The High Performance Journal​ - August 22nd 2023

When I was a kid, my parents would always make sure that I ate every piece of food that was on my plate.

They'd try to shame me by saying there were kids starving in Africa. Or they would use the superstition play and say that if I didn't clean my plate, my face would eventually look like it.

Although they had the best intentions this pushed me to need to eat everything I was served even though I was full.

As a kid, I never listened to my fullness cues. This carried on with me into adulthood.

As you would assume this came back to bite me in the behind later on. Twenty-plus years of not listening to my hunger cues really messed with how I ate. It's one of the biggest reasons I became fat.​ 

Then I read about this tiny little town in Japan called Okinawa that has the most octogenarians (80–89 year olds) in the world.

They also happen to average out at the lowest BMI as well. Most notably, they are the only population in the world who practice self-imposed calorie restriction.⁣ ⁣

They do this by practicing a technique they call, “Hara hachi bun”, which means to eat to 80% fullness.⁣

Why 80% Fullness?

The first reason is that it leads to gradual sustainable fat loss by re-connecting you to your true nutritional needs, which are natural to your body and activity level. This increases your body awareness and helps you regulate your stress and emotions.

It also improves appetite due to eating more slowly and mindfully.

All of this encourages better digestion. It can even help you enjoy food while also building a slight tolerance for discomfort (at least at the start of doing it).

It is a way to get away from external rules like calorie targets or diet plans and can serve as a long-term solution to keeping your body lean.

Lastly, it is a key to living longer.

Studies​ show that long-term restriction calorie restriction has been shown to reduce the pace of aging by 2-3% every year. This translates into a 10-15% reduction in the likelihood of dying early.

8 Steps to Eating to 80% Fullness

#1 - Start with a smaller portion

Your eyes are the first step to becoming fuller so a great way to start is by eating using smaller plates. Make protein and veggies a priority and drink water to curb hunger.

If you're eating at a restaurant, start by ordering a smaller portion of what you usually order.

The easiest way to start is by reducing your portion sizes.

#2 - Remove distractions

A big part of eating to 80% is to create an environment of awareness. So avoid eating in front of a screen and put away all distractions so you can be present as you eat your meal.

#3 - Eat slow and mindfully

It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to signal to your body that you're full. A great way to enable that signal is to eat slowly.

When a piece of food enters your mouth taste it. Sit with it. Chew it until it becomes liquid. Doing this also helps your body digest the food more efficiently.

#4 - Check in with yourself

When you're taking your bites take a few moments to stop and check in with how you feel. On a scale of 1-10, how full do you think you are?

Here's a great image from Precision Nutrition on how to gauge that:

Btw they have a great article on intuitive eating that you can access here​.

#5 - When you feel like you're at 80% fullness stop eating.

When you feel like you've reached 80% have the courage to stop eating.

This means being okay with putting the food away for later. Or if you're at a restaurant stop eating.

For a lot of us, this will be the hardest thing to do. But if you're reading this I'm confident that you enjoy a good challenge.

When you feel like you're done, sit down and take a deep breath. Then do the next step.

#6 - Do something that keeps you busy.

Do something that takes your mind away from the meal.

This could be a nice walk or it could be getting some work done.

Whatever it is make sure it's something that can take your mind away from the act of eating.

This is important because being idle leads to feeling like you want to fill up space by eating.

#7 - Introspect

Get a journal or a piece of paper and write out how that felt.

Introspection is one of the best tools when removing a habit from your life. It gets you in tune with how you feel and why you do what you do.

I used journaling to get rid of many habits in my life like quitting porn​ and drinking alcohol​.

The key is to get in touch with what's going on inside so you can be armed with self-awareness the next time you're in a similar situation.

Try eating to 80% fullness today

Your challenge for today is to try this out for your next meal.

The best knowledge on the planet is applied knowledge. The faster you apply something you learn the faster you integrate the wisdom into your life.

Follow these steps for your next meal

Remember, this is not something you get right the first time you try it. It's something you practice over time.

So remove your need to be perfect and try it out the next meal you find yourself in front of.

This just might change your waistline and your life.

Onwards and upwards 🚀

- Dan

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