How to get better at intuitive eating
The idea of intuitive eating has been growing in popularity for quite a bit of time now.
If you’re not familiar with it, the idea is simple:
Intuitive eating is an integrative approach to health and food, that involves mind and body, and has nothing to do with diets, discipline or willpower.
It teaches you how to get in touch with your body’s cues and signals relating to hunger, fullness and satisfaction while learning to trust your body around food again.
The goal of intuitive eating is to break away from the cycle of chronic dieting.
And it’s ideal for anyone who struggles in their relationship with food as it relates to their body.
There is no shortage of information out there on intuitive eating, which is great because learning how to eat intuitively is how you break free and liberate yourself from the constraints of diet culture.
That said, what I think is lacking in the discussion is information on how to get better at intuitive eating.
And that’s what this post is all about - what I believe are the four fundamental things you can do to become better at eating intuitively.
Forget about what everyone else is doing and saying.
Intuitive eating is all about listening to your own body and rejecting rules about food and diet.
But with so much information being shared and discussions had about food and diets in our day-to-day lives, for many, it’s hard to turn off the noise and look inward.
One key to getting better at intuitive eating is to eliminate the noise as best you can.
For many this involves being more selective about who you follow on social media, who you’re soliciting advice from, going to dinner with, etc.
Because whether we like it or not, other people’s opinions can easily get in the way of how we operate.
In order to be able to look inward and listen to your body, there’s a lot out there you’ve got to learn to ignore.
Change the narrative.
If you’ve struggled with disordered eating habits, it can be extremely hard to eat and feel good at the same time.
Cravings are silenced, little attention is paid to how particular foods make you feel (because all you feel is guilt about eating), and some foods are written off entirely out of fear that you might gain weight.
I have experienced all of these things and know just how impossible the idea of breaking away from this mentality feels.
The tactic that helped me improve my relationship with food the most was changing the narrative.
Specifically, becoming interested in eating for optimal health, longevity and confidence, rather than eating to be thin.
Living a long healthy life and feeling good in my skin became my values.
I turned my focus to what foods made me feel good physically, and took notice of what didn’t. The same went for portion sizes, what time of day I ate, etc.
Eventually it became more and more about nourishment, rather than deprivation.
Not every day will be perfect, and there will be days where you find yourself falling back into old habits, but a commitment to seeing your relationship with food through a new lens and choosing health and longevity as your North Star certainly helps.
Pay close attention to how you feel before, during and after you eat.
Intuitive eating is a philosophy that makes you the expert of your body and the signals it sends you.
To become an expert, you’ve got to pay close attention. There are no guidelines about what to avoid, and what or when to eat. It is up to you to decide these things.
In order to eat when you are hungry, make good decisions about what to eat, and stop when you are full, you’ve got to be incredibly mindful.
Mindfulness will help you distinguish between:
Emotional hunger (driven by an emotional need such as sadness, loneliness or boredom, where indulging causes guilt and self-hatred); and
Physical hunger (a biological urge telling you to replenish nutrients, that builds gradually and sends common signals such as growling tummy, fatigue, or irritability that is only satisfied upon eating).
The focus should be on looking for the right hunger cues, signs of comfortable fullness once you have had enough and proper digestion. Other signals that you are eating the right foods for your body are a lack of bloating, gas, and guilt.
Lean into self-care.
In so many ways, intuitive eating is about being kinder to yourself.
The way I see it, it’s easier to be kinder to yourself in one area of your life if you’re already doing it in other areas of your life.
When you lean into any kind of self- care - exercise, journaling, cooking, meditating, spending time outdoors, seeing people you love and enjoy, engaging in hobbies, etc. - you will be more inclined to see all things through a more positive lens, including how you see food.
If you don’t see the connection, consider how difficult intuitive eating becomes when you don’t take care of yourself; a lack of sleep, skipping meals, criticizing yourself, not taking time to relax, no work-life balance - all of these things make decision-making surrounding food more difficult.
In other words, good habits typically breed more good habits.
If you struggle with your relationship with food as it relates to your body image, learning to eat intuitively is one of the most effective ways out of the misery of diet culture and a path to living a healthier, happier life, with less stress about food.
It takes time and work to get on this path and stay on it, but these fundamental tips will help you do just that.
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