I wish I could shout this from the highest mountain:
Intuitive eating does not mean eating whatever you want, whenever you want, all the time.
It does not mean abandoning nutrition and health, and it does not mean giving up on your physical goals.
You’re allowed to care about how you feel and how you look – if you genuinely care about those things, for yourself… not for your mom or boyfriend.
A lot of people take intuitive eating too literally.
They forget that we’re humans with nutrition needs.
Intuitive eating is not all or nothing – as in, all pizza or all veggies all the time.
You can have an idea of what nutrition looks like for you, and even knowledge of your macros – the amount of carbs, proteins, and fats your body needs in a day – and still be an intuitive eater.
For example, maybe you’re mainly craving pasta at a meal, but you know you need a certain amount of protein and fat as well, to maintain your energy and blood sugar.
You know this based on past experience and basic nutrition knowledge, so you include them in most cases, even if your body is not screaming out for them.
There are some exceptions – maybe yesterday was heavy on protein and fats, and the reason your body is mainly craving pasta is because you don’t need those macros for one meal. All good.
Intuitive eating is a dance:
Honoring your intuition and nutritional needs (they’re often the same, once you get into a rhythm with it), while respecting your hunger and fullness signals.
When you practice nutrition-informed intuitive eating, you can reach your physical goals – as long as those goals are healthy and reasonable for your unique body.
How can you begin to practice nutrition-informed intuitive eating?
1. Bring full presence to your meals.
2. Notice which foods feel great, and which don’t.
3. Research your basic macros, or work with a coach who can help you identify them.
4. Focus on chewing, pausing, and breathing, while tuning into what your body is telling you.
This isn’t about becoming a monk or monitoring yourself to ensure you don’t go one bite overboard – it’s about fully enjoying your food, and that can’t really happen when you’re scrolling Instagram.
When you fully enjoy your food, you’re less likely to overeat or eat things your body doesn’t actually want – because you’re paying attention to your body.
Intuitive eating is about feeding yourself in a way that delights you in the moment AND a few hours later.
It’s not about 5 minutes of pleasure that leads to 5 hours of pain, just because your intuition told you to eat ice cream, but you’re actually sensitive to it.
Intuitive eating is nuanced, and it takes some time to hit your sweet spot, but it’s the best endeavor I’ve ever taken on.
Through intuitive eating I’ve been able to…
1. Overcome my nearly 10-year struggle with disordered eating.
2. Completely stop overeating. It no longer appeals to me in any way.
3. Stabilize my weight – I’ve been about the same for years.
4. Feel better in my body than ever, and have that feeling last.
5. Channel the energy I used to spend obsessing over my body and food into other areas of my life, creating deeper presence and more joy.
Intuitive eating has helped me heal physically, mentally, and emotionally.
When I made the commitment to be a full intuitive eater – to not restrict anything – I was so scared.
It was really hard at first.
I overate a lot in the beginning, and ate things that were not great for my body.
That was a crucial phase, after a decade of restriction, but after a while, my body got sick and tired of overeating, and I naturally stopped – for good.
Committing to intuitive eating was one of the best choices I’ve ever made, because today my relationship with food and my body is so loving and laid back – and I couldn’t have created that if I didn’t fully commit.
I truly feel good in my body, I feel good in my clothes, and I feel good in my life.
Are you an intuitive eater? I’d love to hear your experience in the comments below.
If not, is it something you’re interested in trying?
Sending so much love your way!
XO,
Lula