Love Your Body with Intuitive Eating

If you are tired of all the yo-yo dieting and weight loss books that contradict each other? You may find intuitive eating might be the strategy you need to teach yourself how to love your body and food.

Intuitive eating is based on listening to your inner guidance, so it can guide with making right choices about what we eat. Studies show this type of approach enhances mental health but also physical wellness as well when followed correctly! But let’s face it: It’s not always easy figuring out where or HOW TO start if at first glance everything seems confusing for some reason… especially since there are a lot myths surrounding “intuitive” eating these days (especially in social media!).

Some Myths About Intuitive Eating:

1. Avoid the extremes. There’s a difference between enjoying your food and eating anything you want without regard for the consequences. When you give up strict diets, you’ll need to invent your own guidelines and listen to your body it really does know what is right and wrong for it.

2. Clarify your particular goals and what it is you would like to accomplish. The desire to lose weight can make you lose sight of other important objectives. Intuitive eating encourages you to think about your body being strong fit and healthy rather than just a smaller dress size.

3. Do your homework. While your body may possess great wisdom, it can also use a bit of help. After all, you probably don’t instinctively recognize and avoid cookies containing trans fats. Use medical studies and product labels to guide you in making the right choices.

Recognize When You Are Experiencing True Hunger:

1. Pay attention to your symptoms. Eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re full is a basic principle of intuitive eating. However, it may be challenging after years of dieting. Increase your awareness by assigning a number from one through ten, based on whether you’re peckish or totally ravenous.

2. Fuel up. It’s easier to resist junk food when you’re slightly full. Carry nutritious snacks around with you. Use an online calculator to figure out how many calories you need each day to meet your basic needs.

3. Slow down your eating. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register that you’ve eaten enough. Pause and chew your food well during meals to avoid becoming stuffed.

4. Stay hydrated. Dehydration is often mistaken for hunger. Before you head for the refrigerator, drink a glass of water to see if your cravings will disappear.

5. Examine your feelings. Your emotions can also make you vulnerable to overeating. Find alternatives to comforting yourself with cake or cookies. Go for a walk when you’re bored and call a friend when you’ve had a rough day at work.

Other Truths about Intuitive Eating:

1. You must exercise regularly. An active lifestyle helps you to connect with your body. Make your workouts fun by varying your routines and inviting family and friends to come along and join you.

2. Learn how to cook healthy meals. You’ll look forward to eating your vegetables and other fiber-rich foods if you learn how to prepare them. Watch food channels on TV and browse online for quick and easy to follow recipes.

3. Be patient. It takes time to change your eating habits. That’s especially true if you’ve been losing weight and putting it back on for years. Give yourself credit for taking the first steps toward restoring balance in your body and life.

4. Honor and love your body. Intuitive eating involves your attitude as well as your menu. Appreciate your body and its capabilities. Focus on your positive features instead of dwelling on areas you don’t like.

5. Think long term results. Work towards changes you can sustain for life instead of crash diets that you’ll probably abandon within a few weeks. The choices you make today can help you live longer and lower your risk for diabetes and other serious health conditions.

Create a more positive body image and eat the foods you love without feeling any guilt. Intuitive eating is more fun than any restrictive diet and helps you to develop healthy habits that you can practice for the rest of your life.