Intuitive eating is a subject I’ve wanted to read and write about for some time. I first heard the term a few years ago from a co-worker. She described it as a new way of learning to eat, and a process. When she was describing it in relation to patient teaching, it really struck a chord with me. I recall her talking about intuitive eating as filling your body with what it wants to eat. She described it as having that piece of chocolate cake if that is really what you want in the moment. Eventually you are likely to get to that chocolate cake because that is really what you wanted in the first place. The average dieter though has proclaimed the cake as bad and will eat ten other things to avoid the cake and then in the end have the cake too. She said there is so much more to intuitive eating. That really over simplified the concept. As I’m beginning to research I’m realizing she is right about it being a process and I’m intrigued by it. I just used the example of the cake because I remember her describing that as an example of how chronic dieters assign labels to food and then try to avoid them because they feel they should not eat them.
I am going to give you some links tonight so you can do some reading as well. In the coming days to weeks, I’m going to continue my reading and get a better understanding so I can write more.
One website was recommended to me and that is a site called Be Nourished. The founders have many years of experience with body image and intuitive eating. The founders are Dana and Hilary and I am very fascinated with their work and cannot wait to learn more. Between them they are licensed therapist, counselors, fitness and nutrition experts, speakers, writers, and so much more. They have experience with body shaming, body image, weight bias, eating disorders, and chronic dieting. The Be Nourished site can be found at the following link: https://benourished.org/
They describe intuitive eating as an approach designed to combat years of chronic dieting and the side effects that go along with chronic dieting including rigidity. A chronic dieter often develops ideas of good and bad foods.
From my own personal lens, I completely understand this point of view. I’ve shared that I have been dieting since I was twelve years old. At least that is the earliest age I can remember going on a diet. My first diet was an exchange diet. I borrowed the book from my mom and it was called, “Eat and Stay Slim”. It was a really good book and the truth is mostly was a healthier way of approaching eating. The challenge though was I was so young and was already ashamed of my body. I then began to develop that exact mentality they describe on this site of a chronic dieter. I believed I had to be perfect on my diet. If I had a piece of chocolate or ice cream, I labeled it as cheating, which then led to more binge eating. Then I would start over the next day and try and be even more rigid. If I ate more than I should of, I would just keep eating more and more. In my head, I had ideas of good food vs bad food. I was stuck on counting calories and ignoring my own body signals. Intuitive eating is about trusting your own body and that I did not.
Intuitive eating is relatively new concept to me. When I started doing research though I realized this has been around since the nineties. I went to a website created by the original founders of intuitive eating. According to the authors the concept of intuitive eating has ten principles. As I continue my research we can explore those as we go along. The founders have extensive backgrounds in treating food disorders and are dieticians as well. They teach others how to train people in intuitive eating. What they state intuitive eating is not is a diet or meant to be a weight loss program. My understanding of what I’m reading is that it is meant to offer a natural approach to living with food and having a healthy relationship with food, trusting your own body to tell you what it needs. Helping people to get away from the concept of dieting to lose weight and getting out of that cycle. The link to this website is: https://www.intuitiveeating.org/
I realize as I write this that intuitive eating is not about counting calories, carbs, macros, fat, etc and that it is about letting your body do what it wants to do naturally. This is the exact opposite of what I’m doing right now. I’ve pondered that for a few days as I prepared to write this article.
Over the last several years I’ve tried just about every diet or weight loss program. As I’ve thought about this, the closest time in my life I came to intuitive eating was when I read a book about eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re full. It was getting back to the basics of trusting your body to let you know when it needed nourishment and when it has had enough. There were no good or bad foods listed, just seeing food as fuel. I think it’s fair to say one could not sustain eating chocolate cake for every meal, however these concepts are not meant to deprive the body of certain foods.
After years of dieting and years of diabetes, my body changed and I had metabolic syndrome. Years of dieting and losing and gaining weight added to my troubles. My way out was to have bariatric surgery. So although I am currently counting my calories and my protein, I believe in the Intuitive eating process. My goal in writing this blog is to tell you about my journey, but also present other concepts to my readers as well. I feel it is important to call that out. Although I am did have bariatric surgery to lose weight there are other approaches. Also, healthy can come in any shape or size. I chose surgery as an approach. Perhaps though I can learn something new as we go along about trusting my new body.
I hope you will consider finding out more information about intuitive eating if this intrigues you as well. If you have years of dieting and want to stop the cycle, consider reading more. Both websites offer multiple resources.
I am going to continue to read and will focus more on the ten principles in my next blog post. Until then, may you all be healthy and happy.
Mandy