Intuitive Eating

From LoveToKnow Diet

Intuitive Eating is a revolutionary concept in the weight-loss realm; it promises to help you make peace with food, free yourself from chronic dieting, and attain a natural weight that is right for you.

The Premise

Children are intuitive eaters. Have you ever tried to force a three-year-old to eat more than he wanted? Or to eat something she didn't care for? They don't clean their plates; they eat when they are hungry, and they eat what they like. And those children who have not been badgered into eating contrary to this inner mechanism are healthy and fit. They are not obese, but they are not overly thin, either.

The idea behind intuitive eating is that we have lost this natural ability to regulate our eating due to societal pressures regarding what is an appropriate weight, what are "good" and "bad" foods, and the shame of wasting food. We succumb to pressure to diet even when we do not want to, simply because other people perceive us as overweight or unhealthy. We eat when we are full because we have an "inner mom" telling us to clean our plates. We eat when we aren't really hungry to prove to controlling people in our lives that we, not they, are in control. In other words, we have issues with food. We cannot achieve a healthy, comfortable, and appropriate weight until those issues are addressed, dealt with, and overcome.

The Ten Principles of Intuitive Eating

There are ten principles upon which the intutive eating lifestyle is founded.

Reject the diet mentality: Discard diet books and get over the idea of quick, easy, permanent weight loss. Stop thinking of foods as "allowed" or "forbidden." Stop counting calories, fat grams, carb grams, and portion sizes.

Honor your hunger: Don't put off eating when you feel hungry. Feed your body an appropriate amount of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Make sure you are eating enough at meals, and don't hesitate to snack when necessary.
Make peace with food: Food is not the enemy, and there is no "bad" food. Restricting foods leads to feelings of deprivation that engender rebellion -- leading to bingeing.
Challenge the food police: Whether it's your inner monitor or well-meaning people around you, don't let anyone dictate to you how you will handle food issues. Don't say you were "bad" for eating a certain thing, or "good" for resisting. These thoughts lead only to guilt and rebellious feelings.
Feel your fullness: Learn to recognize the signals that your body gives you when it is satisfied.
Discover the satisfaction factor: Allow yourself to enjoy every morsel of food you eat. Allow eating to be an enjoyable and satisfying activity.
Cope with your emotions without using food: Learn to comfort and nurture yourself without using food. Food cannot make the bad feelings go away; it can only distract you from vital issues that need to be addressed.
Respect your body: Accept yourself as you are. Genes play a large role in the size and shape of your body, and trying to force your body to be what it is not merely frustrates and discourages you.
Exercise to feel the difference: Don't focus on exercise as a weight-loss tool; focus instead on the beneficial feelings that exercise brings -- the energy, the change of pace, etc.
Honor your health with gentle nutrition: One day, or one meal, will not make you unhealthy. Choose foods that make you feel good, even as they taste good and improve your health.

A Process

Intuitive Eating is not the plan you want if you are stuck in the instant weight-loss trap. This diet is not about dieting at all; it's about making healthful, stress-reducing choices. It's about changing your lifestyle and your approach to food at a pace and in a way that works for you. It takes practise, patience, and perseverance to become an intuitive eater.

Consider the stock market: we know that, in investing, it's not about the daily ups and downs of the market -- that is not where the value appears. If you look at it daily, you will stress out because of the gains and losses that are inevitable. But over the long-term, the little changes even out and a significant return on the investment is accrued.

That's what intuitive eating is about. Ignoring the daily fluctuations and monitoring the long-term outcomes.

Healing Eating Disorders

The nutritionists who developed the intuitive eating approach have had unprecedented success in treating anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating. While it is not the only facet of the approach, as psychotherapy to deal with emotional issues and medical intervention to deal with health issues are both necessary to the successful treatment of eating problems. But the authors have found that one common thread in eating disorders is a disconnection between the person's mind and the person's body -- the mind gives false signals to the body about what is needed. The intuitive eating approach can help restore the connection between the mind and the body, and reinstate accurate signals of fullness and hunger.