Do you feel deprived, frustrated and tired of trying different diets? Don’t worry! You are not alone. Dieting not only does not work, it is the root of many problems and it may cause more harm than good.
Practicing intuitive, mindful eating can help you be aware of your thoughts, emotions and it is a way to bring more meaning to the daily act of eating.
Here, five steps to cultivate an intuitive eating practice:
1. Reject the diet mentality
Only when you vow to discard dieting and replace it with a commitment to Intuitive eating will you be released from the prison of yo-yo weight fluctuations and food obsessions.
2. Honor your Hunger
Keep your body biologically fed with adequate energy by eating real food. Learning to honor this first biological signal sets the stage for rebuilding trust with yourself and food.
3. Make peace with food
Stop the food fight! Give yourself unconditional permission to eat. If you are constantly telling yourself that you can’t or shouldn’t have particular food, it can lead to intense feelings of deprivation that build into uncontrollable cravings and often bingeing.
4. Discover the satisfaction factor
Honor the farmer, the truck driver, the grocery store stocker and all those in between the farm and your table. Eat in an environment that is inviting and without distractions.
5. Cope with your emotions without using food
Find ways to comfort, nurture, distract and resolve your emotional issues without using food. Anxiety, loneliness, boredom and anger are emotions we all experience throughout life. Each has its own trigger, and each has its own appeasement. Food won’f fix any of these feelings.
Reference:
Intuitive Eating, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
