Let's Get Intuitive

When dieting you’re abiding by a set of rules that have been set FOR you, not by you. You label yourself as either good, or bad, on plan or off plan, depending on how you’re making out with your particular diet.

You feel like you are in control when meticulously counting your points, your calories or your macros, but really, you were never more out of control. Your thoughts are plagued by what you should, could, would eat next.

Then, like I talk about here, when you can’t white knuckle it past that plate of cookies any longer, you lose even more control… breaking out of the chains that have held you down to your diet.

Which results in feeling like a failure. Like you’ll never reach your goals. Like food is the enemy.

Our first exercise is going to focus on shifting your attention and decision making about food from external diet plans that have been set for you, back to what our bodies were designed for; to provide internal cues.

And, it's called Intuitive Eating.

The Intuitive Eating process has been studied by countless dietitians, doctors and researchers. These folks have consistently found that our natural intuition is trustworthy to judge when, what and how much to eat.

But, since we are a society of chronic dieters, we have blunted that intuition. We’ve been condition to ignore our cravings, to only eat so much, and to fear that we won’t be able to stop if we have something off our plan.

This first exercise will help you begin to tune into the physical feeling of hunger in your body, what your body is craving in response to that hunger and how to tune into the body’s physical feeling of fullness.

Here’s the goal: you feel physically hungry, you identify what it is that will meet the need of your hunger and your craving and you will judge when you’ve had enough.

Easier said than done.

It takes time. It takes practice. It takes patience.

It takes serious commitment. Commitment to let go of harsh, self-judgement when you eat and end up feeling too full, or when you eat and don’t feel full enough. Or, when all you eat is handfuls of mini Reese’s Peanut Butter cups (been there!) just because you can.

Now’s the time to give yourself permission to recognize and let go of judgement. Let the experience be what it is. Embrace it and learn from it.

What we’re doing is resetting your body’s ability to feel itself and for you to recognize what it needs, or doesn’t need, and when.

So, here’s where we’ll start.

Click here to grab today’s worksheet!

Get curious when you’re filling it out. There’s no right or wrong. No “good” or “bad”. This is simply your experience.

Now, that you’ve looked it over, I want to give you a challenge.

Throughout the rest of your day, I want you to try to identify and rate your hunger. When you hear old faithful start gurgling rate your hunger on a scale from 1 to 10.

1 being “OMG my stomach is going to eat itself” and 10 being “SH*T! I can’t move I’m so full”

Then, if you're hungry, consider what will make your mind and your body feel good and satisfied.

Next, EAT THAT THING.

Now, take some time and write down how you feel. Use the worksheet. Get curious. 

By practicing this exercise, you'll see that eating when you're hungry and what you are hungry for, will not only feed your body’s hunger, but also your soul’s desire.

Good luck! Let me know how you’re make you. Questions? Want to share your worksheet with me? Shoot me an email.

Sarah

In case you missed it, don't forget to grab your worksheet here!