Intuitive eating is a hot topic among the nutrition and fitness crowd at the moment. It sounds good in theory… just listen to your body and eat what it tells you. But to us, who have had diet, and by that I mean deprivation, culture driven into us for so long, the idea of just eating what our body asks for is terrifying. And in truth, intuitive eating isn’t quite that simple.
Yes, the idea behind intuitive eating is basically as I’ve already said. Listen to your body and eat what it is asking for. There are many places that we as eaters can get tripped up by this idea, though. And the first trip up is that we aren’t actually listening.
The not listening is huge, too, because even this very first step has several avenues that can take us down the wrong path. Many of us are running through our days just to keep up with demands. That kind of schedule and pressure generally doesn’t leave any head space to examine what we need. We know we probably need something to eat midday and so we grab whatever we can find and eat at while working at a desk or driving between errands. Without realizing what we have put in our systems, if we liked it, or heck, if we even wanted it.
The other end of the spectrum presents problem two with not listening: those of us who are slaves to routine. I admit that I tend to fall in to this category. Oatmeal has been my go to breakfast since, well, basically since mid undergrad when I realized I needed to be eating breakfast. And with a little one at home, sometimes it is easy to watch the clock so that everyone knows what is coming up next.
But, for those of us who love the routines, are we mixing things up enough? Are we asking ourselves if we are excited about the things we are preparing or are we just doing it because it’s habit? And is there enough space for change if we get to a meal and either aren’t hungry or really want something else? The answers to these questions is often no. We eat what is routine and prepped because we think that it is “healthy” and “right”.
Which brings me to problem three with this whole not listening thing. On the off chance that we are planning enough to not be eating completely mindlessly, but not planning so much as to strangle any variety, we are probably not actually hearing what our bodies are telling us. We may be listening enough to catch that we want something crunchy. But how often does that translate to, like, half a bag of chips?
We need to take the time to actually hear the request. But, our bodies are good at disguising things. Or maybe it’s more of that diet/deprivation brainwashing getting in the way. The point is, it is hard to hear the request much of the time. This is where we get in to the whole idea of cravings. Often your body isn’t actually craving something, it just seems that way because it didn’t receive what it actually asked for.
This is true of, in general I think, the idea of foods that are “bad.” Like those chips. There might be a time when your body actually legitimately really wants chips. But we have heard so much about how they are “bad” foods that we won’t let ourselves eat them. Instead we feed our bodies pretzels. Or roasted almonds. Because those are “better.” And our body protests because it wants chips. What is wrong with pouring a small bowl of chips, sitting down, and eating them as if you really want to experience their deliciousness?
Not one thing. Because the person who manages to do that has done what their body has asked them. They have heard their body, actually listened the request, and respected said request. And typically a body will respond in kind by also telling you (if you continue listening) when to stop.
So, my whole point with this lecture on listening to your body is this: mindfulness. This is the first step to intuitive eating. We have to understand what our body is asking for and trust that if we respond correctly our bodies will show us the way. The only way we can do that is by practicing mindfulness about and around our eating habits.
How do we do that? Well, menu planning or meal prepping is actually a good step one. These two methods are big in Pinterest-land right now and I am here for both of them. It is a chance to check in regularly with your body about what sounds good right now. I do this weekly, but you can do this on the schedule that suits your lifestyle. For my family, I menu plan dinners for the whole week. In addition, for myself, I plan and prep my breakfasts and lunches, too. And I actually plan with variety in mind so I don’t get bored. For the hubs and the little guy, I typically have an assortment of things they like so they can change it up for themselves.
I make it easy on my family by prepping most of our fruits and veggies when I get home from grocery shopping. We are much more likely to reach for the grapes if they are washed and ready to go in the fridge. I chop veggies and put them in labelled containers so that cooking dinner is easier and quicker. My husband especially appreciates this if he is cooking because my knife skills are better.
Step two is one I know you have heard before, but I’ll beat that drum: slow down. This goes with actual speed of eating, which can be tough if you are at work. Or, if like me, the other eaters in your home are human Hoovers. But this also goes with the atmosphere you create. Sit at a table with as few distractions as possible. Meals are meant for eating and conversing. Employ as many tricks as you can think of at first. Put silverware down, drink water between bites, whatever. The point here is to work at a speed that you start to notice your tummy getting and feeling more full.
Stop when you are done. Step three seems too obvious to say, but apparently it isn’t. Many of us grew up with a clean your plate mentality. Or sometimes the visual reminder that there are just two bites of something left urges us to keep going. Once you are 80% full, you have reached the point of diminishing returns. In other words, every bite you take past that point, will most likely leave you feeling worse (physically if not mentally). So leave it.
Practice listening to your body every chance you get. Before a meal take a minute to ask yourself if you are excited about what you are about to consume. If the answer is no, ask your body if something else would be better. While eating, take the time to really taste your food. Taking in those little things make simple eating an experience, which will increase enjoyment and satiety. After a meal, check in again. Ask yourself if you are satisfied? Too full, still hungry? The answers to those questions will help guide you during your next meal or snack.
Remember to be patient. Mindfulness and really getting the hang of listening to your body takes time. And a lot of practice. I have been at this since, as I hinted earlier, my mid undergrad years. Which is longer than I care to remember. And I feel like I’m just getting good at it. Intuitive eating is about more than just eating what you feel like. You need to take the time to understand what your body is asking for in different situations first.
Do you have any mindfulness tricks you use? Tell us about them in the comments!
Until next time, be well friends!
