Intuitive Eating Mini Series - Part Three

Hello my ppl!!! If yah haven't already checked out part one & part two of this series, I would recommend yah do so or give it a brief scroll to refresh your memory!

Okieee assuming you've checked out the prior posts, lets jump right into part three! I get a lot of questions daily regarding intuitive eating and how I've come to learn the mechanics of trusting myself, trusting my body and instincts, letting go of fear, etc.

First and foremost, I have never really experienced fear with food. I've always eaten whatever the heck I want (up until my digestive issues were at their very worst a year or so back - well almost two years at this point). I restricted. Not because I feared the food itself, but because I feared how it would affect my stomach and digestion. That's a story for another time though (and if you are interested I've discussed my full story with this on a past blog post).

However, if you are someone that fears food than you are going to have to slowly learn to trust yourself. It will be a process of re-teaching your mind/body back to its natural roots. This can also be relative to anyone who has consistently tracked macros or calories for years. It can be tough to allow your body and mind freedom from all of the numbers if you are someone thats followed something so consistently and concrete in the past. Regardless of your circumstance, it is possible.

Tip One: Ditch the food scale, ditch the calorie/macro tracking apps, ditch your bathroom scale, ditch anything that will steer you away from your long term goal of food freedom. If you feel like ditching it all at once is too hard than feel free to do this at a gradual pace. For example, begin by taking two days off from tracking a week, then three, then four, then five, etc. In doing things with this approach, you are slowly working towards your goal without having to jump into it too quickly with added stress. Personally, I just like to get things rolling and do it all at once. Gradual changes become more stressful for me,  but I am not you or anyone else (like I said, do what will work best for YOU).

Tip Two: At first it can be tough to recognize hunger cues and trust your body. It makes sense though when you think about it. You've been neglecting signals for quite some time. You can't possibly expect to have it figured out all at once, right? Right! So what does this mean? Where do you start? Make time for your meals. Don't leave yourself five rushed minutes to eat. I understand that every meal can't be a long, sit-down one, but if you're trying to recognize your body and its satiety levels, you have to allow time. Eat slowly. Chew your food fully. I eat with baby silverware (smaller bites my dudes and it makes the food last longer, it's a win-win). It sounds silly, but it seriously helps so much when you are trying to get in tune with your body. If you scarf your food down in a few minutes - you aren't recognizing whether your body is hungry or full until later on. Eventually this starts to become second nature. However, at first this is a crucial step in fueling your body efficiently and adequately.

Tip Three: Drink your water!!!!! Hydration is super important. Of course it's important for the obvious factors such as, overall health, skin, hair/nails, yada, yada. Hydration keeps our bodies functioning optimally. Allows our digestion to run smoothly. In terms of intuitive eating, dehydration can often be mistaken for hunger. I know that when I don't drink enough water I feel run down and fatigued. Anyone else? Feeling low energy often leads me to think I am not eating enough, when sometimes it can simply mean I am not drinking enough fluids! I aim for a gallon to a gallon and a half of water everyday. Drinking between meals keeps you feeling good & when you are hungry (or think you may be hungry), it can be much easier to distinguish and determine your hunger levels when you're hydrated. 

Tip Four: If you think you are hungry, EAT. Most often your body is pretty smart and good at recognizing hunger. Worst case scenario, you weren't actually hungry and your body has some extra fuel. It's important to be sure your body is fueled at the end of the day so eating is better than not eating. As time progresses, you will become much more adapt with recognizing true hunger cues from the false ones. At first, it's just essential that you allow your body the chance to do its re-adjusting and re-training. Don't let the fear of weight gain or irrational thoughts creep up. Three words. TRUST THE PROCESS. Your body will level out & connect with you once it has re-gained your trust. 

Tip Five: Did yah have a rough day? Maybe a rough week? Longer? It's okay. You won't always feel in tune with your body. You will likely feel frustrated and lost at first. It's a-okay to feel these things. Don't be afraid to feel or think your thoughts. Recognizing these things allows you to be smart and aware of your choices. You health is still the priority. Feeling like you want to quit? Too bad. Yah can't give up (well you can, but you shouldn't). Why? The longer you hold out on trusting your body and becoming in tune with it, the harder it will be long term. Let go. Be free. Just allow your body to do its thing and disassociate any negative thoughts or doubt you have about the process. 

Tip Six: Be conscious & aware of outside sources and factors that could be affecting your mind/body connection. What do I mean by this? Things like stress, sleep, food timing, water intake, etc. can all play a role in your ability to become in sync with your body. Those factors can trigger your body to feel certain ways (sometimes false feelings). For example, excessive stress or anxiousness can cause someone to over-eat or under-eat depending on how they handle those feelings/situations. For me personally, when I become stressed or anxious I can lose hunger cues completely or feel the need to eat everything and anything in sight (just depends on the situation and the person). Overall, be aware of your body and the factors that could be affecting you to feel one way or another.

Tip Seven: Fun fact for ya'll - my lucky number & fav number is seven (even though you probably don't care to know LOL - still gonna tell you mmmkaaay??) Mmmkaaay!! Anyways!! My final tip is to trust yourself. This one is a toughiee, I get it. I've been in a place where I overthought and overcomplicated everything, but your body is smart. You are smart. You have to connect those two things. You have to find what works for you and what makes you feel good. Allowing yourself grace, giving yourself time, and having patience with this process is what will allow you to be successful and find long term happiness/stability with your eating habits. TRUST. It will pay off. This is another thing you will have to re-learn and re-teach yourself if you have neglected it in the past. The sun will always be shining on the other side so DO NOT GIVE UP.

I didn't want this to be too long because then people get bored and neglect to finish reading, plus this is apart of a series so i'll keep 'em coming, donttcchuuu worry franddd!!

That's all i've got for yah <3

Learn to love yourself no matter the stage you are at in life. Love yourself inside and out. It makes life SO much for fun, enjoyable, and worth while. 

#ownyouloveyou ALWAYS!!!

-Mik :)