Category Archives: opinion

So it’s been about 2 weeks since I have officially delivered myself into the hands of intuitive eating…and to put it briefly it is going really well for me.  I’m feeling happy, satisfied and liberated most of the time with intermittent pangs of anxiety that quickly ebb.

I think my plan is to write weekly updates about my intuitive eating voyage, beginning with this one.  I am not sure what these updates will become in the future but for now I am going to describe my process through the intuitive eating principles one by one.

For those of you not familiar with intuitive eating: there 10 major steps/principles in the process.  Although I am not moving through the steps in a linear fashion (rather working on several simultaneously, moving forward and backward as necessary), it is definitely easiest to write about them in order.  So here are my thoughts on step one:

Reject The Diet Mentality

When I began reading Intuitive Eating, I thought that this step would be a breeze for me.  I am an outspoken non-believer in diets (and have written about it here) because I’ve seen the mental and physical damage they can do.  I’ve realized, however, that one can reject the concept of  “diets” while not rejecting the diet mentality…and that was exactly what I was doing.

I admitted in my new years resolution post that I have been a closet calorie counter for the past couple years.  This combined my ingrained sense that some foods are “bad” and others are “good” kept me trapped in the diet-like cycle.  It would begin with the restriction, of “bad” foods.  Eventually I would “give in” to these forbidden or bad foods, which would lead to feelings of guilt and failure.  Along with that guilt came the eventually “screw it all” rebellion & over eating (aka giving up on being good) which would of course lead to a renewed commitment to limiting bad foods which brings me right back to the beginning.

This vicious cycle kept me trapped in the diet mindset despite my conscious rejection of diets.    I can see clearly that giving up that mindset is essential to being at peace with food and becoming an intuitive eater.  That doesn’t mean it is easy.

I began this step by quitting the calorie counting cold turkey toward the end of December.  I’ve been trying my best not to even think about calories when preparing or eating meals.  I’ve also stopped calculating how many calories I burn with exercise or if a machine tells me automatically I choose not to pay attention to it.  When I occasionally find my mind drifting to calories and such I consciously redirect my thoughts to how the food tastes or how the exercise makes my body feel.

I’ve also found myself averting my eyes from people in the blog-o-sphere and twitterverse that fuel these negative thoughts in me.  While I don’t judge & recognize that counting calories or weight watchers points may be fine for others, I know that it is not mentally healthy for me…so I am trying to separate myself from it as much as I can.  This also means flipping past the “Fabulous Body Fast!” type articles in the gossip mags I indulge in occasionally.  Not that I am losing much by not reading that drivel. 

So that’s my experience with Step 1 in a nutshell.

I feel like “Rejecting the Diet Mentality” and step 3 “Making Peace with Food” really go hand in hand for me.  But you’ll have to wait 2 weeks to hear about that step.

Next week it’s:  Principle 2 – Honor Your Hunger

Just a note: these posts are more difficult for me to write than my usual fare.  There’s few pretty pictures to entertain and distract you, and I feel much more exposed and vulnerable than usual because these posts are personal and center around my struggles.  But I think it’s a really good thing for me to get them out there & that it’s allowing for growth.  So thank you for reading and for allowing me the space to share.