying the food is a great thing. You do not need to restrict in order to eat something you enjoy. What are your favorite filling and satisfying meals? We would love to hear from you!