Are you ready to start Intuitive Eating?
Over the past couple of months I have enjoyed sharing with you a possible solution to the hamster wheel which can be restrictive dieting.
If you missed any of the posts or would like to revisit any of the principles you can access them below:
- Ditching diets, will you join me on a journey?
- What are you hungry for?
- Make Peace with food
- Challenge the food police
- Everyone needs Satisfaction
- Beat your food cravings
- Setpoint weight, what is it?
- Is your fullness gauge broken?
- Are you emotionally hungry?
- Respect your body
- Get Moving
- Is Intuitive Eating just another diet?
What is Intuitive Eating?
So, what is Intuitive Eating? It is:
(a) Having a strong connection with and eating in accordance to, physiological hunger and satiety cues rather than on external or emotional cues.
(b) Recognising that all foods serve a variety of purposes (e.g. taste, energy, comfort, joy) that is dependent on the context of the situation.
- Not pre-occupied with food or dieting
- Do not label foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’
- Place importance on taste/satisfaction of food
- Choose foods that enhance body’s function
- Awareness and trust of hunger and satiety cues
- Use hunger and satiety cues to determine when and how much to eat
We are born Intuitive Eaters
Have you ever tried to feed a baby milk when they don’t want it? What about trying to convince a toddler to finish what is on their plate? They are making decisions based on their needs.
We can try and cajole, make a game or bribe to get the child to eat what we think they should rather than trusting their instincts – no judgement, I have been there and done that!! But if they don’t want/need to eat, they won’t.
In Western society we are obsessed with feeding our children, taking snacks wherever we go, no doubt ruining appetites for the next meal but in todays (or maybe yesterdays) busyness it is easier than dealing with constant demands for more snacks.
When I was childminding I read a book called ‘French Kids Eat Everything’. I wished I had read it before I had my children, I would definitely have implemented those strategies and hope my mindees have benefited instead.
Are you ready to start Intuitive Eating?
- Does even just the thought of going on another diet bring on urges and cravings?
- Does the duration of each diet you start get shorter and shorter?
- Do you not buy ‘treats’ for the house as you can’t trust yourself?
- Will you have a ‘last supper’ day or weekend before embarking on your next restrictive diet?
- If you feel you have eaten too much do you punish yourself by skipping your next meal?
I could go on but you get my drift! If you can resonate with these statements I think you are ready to try a different approach to achieving your health & wellness goals.
Intuitive Eating is about self-care, being compassionate towards ourselves.
Approaching our eating habits with curiosity not judgement.
There are no failures, just learning experiences.
Intuitive Eating focuses on health gain not weight loss.
As we listen to and give our body what it NEEDS we become healthier.
As we become HEALTHIER our confidence and RESPECT for our body grows.
The more we RESPECT our body the better we treat it and that is when the MAGIC happens.
Let’s Connect
If you would like to chat with me about your unique menopause transition, book a Wild Well-Being call and come away inspired and motivated to begin your journey to optimal health.