Intuitive Eating: Why The Best Diet Might Just Be No Diet At All

Jul 12, 2018 by apost team

If you're like most people, you've tried and given up on a number of diets. But have you ever heard of intuitive eating? This healthy approach can revolutionize your relationship with food and your body.

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The problem with diets is that they are all about external control. The nutritionists who wrote the book on intuitive eating, Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole, say that diets don't work. The only thing that should control your eating is your sense of hunger.

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When you start to feel hungry, you should eat something. It is important to not allow the hunger to linger because if you wait until you are starving, you are more likely to overeat. This is also part of creating a healthy relationship with food.

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You need to let a sense of being full tell you when to stop eating. This might be well before you have finished everything on your plate. It should also be before you start to feel uncomfortable.

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Banish the idea that food can be put into categories of "good" and "bad." Think of food as something that provides you with strength. The only "rule" you should have about what to eat is that it should be whatever you are craving at any particular moment.

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Diets may have taught you to think of food as an enemy you have to conquer. Instead, you should work toward paying attention to the signals from your body telling you what to eat. If you deny your body what it is craving, the food only becomes that much more attractive because you think of it as forbidden, and that could lead to food binges.

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You might think of eating in a way that is good for you as a chore that involves bland, uninteresting meals, but this does not have to be the case. With intuitive eating, you pay attention to how food is presented and how it tastes. As you are eating, enjoy the flavor, textures and aroma. This will make food more satisfying in smaller amounts.

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Actual physical hunger is the only time that you should be eating. If you are bored, stressed out or sad, you should look to other activities. Instead of eating, focus on something you enjoy, go for a walk, watch one of your favorite movies or find another distracting activity that does not involve food.

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You probably feel as though you are bombarded daily with tips about how to lose weight, so this can be a tough one if you are dissatisfied with your body. However, you can train yourself to love and accept your body. In fact, it is critical if you want to avoid dieting. It may help to appreciate all the ways your body can do useful tasks even if it is not as slim as you would like it to be.

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Exercise is another task you may have been thought to think of as a chore. Instead, look for enjoyable physical activities you will want to stick with. Don't go the gym if you'd rather be outdoors on your bike. Finding exercise you like will help you get in shape without suffering.

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Intuitive eating does not mean a constant diet of fast food. By listening to your body's needs, you should learn to make healthy choices over the long term for a lifetime of good health.

Intuitive eating can change your entire relationship to food and your body. Let us and your friends know if intuitive eating has helped you, or show this to a friend who you know would be interested in this concept!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!