WHY Intuitive Eating: Reason 2

Did you see the first of the “WHY Intuitive Eating?” series? Have you been considering walking down a different street, since? Here’s a little reminder of where that post started.

For me, it was dieting. For six years of my life, I did one diet after the other. Constantly gaining and losing the same 15 lbs. It was horrible. I tried so hard to keep my body at a weight much lower than where she needed to be.

While I felt so glued to dieting as “the only way” to maintain a weight I thought I needed, I also SO desperately wanted to just forget about calories. To have more fun. To NOT care.

I used to say: “I JUST want to feel normal.” Can anyone who has been stuck in dieting before relate?

Intuitive Eating allows you to finally forget about counting calories (and all other forms of dieting), have more fun with food and in your life. It allows you to finally feel normal. 

Do you want to eat amazing food and not worry about it? To just enjoy it? Imagine: high quality, full of flavor, real ingredients. Imagine getting excited about going out to eat and what’s on your plate, because there are so many fun and delicious options you are free to choose (with ZERO guilt). What would that feel like?

Do you want to have more fun? Do you want to say yes to dinners with friends? Imagine: getting excited about Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving, without worrying about how much food or candy there will be. You’re unphased. You’ll enjoy what you want, and leave the rest. It’s no big deal. You’re calm.

Imagine going on vacation and enjoying everything about the trip. The sun, the people you’re with, the coffee, and your feet planted firmly in the sand (I’ve got Hawaii on my brain). Imagine not freaking out that you’re going to “go off your diet” or, even worse, trying to control yourself while you’re trying desperately to enjoy your trip. Imagine: having all of the conversation and laughs. You feel genuinely happy. Imagine being real with people, being there for your friends when they need you; being totally present, a wonderful listener, and having the brain space to CARE. Imagine not being so distracted by what you’re going to eat/do next, what you ate for breakfast, or how you’re going to make time for the gym today.

Do you want to feel normal? Do you want to win with food?

Then it’s time to give intuitive eating a chance.

Here’s what intuitive eating IS and what it is NOT…

Intuitive eating is not:

• eating whatever you want without putting thought into how you’re feeling or what would satisfy you
• stuffing yourself past fullness, and full of food that makes you feel like crap
• re-starting on Monday, after Spring break, or tomorrow
• finding a new way to diet and control your body (it’s not about being perfect or forcing your body to be a certain way)

Intuitive eating is:

• about honoring your body and learning how to cultivate a trusting relationship with her
• creating an encouraging self-dialogue around food and your body
• cultivating a calm mindset, one that you can return to and call back at any moment
• giving yourself permission to enjoy any food that you want, while paying attention to which foods do and do not make your body feel good
• paying attention to which foods you actually like and which ones you find that you do not like
• giving yourself a fresh start, forgiving your past behaviors and moving forward
• recognizing when you’ve made a choice that doesn’t feel great and committing to making your very next choice one that feels better (not waiting for the next day to start over)
• allowing your body to get to her most natural weight
• being able to say “no” when something doesn’t sound good to you in the moment, even if someone else: made it for you; wants you to indulge with them; says they won’t eat unless you do
• being empowered by your own body’s wisdom, feeling in control (lovingly) of your own choices and understanding that you are in control, not the food
• getting comfortable with being uncomfortable in situations where you want to make a different food choice than your BFF
• having a neutral mindset about food, creating a peaceful relationship with your plate, and your body

Intuitive eating means adjusting your priorities, making time for the things you know make you feel good. It means slowing down, paying attention, tuning-IN and not tuning-OUT, and it EVEN means taking responsibility for your life/choices.

With intuitive eating comes intuitive living…

Intuitive living:

• getting rid of clothes that make you feel bad and buying new ones that honor and respect your body (at the very least put them away in the garage/attic/back-of-the-closet)
• separating great relationships from the ones that drain you
• finding the courage to let your yes’s mean YES and your no’s mean NO (being confident in your decisions and true to your commitments)
• tuning-IN, not out. In other words, dealing with life and not using food to cover up discomfort
• getting comfortable with yourself, your downtime, and those in-between moments in life (ex: waiting for someone to get home; thinking about going back to work tomorrow; free time.
• treating yourself respectfully and spending more time on yourself – doing the things you know make you feel good (ex: getting dressed for the day; doing your hair a different way; getting your nails done; moving your body; keeping your house clean to avoid the feeling of overwhelm)
• thinking of weight with a neutral mindset – not getting attached to the number, but instead focusing on health, behavior, and habits that build a great life (one that you’re proud to live)

Next post coming up on Tuesday – have a question? Post it below! Need help? Book a call with me.