Intuitive eating is a sensible and rational approach to food. And not a diet at all. Let’s find out the details.
Stephen Hawks back in the early ’90s, after ending a grueling diet that gave only short-term results, invented the method of intuitive eating.
Since then, the doctor has published a book “Intuitive Eating”, and founded the National Institute of Intuitive Eating.
Say “no” to diets
Intuitive eating is significantly different from diets. At the heart of any of them is the rejection of a group of foods, whether fast carbohydrates, dairy foods, solid foods, or all of this at once.
But the strict restrictions, sooner or later, lead to breakdowns and overeating – the body demands its own.
Hence the first principle of intuitive eating – “Give to your body what it requires”. No wonder this technique is successfully used to treat digestive disorders, including bulimia and anorexia.
Learn to be sensible about food
The main mistake of beginners in the school of intuitive eating is the lack of self-control. Deciding that you can eat everything and in any quantity, they do not deny themselves anything.
But, in fact, with unlimited access to fried potatoes and muffins, you will soon realize that such food causes heaviness in the stomach. And you can easily do without it.
Realizing this, you will make an informed choice in favor of healthy meals. And, as you know, only the forbidden fruit is the sweetest.
Learn to distinguish between hunger and appetite
- Firstly, you should eat when you feel moderately hungry, without bringing yourself to a semi-conscious state.
- Secondly, you do not need to order dessert just because you always do it.
Do not ignore the feeling of satiety
Put the spoon down when you realize that you satiety (or rather “almost satiety”).
You do not need to eating everything just because as a child you were taught not to leave anything on your plate, or because you are in visiting and do not want to offend the hosts, or have already paid for the meal.
Reconcile with food
Do not count calories, do not break down the dish into proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. You’ve seen a pizza before and asked yourself, “How many calories in it?” and “If I eat it today, what will I have to give up tomorrow?”.
A better way to do it – just think about that a pizza is just a pizza, and ask yourself only one question: “Do I want to eat it?”.
Do not forbid yourself even the most hostile product in the healthy food environment. After all, a forbidden will cause an uncontrollable weight, frustration, and guilt – and all of these feelings have no place in intuitive eating.
Enjoy your meal
If you do not like the contents of the plate and the process of cooking, you subconsciously compensate for the feeling of dissatisfaction with the amount of food or uncontrolled consumption of not the most useful foods.
Separate the need for food and the need for positive emotions
Insulting, anger, loneliness – it seems that any emotional wound is can be healed by a piece of cake. Is that really so? Maybe just for a couple of minutes.
And then to the negative emotions will be added another – guilt. The way out is to deal with the sources of negativity and their consequences directly.
Food is not a reward
The reverse side of the previous paragraph. Since childhood, we have become accustomed to the simple scheme ” if you will study good/help your parents – on the weekend we will go to a park and buy an ice cream”.
In adult life, it is transformed into “if I passed the exam/ran 5 km – I have a reward – chocolate”.
This does not mean that you need to give up motivation, just change the format of rewarding. Let the reward be a trip to the theater, a meeting with friends, or buying perfume.
Get pleasure from exercising
Choose the types of exercise that will bring you positive emotions and a charge of vitality, and not just burn the maximum calories and pump the right muscles.
Love your body
You need to love and accept yourself as you are with all your strengths and weaknesses. It does not mean to give up.
On the contrary, realizing mistakes makes them easier to work on. Just not choose an express diet, choose intuitive eating!
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