Yes, that "full" feeling is hard both in recognition and deciphering its meaning. I think the biggest thing in learning about feeling "full" is that it doesn't last forever. It's there for a short uncomfortable amount of time but then goes on its way.

Maybe in this case for you, begin able to "think" through it versus adding meaning to it would help?

*hug* I get it. I totally get it. Had a conversation Monday with my dietitian about trying to eat to a "4" instead of a "3" more often on the 1-5 scale she has me use in my food diary... where 1 is over-hungry, 5 is over-full, and 3 is just neutral.

I'm glad you had some ice cream!

I hear you and totally get you. On this road to recovery, you get through so many phases, or stages if you like, however the thing I always find hard is this FULL thing too... to feel full, feels like an over-indulgence which leads to guilt... Yet if this feeling full THING is what we are supposed to feel, why is it so horrible on body and mind? Maybe it is a part of recovery??

Maybe I should have just a little ice cream too, to be social with you?

You draw an interesting distinction between "not hungry" and "full." I'll have to think about that some more.

There's a commercial on tv lately about minced fish. The little girl comes in, much like a little old man, asking about the fish sticks her mom served her "minced, minced, you serve me minced fish. Have you ever seen a minced fish?"
Now I'm thinking.... low fat ice cream low fat ice cream, have you ever seen a low fat cow?
Ah, but I am glad to hear you had a bowl of ice cream. You did good by yourself! I did too...chocolate peanut butter.

COMPLETELY relate to your description of the difference between feeling 'full' and 'not hungry'. I could just never say it the way you do!

"Full" is tough for me too. What's even more confusing is that sometimes the same amount of food that left me feeling "not hungry" will make me feel "stuffed." Logically, I know appetites are not the same every day, but this bothers me. These days, I pretty much feel full after dinner/dessert every night. And nothing seems to happen to my weight. If anything, I sleep better. It's tough to gauge, when we've had years of messing with our signals. I think as long as you can bring in logic on some ice cream nights, you're fine :)

I'm glad you went for the bowl anyway. Working against what ED feels is comfortable for us is the best way to minimize it and eventually overcome it.

-E

Thanks for your feedback- I really appreciate it though I don't have time right now to reply to everyone individually.

However, Mary: what? Next you're probably going to tell me that chocolate milk doesn't come from brown cows! :)

M&T,

Thanks for your comment but my policy is to delete solicitations. You can email me privately if you'd like.

this is great, Carrie -- great that you let yourself feel all this (and eat the ice cream! what flavor was it?) and great that you wrote it out and shared it.

xo

How much of it is 'full' and how much bloating from lactose intolerance?

I too relate all to well to the emotional aspects of feeling "full". I find that it is like walking a tight rope, if I am below a certain point which on the scale descripbed by Libby would be a 3 then the ED kicks in and i have strong urges & preoccupation. Whereas when I go over the 3 then I feel "full" and the ED = that with negative thoughts. I am working on confronting my black and white thinking and sitting with the current discomfort of gray which is satiety!

Thank you for writing this as it so accurately depicts my experience!

My only question is, if you are going to eat ice cream, why low fat?

Kat,

I'm not lactose intolerant- I eat plenty of other dairy without problems.

Anon2,

Why low fat? Partly, the flavor was only in the low fat kind. The other part is an ED thing. One of my "rules" is that I "have to" buy the lowest fat/cal version possible. I've gotten better in some areas, but it's still there. And just buying ice cream makes me feel guilty enough.