The intuitive eating system is based on the idea that paying attention to your body’s signals can be a more effective method of weight management than counting calories, dividing foods into “good” and “bad,” and other restrictions. The following 6 principles will help you better understand the essence.
Feel full
Just as we pay attention to hunger, it is also important to notice signals that you are no longer hungry. A good practice for this can be the following life hack: take 2-3 pauses during the process of eating and listen to yourself, answering the questions: do you like the food, what does it taste like, how hungry are you at the moment and how much more do you think you need to be full?
Don’t be categorical
You don’t have to eat perfect all the time to have a balanced diet. Choose foods that are healthy, taste good, and make you feel good. And if you snack on less healthy foods every now and then, don’t beat yourself up about it. For example, you don’t have to give up potatoes completely if you love them and force yourself to eat healthy but hateful foods.
Recognize emotions
Restricting food can trigger a loss of control and emotional (psychogenic) overeating, when feelings of hunger and satiety recede into the background, and the goal is to “eat away” and calm emotions such as anxiety, loneliness, boredom, and anger. In the context of intuitive eating, your goal is to learn to recognize your negative emotions and find ways to cope with them without resorting to food.
Ditch the “diet” mentality
Diet culture extols some foods and demonizes others, and makes weight loss a competition, as if being slim comes with a higher social status. Give up the idea that losing weight is quick, easy, and permanent — only risky methods can promise the first two points, and no one has any control over time. Realize that “detox” tea in the hands of a blogger is nothing more than marketing. All healthy foods in reasonable quantities are foods for slimness.
Realize the value of hunger
Have a snack when you’re hungry instead of waiting until your main meal. If you have trouble staying on track, stick to three meals a day and snack between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also pay attention to how you feel when you’re hungry — maybe it’s difficulty concentrating, irritability, or fatigue. This way, timing your meals becomes more obvious.
Respect your body
When practicing intuitive eating, you must respect your body, no matter what its size. It’s important to start with the belief that you don’t have to shrink yourself down to a certain size or shape. Respecting yourself and practicing body acceptance (or even neutrality) can help you develop a healthier relationship with food in the long run.