It took me awhile to realize that I was actually doing this and having some success at it, before realizing that it made a good tip.  I first discovered that I would keep eating chocolate if I didn’t have some coffee to finish it off with, to clear my palate.  I used the coffee to to finish off my snack/binge.  I then noticed that if I finished a meal with a bit of fruit I psychologically felt done.  I had no more desire to eat savoury foods nor sugary sweet foods.  A handful of strawberries or an orange is a great signal to me that my meal is done.  The best part is, the more I have been using this method the more powerful this message becomes to my body.

A great cap to any meal is toothpaste.  If you can brush your teeth as soon as you finish your meal, you will connect that clean, minty feeling to being done eating.  I love that minty, clean feeling and I rarely want to eat after I brush my teeth, if ever.

You need to explore what your weaknesses are when eating.  When you are done eating, before you are full plan to have some form of meal finisher on hand.  Pick the finisher based on what you are doing during the day and what your likely to crave.  For breakfast it could be easy to brush your teeth after eating.  For lunch an apple or orange might do the trick.  For dinner a berry salad, a cup of tea or a glass of wine.  Explore foods, drinks and habits that may help you end your meal in a way that could become a ritual, a ritual of freedom from snacking or eating.

It is important to be finished eating before you are full.  It is very important to not be dissatisfied or hungry or craving foods when you walk away.  You need your body to know that you aren’t going to eat anything more.  Whatever you can do to signal this you need to do.  Try capping your meal.

So, do you have any foods, drinks or habits that signal you to be full or be done eating?  Share them below.