Your Guide To Intuitive Eating
The average person has 6,000+ thoughts a day, makes 4 (or more) food or beverage -related choices per day and spends an average of 40 minutes per day thinking about food. That’s 5 hours a week and 10 days a year gone…to food thoughts.
Food is a consistently-present force in our lives.
But we can’t escape it - we have to eat to stay alive. And although we know it’s better to eat salads than french fries, the world of nutrition is confusing. So we hem and haw over every decision. What “should” I eat? What would I “rather” eat? Am I going to fight the temptation or give in? When will I eat next? When will I stop? For many people, these food thoughts pop up all day long, 365 days of the year.
It doesn’t take being a Nutritionist to know that fruits and vegetables are healthy and Big Macs are not; but, diet culture has confused the crap out of us. There are complete diets built around eating only meat…and diets that never touch meat. There are 3000 calorie protocols and there are 1200 calorie protocols. Low carb, high carb. Clean eating, intuitive eating. Detoxes…Cleanses…Saturated fats vs. cholesterol arguments…Intermittent Fasting enthusiasts vs. breakfast pushers. Ahhhh…it’s too much.
All we want (at the end of the day) is to feel good. To fit into our clothing. To be confident, successful, loved and seen. And if we can accomplish all of this without having to worry about the food piece, wouldn’t that be nice? Freeing? Less exhausting?
I hear you…but I’m a Nutritionist and that’s not exactly where I’m going with this piece…
After all, food is our fuel and every bite we take is a choice. A choice that either feeds health or sickness. Gives us energy, or zaps it. Cultivates good gut flora or doesn’t. Fills our tummies or leave us still wanting more. Balances our blood sugar/hormones/mood or doesn’t. Anyways, you catch my drift.
My goal is to guide you to a place where you don’t obsess about food anymore. Where you eat what you want but find a way to make it high-quality, high-vibe and wholesome. Where you find your own unique balance that will lead you towards YOUR personal health goals–without all the stress, drama and baggage.
Which leads me to Intuitive Eating…
Intuitive Eating is eating what you want at that MOMENT, while honoring what your body needs (on a physiological level) to be well. Intuitive Eating is freedom. It’s balance. It’s ever-changing. And it’s unique to YOU.
Real Talk: moving from diet culture into Intuitive Eating takes time, practice and effort. You’ve been conditioned to believe certain rules and stories surrounding food. Unlearning these, changing thought patterns and carving out a new pathways in the brain can take weeks, months, YEARS.
Why I still recommend going after it: because diets don’t work. We’ve seen it time and time again. The only way to true success (and longterm change) is to find your own unique rhythm, balance and happiness. To lean into it hard, learn the boundaries, honor the boundaries (in a flexible and flowy way), and keep going until it stops working. If it stops working, you tune back in, reassess and redirect. And that’s what Intuitive Eating can offer you.
After 20 years of dieting, detoxing and allowing myself to get tripped up by the details, I’m finally embracing this way of life…and it feels really good. I want that for YOU too.
Here are a few steps to get you started:
Tune into your hunger and cravings - when do feelings of hunger and cravings arise? How do they feel in your body? What are they for? Do you truly need to eat or are you just bored/sad/tired/procrastinating? What sounds satisfying in this moment? How can you find satisfaction while meeting your (physiological) need for nourishment?
Eat mindfully - eat when hungry, stop when 70-80% full. Portion out your meals and eat slowly, sitting down, from a plate (not bag). Enjoy your meals with someone else as much as possible. Chew each bite fully before swallowing.
Practice daily self-care - showing yourself love fills your cup in a non-food related way. Take yourself on walks, dates, to the spa. Draw a bath, give yourself a facial and practice deep breathing. Connect with Mother Nature. Move your body in a way that feels good TO YOU.
Journal - putting pen to paper will help you process and release thoughts, feelings and emotions that may be driving your food choices.
Stop counting - this process is about gut feelings, deeper meaning, and diving within. Stop letting calorie counts (which can be off by up to 50% anyways!) and numbers on the scale dictate your food choices, mood and happiness. The only way to happiness is finding it within you, right NOW, right where you’re at.
If you’re struggling with overeating, cravings, yo-yo dieting, food confusion and frustration, I can help! Click HERE to book a One-On-One Coaching Session.