Intuitive eating is the idea that you will learn how to respond to your body's inner hunger and satiety cues, because we are all born with the senses necessary to eat mindfully and meet our needs.
An understanding that your food choices have no connection to your worth as a person.
An approach that teaches you how to create a healthy relationship with food.
Elimination of ideas such as "good foods", "bad foods", and "cheat days".
Intuitive eating is
An eating pattern where you are the expert of your own body.
A process of truly making peace with food.
A non-diet approach.
10 Principles of Intuitive Eating
Reject the Diet Mentality
Let go of the false hope that a quick fix diet is going to help you lose weight rapidly and permanently.
Honor your Hunger
Listen when your body tells you it is hungry! Learning to honor your hunger will allow you to start re-establishing your trust with food.
Make Peace with Food
Forget "good" and "bad" foods, "cheat days" and "forbidden foods." If you tell yourself something is "off limits" it may trigger feelings of deprivation that lead to cravings, binge eating and feelings of guilt associated with overeating.
Challenge the Food Police
Don't allow yourself to be controlled by the rules that the dieting industry has created. You are not "good" because you ate something low calorie, or "bad" because you ate dessert. Let go of these labels.
Respect your Fullness
Just as you listen to your body for signs of hunger, also listen to it for signs of being full. It may be a good idea to pause in the middle of a meal or snack and engage in self-talk: "Am I enjoying this meal/snack?", "How full do I feel?"
Discover the Satisfaction Factor
There is satisfaction to be enjoyed in the eating experience! When you are mindful with your food choices and are able to enjoy eating in an inviting environment, it often takes less food to feel satisfied and fulfilled.
Honor your Feelings Without Using Food
Food will not fix undesired feelings such as boredom, anger, or loneliness. Meet your emotional needs through other heathy outlets.
Respect your Body
Accept who you are! Just as someone with a size ten shoe would not try to fit into a size eight, we should love our bodies and not be unreasonable with our expectations of how they "should" look.
Exercise
Feel the Difference! – Seek the healthy benefits of enjoyable physical activity. Focus on how you feel during and after exercise, rather than the calories burned.
Honor your Health
Keep in mind that moderation is key. Your pattern of consistent eating habits over time is what is most important!
How can you take one of the 10 principles and implement it into your life?
Which one feels easiest to begin practicing?
What step(s) can you take that translate one of the principles into action?
References:
Principles from Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN and Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDRD, FADA, FAND
© inHealth Medical Services, Inc. 2020