Raise your metaphorical hand if you’ve ever dieted, felt the pressure to diet or have wanted to change your body. I’m assuming everyone’s hand is up, mine included. Young girls and women are constantly taught that we shouldn’t take up space, with either our bodies or our voices. We shrink ourselves, possibly restricting our calories or prohibiting ourselves from enjoying eating. I’ve been there, and I’m assuming many (or all) of you have as well.
I’ve always had a conflicting relationship with my body. Sometimes, I’m proud, and other times, I fall back on the invasive thoughts and disordered eating behaviors that defined my middle school and high school years. Now a junior in college, I’ve made progress in how I approach eating. I never put a name to it, but I’ve come to realize that I was participating in (and, at the very least, striving toward) intuitive eating.
You might have heard of intuitive eating, but what exactly is it, besides a buzzword? Here’s what I found out.
First, intuitive eating is a way of eating that allows you to listen to your body. Are you hungry? Then eat. Do not wait until you are ravenous because conscious eating flies out the window and feelings of shame will return. By listening to our bodies, we’re putting ourselves first, rather than a larger ideal, based in diet culture, that tries to control how, when and what women should eat.
What should you eat when practicing intuitive dieting? Well, this a three-pronged approach. First, actively fight against the idea that there are “good” and “bad” foods. When we constantly crave “bad” foods, we’re more likely to indulge, overeat and feel a profound sense of shame. It is hard to stop eating a food you’ve deprived yourself of for so long, and I speak from personal experience. Instead, let’s allow ourselves to eat what we want, even if it’s a stereotypically “bad” food. That way, we can forgo bingeing tendencies and listen to our bodies, stopping when we feel full, rather than mindlessly munching until there’s nothing left.
Above all, intuitive eating requires us to respect and honor our bodies. Easier said than done, right? Eating what we want, when we want is part of it, as is dumping dieting altogether. Last, but certainly not least, we (myself included) should remember that perfection does not exist! If we always have a future, looming goal, we don’t pay honor and pay attention the bodies we have. While it’s healthy to look forward, focus on progression, not perfection.
Need more information? Learn more about intuitive eating.