My relationship with food has always been good. (To sum: I love good food. Haha) But my metabolism has proven to be much much slower than it used to be. (I used to eat kanin and ulam for merienda and not gain weight!) So I’ve tried to cut back on carbs… and then fell right back into it after some weeks. I’ve decided I’m gonna stop restricting myself through following certain diets and just try intuitive eating. (Also, did you know that diets actually don’t work?)
What is intuitive eating?
Some nutritionists say intuitive eating is kinda like “anti-dieting.” With diets, you set parameters and guidelines for yourself. This “lifestyle” doesn’t believe in that. Basically, you just listen to what your body wants, when it wants something and how much it wants that thing while considering if it’s actually good for you.
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Does it make you lose weight?
Of course, my goal for any lifestyle change I’m going to make is to be healthy. But I’d be lying if I say I don’t want to lose weight at some point during the process. Intuitive eating doesn’t promise weight loss. What it does promise is better overall health — yes, even your mental health. I still have a long way to go before I am able to be truly happy with how my body currently looks, but I’d take the happiness and overall health and just deal with the weight loss some other time in the future.
How do you do it?
While it’s easy to think that it’s all about eating what you want, it’s not really all that — although it’s definitely part of it. Dieticians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, who created the philosophy, suggest the following for people who want to try the method:
- Reject the Diet Mentality
- Honor Your Hunger
- Make Peace With Food
- Challenge the Food Police
- Respect Your Fullness
- Discover the Satisfaction Factor
- Honor Your Feelings Without Using Food
- Respect Your Body
- Exercise.
Is it for you?
Intuitive eating is said to be great for people who are tired of diets and would like to have a more self-empowering approach to fueling your body. It’s for those who don’t want to be pressured by external factors and want to listen to what their body needs.