If mealtime always feels like a feeding frenzy, listening to your body and recognizing when it’s full can be a huge challenge and change in your lifestyle. For lifelong members of the clean-plate club, taking a break during mealtime may seem like a strange request. Studies have shown that eating slowly curbs your appetite, but many times, overeaters find themselves in a trance-like state while they’re eating and are simply unable to slow down. If you’ve tried to stop scarfing in the past to no avail, breaking during dinner may be the best option for you.

When half the food on your plate is gone, put down your fork, breathe deep, and take stock of how you’re feeling. During this allotted break time, take note of what how much you’ve eaten, your hunger level, and your emotional state; write these thoughts down in a food journal. A study from the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that the women who were the most successful at losing weight monitored their food intake by keeping a journal. But breaking to journal will do more than help you realize how much you’re eating; it will help you get acquainted with the emotions attached to your consumption habits.

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