What is intuitive eating?
Remember when you used to feel hungry, you grabbed something to eat and then moved on with your day? How many of us are still able to do that? Have you heard about intuitive eating and wondered how that could ever work for you? I think of intuitive eating and movement this way- With so many experts and apps, I want to continue learning and yet honor the things that I already know. This struck me one morning on my drive to a new office.
It was a foggy morning and traffic was heavy. After dropping my kids off at school, I was driving to a new office with a mug full of hot water. The mug didn’t fit in my cupholder and several roundabouts were coming up. I had a slight panic- I hadn’t looked up the directions on my maps app. In fact, I couldn’t even remember the exact address, and, obviously, I couldn’t pull my phone out now. Okay wait. Breathe. I know how to get to the office. It may not be the fastest route, or the route with the least traffic, but it will get me there on time. It is a route I enjoy driving. I get to see my kid’s old school, a construction project I enjoy watching, and drive past my favorite coffee shop. It is the perfect route for me to take. I arrive on time, calm, and aware. I had the answers and solutions I needed.
Can anyone relate to that feeling that we need someone or something to tell us what to do? Maps, recipes, workout plans, eating. It is easy to lose touch with what we already know. Whether you are 20 or 100 you have learned things about yourself and your body. Getting curious about those things and how they are working for you is a great place to start if you want to learn to practice intuitive eating or moving more intuitively.
I often hear questions like, is this food good for me? What do you think about keto? Or, I need to workout more, what should I do? Part of me wants to give a definitive answer. I know that is what people think they want, and I want to make them happy. But, when it comes to how we eat, how we move, and what type of self care is best there isn’t one answer. That is the hard and beautiful thing!
Like my maps story, the answers to those questions depend on where you find joy, what your timing and reasons are. Before you jump into a new plan, take a minute and write down what you already know. What is working, what are you doing that you know isn’t working, and then, what questions do you have? This is where intuitive eating and intuitive movement start. I would love to chat with you if you want accountability or to talk about your questions. I made a switch from prescribing to partnering to support women as they learn to listen to themself. We will learn some new things along the way and try some new strategies. These will help you hear and listen to what you need; they won’t be an annoying voice sending you in a direction you don’t want to go.
