Do you know when you’re full? Does your body send clear signals that you can rely on? If so, you may want to explore Intuitive Eating.
Considered the cornerstone of the anti-diet movement, this method of eating was featured in the 1995 book, “Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach.” This book, by Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole, both registered dieticians, has been updated several times and still holds enough sway to be featured in a New York Times article last month.
There’s much to love about the idea. It encourages us to listen to our bodies instead of trying to suppress hunger. It suggests we savor our meals and even enjoy them. It emphasizes moderate consumption and healthy balance without strict prohibitions. And it roots for movement, not boot camp. I find all of this appealing. And I follow much of the philosophy.
The problem for me is that this philosophy falls short. My body needs me to strictly avoid gluten and limit histamines. It doesn’t matter that I may desire crispy bacon on a fluffy, warm biscuit. That is not, and will never be, healthy for me – even if I only take a bite or two.
Then there’s the fact that hunger doesn’t always register in my body, so it is sometimes easy to wait too long to eat. Waiting too long gives me a sinking feeling once I eat, followed by a feeling of extreme hunger. In other words, eating makes me feel really hungry (I know, go figure.).
The severe hunger sometimes resolves in 45 minutes to an hour if I can stand to wait it out. Other times, it does not until I eat additional food. During the 45 minutes I’m waiting for stasis, I feel distracted, antsy, and irritable. Sometimes, I feel scared. Let’s just say, I’m not functioning at 100% or even 80%. That lessens my productivity and diminishes my ability to socialize comfortably.
It is always better for me to eat at regular intervals even if it means ignoring my body’s signals. And I clearly can’t rely on feeling “full” to guide the point at which I stop. It’s like my hungry/full meter is broken. And so it is with many of us.
And that’s okay. The problem is more with the idea that one-size-fits-all or one size SHOULD fit all than it is with the fact that some of the Intuitive Eating approach works for me and some of it doesn’t.
In fact, I agree with the Resch and Tribole that careful observation of how I feel when I eat specific foods positively informs my choices. I also agree that taking the focus off of weight-loss and calorie counting can mean less obsessive thoughts, less feeling bad about food choices, and less stress around eating. Those are good things that I choose to incorporate in my eating plan.
I understand how frustrating it is to think you’ve found a perfect solution to something you’re struggling with and then discover that solution is only 25% effective. That sucks. But it puts you 25% closer to a solution. Another 25% and you’re halfway there. Incremental, persistent improvement is how most problems are solved. Accepting that as a standard can reframe 75% failure as 25% success. And sometimes, reframing things is all you need to stay on a healthy path.
Do I know when I’m full? Sometimes. But most of the time, no. I wish I did. I wish I could intuitively eat without giving it a second thought. That simply isn’t realistic for me.
But there’s no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I’ll take the positive from the Intuitive Eating approach and leave behind what doesn’t fit. And I’ll feel great about the progress I made!
It’s a formula that works again and again!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”