What I love about Intuitive Eating is that it works for everybody and every BODY. It is based on learning to listen to your own innate cues of hunger, fullness, satiety, cravings, etc. So, if you have a body, you can benefit from Intuitive Eating.
You have known Intuitive Eaters in your life. They are the ones that choose foods they love when they go out to eat. They may eat the whole plate sometimes, and at others they may eat half the plate and stop. They eat dessert when it sounds great. They leave it alone when it doesn’t suit them. They exercise for the pure joy of it. They basically like their bodies, and don’t have any real hang ups about body image. They may occasionally express that they don’t like their hair or thighs, but it isn’t a driving force in their life. They just accept what they have been given and they live life! Food isn’t an obsession. They don’t binge. Occasionally they may eat a bigger portion of ice cream in front of the TV after a long day at work, but it’s not a consistent form of “checking out” for them. They don’t beat themselves up if they ate a little more at a meal than usual, and they may naturally eat less at another meal or snack simply because they are not as hungry. They like themselves. They like food. They live life. They have food freedom.
This is where I’d love all of us to get to. We have been so bombarded by diet culture in our society that it is all to common that we don’t have an easy and peaceful relationship with food, like the Intuitive Eater I just described.
Here’s how to know if Intuitive Eating is right for you:
You are always on a new diet or “lifestyle” or plan of eating.
You have a love hate relationship with food. You like to eat, but you feel guilty for it.
You try to lose weight, but just can’t seem to stay the course on any one plan.
You feel in control on a diet or plan, but then something happens (a busy day, stress, boredom…heck even just a new day) and you chuck all your good intentions out the window for a few moments with food you love.
You feel terribly guilty when you have these out-of-control episodes with food.
You have a vague sense that you eat to soothe emotions, but you’re not sure, and you certainly wouldn’t know what to do about it.
You eat mindlessly at times. In the car, in front of the TV, when alone.
You are embarrassed of how much or what you eat when you are alone.
You used to have anorexia and you marvel at how much “discipline” you used to have with food. Now you feel totally out of control and think it’s a new problem.
You have been in recovery for an eating disorder for a while, but you still feel not “free” around food. You obsess, or count calories or macros. You hate your body and you can’t seem to eat like other people.
Or any other way that you don’t feel free around food. Intuitive Eating is to help you get free!!
If you’re interested in learning more about my coaching packages, shoot me an email. I read every email I get, and I would absolutely love to hear from you! EatingRecoveryCoach@gmail.com.