Eat According to Body Cues

My previous 2 posts convinced me that I need 3 rules for intuitive eating: (1) Eat only when physically hungry (empty, knawing sensation in stomach); (2) choose foods that will provide the tastes, textures, flavors, stomach comfort and staying power (feel unhungry for awhile) you want; and (3) stop eating when satisfied or comfortably full.

However, I wonder whether I need to follow a rule that says pay attention to your food (and body) while you eat, in order to sense satisfaction or comfortable fullness. On the other hand, does intuitive eating automatically imply that I AM connected to and aware of my body sensations when I feel hungry, when I choose what to eat and when I notice I'm satisfied or full? Many 'intuitive eating' authors suggest that we need pay attention to the food to get the most enjoyment possible while eating, so that we won't mind stopping when we feel full. However I believe I need to pay attention to my STOMACH and how it feels, while I eat, so that I will notice when I feel full or no longer hungry.

Does 'intuitive eating' by definition mean that I pay attention to my body cues, before, during and after I stop eating? If I only pay attention to my body while eating, rather than before I begin to eat or when I choose what to eat, I wouldn't notice hunger. So maybe I should assume that if I listen to my body sensations to recognize hunger, I continue to consider my body cues when I choose what to eat and as I eat. Maybe there's a simple rule that summarizes those 3 rules about eat when you notice hunger, eat what feels good and stop eating when no longer hungry. Maybe that one rule is EAT ACCORDING TO BODY CUES. That covers start when hungry, stop when full and choose foods that match the physical sensations you crave (like taste, flavor, texture, stomach comfort and staying unhungry).

However, I choose foods most of all according to body comfort, somewhat because of staying power and least according to taste enjoyment. If a food tastes great, but doesn't keep me hungry very long, I may only eat that food in combination with other foods with more staying power. I might sometimes eat that food when I expect to eat a meal within 1-2 hours. So staying power is important to me. Although I enjoy the tastes, textures and flavor of food, and want to stay unhungry for awhile after eating, if I don't feel comfortable in my stomach during and after eating, I don't care about tastes and textures. My 7 food allergens taste great, but cause excruciating pains in my stomach and intestines. So stomach comfort trumps taste and staying power.

Perhaps stomach comfort is my prime incentive for intuitive eating. I want to eat when I feel moderately hungry, not famished. I want to eat foods that make me feel comfortable during and after I eat them. I want foods that keep me from getting uncomfortably hungry for awhile. I want to stop eating when I feel comfortably satisfied and/or full. Maybe intuitive eating can be considered the 'stomach comfort diet' with one basic rule: Eat according to body cues to avoid physical discomfort (from extreme hunger, indigestion and/or extreme fullness).