A guide to intuitive eating
What's the story
Intuitive eating is an approach to eating that encourages individuals to listen to their body's hunger and fullness cues to make food choices that are satisfying and nourishing.
It is about cultivating a healthy relationship with food by honoring your body's natural signals rather than relying on external factors like diets or food rules.
Let us explore the key principles of intuitive eating.
Difference
Physical and emotional hunger
To eat intuitively, it is crucial to differentiate between physical and emotional hunger.
Physical hunger arises as a gradual urge to replenish nutrients, characterized by hunger and fatigue, and it is satisfied by consuming any type of food.
Conversely, emotional hunger stems from feelings such as sadness or boredom, leading to cravings for comfort foods, often leads to feelings of guilt and self-criticism.
Key principles
Rejecting diet mentality
Forget about the diet books and articles that promise you'll lose weight quickly and easily.
Direct your frustration towards the damaging diet culture that constantly makes you feel inadequate whenever a diet falters and the weight rebounds.
Don't hold onto hope that there's a better diet out there waiting for you. Instead, focus on learning to eat intuitively and listen to your body.
Listen to body signs
Honor your hunger
Make sure you give your body enough energy and carbs to keep it fueled. If you don't, you might end up feeling so hungry that you tend to overeat.
When you get to that point of extreme hunger, any plan to eat in moderation is fleeting.
Listening to your body's signs of hunger is the first step to building your relationship with food.
Don't deprive yourself
Peace with food
When you convince yourself that you must avoid certain foods, it creates a sense of deprivation that can lead to strong cravings and sometimes binging.
When you eventually allow yourself to have those forbidden foods, you might end up eating them excessively, feeling guilty afterward.
Instead, give yourself permission to enjoy all foods without guilt or restriction.
Rejecting voices
Silence the food police
Reject the voices in your head that label you as "good" for eating very few calories or "bad" for indulging in a slice of chocolate cake.
These thoughts are like the food police enforcing unreasonable rules imposed by diet culture.
They reside deep within your mind, constantly bombarding you with negativity, hopelessness, and guilt.
Get active
Reject military mindset
Don't approach exercise with a militant mindset. Simply get active and notice the positive changes in how you feel.
Shift your attention away from burning calories and focus on the sensations of moving your body.
By highlighting the energizing effects of exercise, you're more likely to motivate yourself to take a morning walk rather than hitting the snooze button.