What is the Satisfaction Factor and How to Discover It
What foods do you enjoy? Are you a fan of salty and sweet things? Perhaps you adore a soft, fluffy croissant with a black, slightly bitter coffee. Or, maybe a warm, velvety soup paired with crispy crackers and a crunchy, but delicate salad is your idea of the perfect lunch. Today, we are discussing the hub of the Intuitive Eating wheel, Discovering the Satisfaction Factor. Let’s dive in.
What is the Satisfaction Factor?
As an Intuitive Eating Counselor, I’ve had countless conversations with clients about foods they feel they ‘should’ eat versus foods they actually like and enjoy. Diet culture constantly tells us which foods are acceptable and which are demonized, so it makes sense that when we finally decide to ditch diet culture and shift our relationship with food we might be confused!
While Discovering the Satisfaction factor is the 5th Intuitive Eating principle, it is influenced by all the other principles. Take a look at the graphic below. All 10 principles are displayed as spokes of a wheel, with Satisfaction at the center. If we haven’t made peace with food and still utilize food rules or labels regularly, it might not be as easy to find true satisfaction with our meals. Without honoring our hunger and feeling our fullness, we might bypass the satisfaction factor completely.
So, after years of dieting or clean eating that have resulted in a disconnected relationship between food and your body, how do you discover the satisfaction factor?
Satisfaction is derived when you take the time to figure out what you really want to eat, give yourself unconditional permission to eat, and then eat in a relaxing, enjoyable manner [1, pg.154].”
How to Discover the Satisfaction Factor
Step 1: Ask yourself what you really want to eat
In the words of everyone's favorite 90s British girl band’s classic song Wannabe, “Tell me what you want what you really, really want.” Please feel free to blast this song or sing the lyrics as you start to explore what you really want to eat. In diet culture, the focus is on external cues. How much to eat, when to eat, what kinds of foods to eat/not eat, and more. When we focus solely on what others say our body ‘should’ need or want, it robs us of the opportunity to tune into our internal cues and really give our body what it’s asking for.
Get curious about what you want to eat. If you aren’t exactly sure, check out step #2.
Step #2: Explore your palate.
If years of diet culture have left you feeling unsure about what kinds of foods you actually enjoy, consider embarking on an experiment to figure it out. As you eat food, take moments to explore the following sensory aspects.
Taste
Texture
Aroma
Appearance
Temperature
Volume or filling capacity
And, honor your preferences! While giving ourselves unconditional permission to eat all foods is part of the intuitive eating process, just like removing food labels and rules, it’s okay to have foods you don’t like or prefer. For example, most of the time, I prefer a savory breakfast, but occasionally, I like a sweet breakfast of pancakes or waffles.
Step #3: Make your eating experience more enjoyable
With the demands of life, it can be difficult to sit down, without distraction, and fully savor every single meal or snack. That said when practicing intuitive eating, especially in the beginning, taking extra time to savor a meal and make it an enjoyable experience can be life-changing. Here are a few suggestions:
Allow more time to eat meals, even if it’s one meal a day or a few per week
Consider sitting down in a comfortable, neutral, safe space
Take several breaths before eating. Notice any shifts when you do this.
Tune into the sensations of eating the meal.
Feel your fullness
Like the Intuitive Eating Founders say:
“Eat slowly. Eat sensually. Savor every bite. [1. 160]
In the book, there are two additional steps including:
not settling for foods you do not like,
checking in to see if it still tastes good
After living by diet culture rules and external cues, following these steps can be a beneficial way to foster more self-trust and exercise your ability to make empowered choices around food. Checking in with yourself to see if the meal tastes good at varying points in the eating process AND getting something else if you determine it does not taste good can help to also build interoceptive awareness.
That said, it’s important to address the fact that these steps might not be accessible to everyone. For those with past/present food and financial insecurity, these last two steps might not be possible. It’s a privilege to be able to purchase a variety of foods or decide to opt for something different if you’ve already prepared a meal.
Additionally, even if we have the financial means to have multiple options, there might be times when nothing sounds or tastes good. Not every meal or eating experience has to be the best thing we’ve ever consumed. Remember that we also have different types of hunger, not just taste hunger. If we follow these recommendations as if they were diet culture rules (an all too common way to approach intuitive eating), we run the risk of getting caught up in food obsession and accessing disordered eating behaviors.
Moving Forward
While Intuitive Eating has been helpful in my life and the lives of my clients, I also understand that going from the rigidity, rules, and structure of diet culture to focusing on what your body needs and wants can feel really confusing, scary, and maybe even wrong. Take it slow, have fun with it, pick 1-2 areas to focus on, practice self-care, give yourself some grace and space, and notice when you start to turn it into a diet.
If you or someone you know is looking for support, feel free to reach out to our Team by visiting the contact page.
[1] Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2020, June 23). Intuitive Eating, 4th Edition (Updated). St. Martin’s Essentials.
Collaborative Counseling & Nutrition is an outpatient nutrition and body image counseling center, with locations in Indianapolis and Carmel, that provides compassionate, holistic eating disorder treatment. Through practicing mindfulness, intuition, and Health At Every Size, we are on a mission to help you find a true state of well-being! We take an anti-diet, weight-inclusive approach with all our clients and work to help guide you towards a way of healthy living designed by you, just for you! This post is for education purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for treatment for an eating disorder. If you are looking for a registered dietitian or therapist to assist you on your recovery journey, please reach out today!
