Do you struggle to stop eating even when your body says “I’m full”? For dancers, busy schedules, high energy needs, and diet culture pressures can make tuning into fullness tricky. In this episode, Rachel Fine dives into the science and strategies to help you honor your body’s fullness cues.

You’ll learn:

✅ How hunger and fullness hormones (ghrelin & leptin) affect your appetite

✅ Why fear of fullness happens and how diet culture amplifies it

✅ How to distinguish physical fullness from mental satisfaction

✅ 10 actionable steps to feel comfortably full without guilt

✅ Tips for mindful eating, flexible meal planning, and intuitive portioning

📅 Perfect for dancers rebuilding trust with food and learning to enjoy meals without overthinking.

📖 Read the full blog: https://dancenutrition.com/how-to-stop-eating-when-you-feel-full/

📲 Follow on Instagram: @ToThePointeNutrition

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube: Nutrition for Dancers

🎙️ Listen on Apple + Spotify: Nutrition for Dancers with The Dance Nutritionist® Podcast

Timestamps ⬇️ (Skip to the section you need!)

0:00 – Introduction: Struggling to Honor Fullness
Overeating past a 7–8 on the fullness scale and the goal of learning to honor fullness.

0:33 – A Dietitian Nutritionist for Dancers
Rachel Fine introduces herself and her work with dancers to use food supportively.

1:05 – Fullness Cues Overview
Why paying attention to fullness cues is important for energy and performance.

1:12 – Biology of Fullness
How hormones like ghrelin (hunger) and leptin (fullness) communicate with the brain.

2:09 – Body Fat & Leptin
Impact of body fat percentage and restrictive dieting on leptin and feelings of fullness.

3:02 – Hunger, Restriction & Chronic Hunger
How under-fueling triggers biological drives and chronic hunger.

3:16 – Fear of Fullness & Overeating
Common experiences of overeating and the stigma around feeling full.

4:36 – Learning Comfortable Fullness
Shifting mindset and curiosity to identify what comfortable fullness feels like.

5:52 – Time & Process of Feeling Full
Reframing fullness as a normal response to adequate nourishment, not bloating.

6:59 – Journaling & Physical vs. Mental Satisfaction
Distinguishing between physical fullness and mental satisfaction, using balanced meals.

8:00 – Staying Power of Meals
Incorporating protein, fiber, and fat to feel satisfied for several hours.

8:25 – Techniques to Honor Fullness
Assess satisfaction, incorporate preferred foods, and avoid hyper-fixation on nutrition rules.

9:39 – Reframing Emotional Eating
Normalizing emotional connection to food, journaling, and building coping strategies.

10:51 – Hunger-Fullness Tools & Unconditional Permission
Using mindful eating, hunger-fullness scales, and giving yourself permission to eat regularly.

12:51 – Dropping Food Guilt & Final Tips
Letting go of guilt, dismantling diet culture, and accessing more support via blog and The Healthy Dancer® program.

Rachel Fine, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Sports Nutritionist, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, and Certified Counselor of Intuitive Eating, works with dancers to help them build supportive relationships with both food and body.

Disclaimer: This is produced for informational purposes only. This information is general, not specific to you. The information in this podcast does not substitute for medical advice. The viewer assumes full responsibility for consulting a qualified health professional regarding health conditions or concerns, and before starting a new diet or health program.