If you learn to listen to what your body is telling you, you can eat anything. The world is obsessed with dealing with stress. He is stress, who is accused of all mortal sins, including the obesity epidemic that swept the developed countries. But losing weight is also stressful. Confirmation of this is the unhealthy scheme tested by many when dieting is interrupted by food breakdowns, followed by a feeling of guilt, and then a new attempt to “eat right,” a new breakdown – and further in a circle.
This scheme does not lead to anything good. Harsh stress diets don’t work. Research shows that, on the other hand, such diets lead to weight gain in the long term. It is not surprising that many doctors began to look for such a way to lose weight, which they could do without strict dietary restrictions. Intuitive eating has become this way.
What is intuitive eating?
The idea is that the body knows better than us, whether it is hungry or not. If given free rein, it will consume exactly as much food as is necessary for a normal life – and not a gram of fat or sugar more! We lack the skills to listen to our bodies and often do not distinguish between healthy physical hunger and emotional hunger. And yet, it is not that challenging.
- Physical hunger is when the body begins to experience an acute need for nutrients. Discomfort manifests itself at the physiological level; gurgling in the stomach, weakness, irritability. This feeling of hunger goes away as soon as you eat any food. Yes, your body in a similar state will lustfully look even at broccoli or a crust of bread.
- Emotional hunger is a completely different calico. This is an attempt by the body to seize some unpleasant emotion; boredom, sadness, resentment, confusion. There are no physiological manifestations of this type of hunger; it is born exclusively in the head. It requires a particular food; a chocolate bar, or a piece of sausage, or cookies with milk. It is an emotional hunger that ultimately leads to overeating, consuming extra calories, and weight gain.
This is enough to achieve sustainable weight loss in the long term as well as get other no less pleasant bonuses; stop being nervous, love your own body, improve your health. In particular, research proves that intuitive eating helps to normalize blood pressure indicators, lower cholesterol levels, improve overall well-being, and so on.
What do we have to do?
There are only a few fundamentals of intuitive eating. And, gladly, for the most part, they are pleasant.
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1. Forget about dieting
This is an important point in coping with stress. You can afford everything, any meal your body requires. You do not need to limit yourself; food is a friend and helper, not an enemy. Start with this.
2. Make peace with “junk” food
There is no harmful or healthy food. There is only that which you need and which is not. Unfortunately, going on a diet, often forbid one or another food to themselves, without even thinking why. Desires enter the picture when there is no conscious choice.
What is the point of prohibiting hamburgers if you dream about it? Emotions will triumph one day at a time of weakness – and you will find yourself munching on fast food and then feeling extreme guilt and stress.
A much healthier way is to make peace with a hamburger, allow yourself it at any time, but at the same time answer the question clearly and meaningfully: “Do I need this? What am I going to obtain in the end?”
A hamburger will give you a bit of fun and a lot of extra inches. Understanding this, making informed food choices is one of the pillars of intuitive eating.
3. Respect your hunger
When you are hungry, your body requires proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. Give him food. It is important. Otherwise, having made the decision to limit yourself, you will come into conflict with the instinct of self-preservation. And this will only lead to the fact that the starving body at the first opportunity will begin to stock up on nutrients. And the risks of finding yourself in the refrigerator at three in the morning will rapidly increase.
4. Respect your satiety
Notice how you feel when you are absolutely full. Remember these feelings. You can mentally measure your saturation on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 represents acute hunger and 10 represents pain from overeating. Try to imagine which level you feel most comfortable at.
It will most likely be 5-6 points. Try to end your lunch or dinner at that level the next time you go out to eat.
5. Respect your emotions
Boredom, frustration, anxiety, anger, confusion – each of these emotions has reasons. And food will not help you get rid of them. It is only able to mask the experience for a while. However, you must eventually deal with not one problem, but two; the source of negative emotions and the consequences of overeating.
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6. Respect your body
Some aspects of appearance are dependent on us – this is a fact. But even with all the desire, you can hardly, for example, reduce the leg by four sizes. The same goes for clothing. Striving to fit into an XS while your genetically predetermined size M is unnatural.
Respect yourself, your DNA, and your beauty, no matter what the scales show. When you understand that the body is your pride and property, you will genuinely wish to improve it without breaking it over your knee. And this is what will become the impetus for recovery.
7. Find beauty in your meals
Japan is one of the world’s slimmest countries in the world; only 4% of them are overweight. This is large because the Land of the Rising Sun inhabitants historically adheres to intuitive nutrition rules. It is usual to approach food philosophically; the local culture considers that eating should be pleasurable.
Try Japanese-style food in a pleasant, comfortable environment, taking your time, enjoying the taste and appearance of every bite. You will most likely notice that you require less food to be satisfied than you did previously. And this is a serious step towards weight loss—moreover, a step taken with pleasure.
Adapted and translated by The Cop Cart Staff
Sources: Life hacker
