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Eating Just Until You're Full — Imagery Script

By Jill Place, MA, RD

If you're overweight, you most likely overeat. Most of us who overeat eat quickly, don't pay attention to our hunger and—as a result—wonder where all that food on our plates went. You can begin to change that behavior by picturing yourself eating slowly and feeling fullness radiating throughout your whole body.

The following script is for those of us that overeat. I would suggest that you also use the Getting Relaxed script before this one and look at Suggestions for Getting Lighter with Guided Imagery for ways to make your guided imagery experiences a success.

Eating Just Until You're Full Script

In your special inner place as you take in what is all around you with each and every one of your senses . . . you notice just out of the corner of your eye a TV screen.

And so . . . breathing normally in and out . . . I invite you to walk over to the screen and turn on the TV. On the TV you see yourself eating. See the place where you are eating and who is with you in this place. Notice how you feel about watching yourself eating.

Now picture yourself taking a step toward the screen to get a better look at the way you are eating. Notice that you may be eating in a different way than you normally do. Watch yourself on the screen looking down at the plate of food in your eating-place on the stage. Notice that you take awhile to see each food on the plate. And instead of eating them right away notice that you look at them for a very long time. You see yourself noticing the color, the aroma, the texture, the color of the foods on the plate. You see yourself really wanting the food. You see yourself not being able to wait another minute before you taste it. And when you do taste it, you notice you're now eating the food in slooow motion. You see yourself slllloooowwwwly raising one of the foods on the plate to your lips. You see yourself sllllooowwwly tasting a small bite of the food, sllllooowwwly rolling it around in your mouth, slllooowwwly chewing it . . . You see yourself loving the taste, texture, and temperature of the food. The experience on the screen may become so real that you almost feel the taste, texture, and temperature of the food yourself.

You see yourself repeating this experience with the next bite of food (pause) and the next (pause) until you suddenly notice that you are very full. You are satisfied. And suddenly you just don't want to eat anymore. You feel full and satisfied with the food you've eaten. The experience on the screen may become so real that you may feel a little bulge in your stomach and that fullness feeling slowly radiating throughout your whole body. You are full from your head to your toes. And . . . even though you love it . . . you no longer want the food anymore.

Now picture yourself pushing the plate away. And picture yourself getting up from and leaving your eating-place. And see that you're very happy to leave the food behind and go onto something else in your day that will be as rewarding as eating. See yourself walking happily out of the picture. Forgetting the plate of food and moving on to some other rewarding activity in your day. And all that is left behind on the screen is the eating-place and the still-full plate of food.

Finishing Up

And sooo…now picture yourself going over to the TV and turning it off. And happily going about your day with that fullness still radiating from your head to your toes. And going onto something else in your day that will be as rewarding as eating.

And so…I'm going to count from five to one and when I get to one you'll be back in the room. Five…move your fingers and toes. Four…begin to move the rest of your body and strreeetch. Three…while you're still stretching your body begin to open your eyes. Two…open your eyes. And one…you're back in the room.

© Copyright 2002 Jill Place, MA, RD