How to switch to intuitive eating? Principles and rules of intuitive eating

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Nutrition science is constantly evolving. New ideas and new approaches to the correct formation of the diet appear regularly. More recently, dreaming of a slender body, everyone diligently counted calories. Later, the emphasis began to be placed precisely on proper nutrition (PP), that is, a combination of nutrients, which include proteins, fats, carbohydrates. It is the ratio of these food components, calculated on the basis of weight and level of physical activity, that for many underlies the principles of proper nutrition. However, even adhering to the principles of PP, many still continue to suffer from the fact that there is no feeling of fullness after eating. The reasons for this condition is that you simply do not meet the needs of your body.

Currently, the priority is not so much harmony, external beauty, but the psychological state of a person. The body experiences stress with dietary restrictions, whichaffects our performance, mood and psycho-emotional state. Given this, the experts came to the conclusion that it is necessary to adhere to a special eating behavior based on the fact that you must listen to your body. That is, to achieve a comfortable physical and psychological state, you should adhere to an intuitive approach to nutrition.

This idea is not new. It was first announced in the 70s of the XX century. But it has gained popularity in Russia right now. Today you can find a huge number of books about intuitive eating. And although this term is very common today, not everyone understands the basics of this system.

In this article, we will share with you information on how to switch to intuitive eating and what principles you need to follow in order to feel as comfortable as possible.

What is this?

This system proposes to abandon the advice of so-called experts and start eating as your instincts suggest. No one knows the body better than the person himself. But it is important to consider that the previous years, spent in search of a diet, managed to dull the instincts. And you can no longer rely on them 100%.

Among other things, it should be noted that often modern people eat, not only when they feel hungry, they seize stress or even eat food just like that, out of boredom. This approach is the exact opposite of the intuitive one. The fundamental principle of intuitive eating ─ eat only when there ishunger.

Intuitive Eating is an innovation that allows you to lose weight without denying yourself, without harming your he alth. Every day she has more and more followers. Therefore, if you have problems associated with being overweight, you should try this technique.

Intuitive Idea Errors

Once the decision to switch to intuitive eating is made, there are usually two problems:

For a certain part of the people, the system is mistakenly associated with permissiveness. At the same time, they begin to absorb everything, ceasing to control themselves. They explain it simply: "So my body demanded."

Another part of people continue to apply the principles of proper nutrition and use calorie counting instead of relying entirely on their instincts

Both approaches are wrong. A natural question arises: how to learn intuitive eating? To do this, there are basic rules that you will need to follow.

How not to make a mistake?

So, when starting the process of eating, you should ask yourself two main questions:

1. Are you really hungry?
2. Do you really want the dish that is offered to you?

In the first case, you learn to control your own eating behavior and hunger. The second teaches not to succumb to advertising and other external factors that influence the choice. You also should not think about the dangers and benefits of food, about the calories it contains. Think only about the needs of your body.

Basics

Those who are wondering how to switch to intuitive eating, you need to pay attention to the main provisions of this system:

1. Say no to diets. Many simply do not imagine that you can lose weight without any restrictions, that is, diets. However, it is real. In no case should you force the body with restrictions. It is important to learn to listen to him and give the amount of food that is required, nothing more. The powerful belief that has settled in our head that weight loss is possible only in case of failure is fundamentally wrong. You should reconsider your views on the problem, start all over again. Only with this approach will it be possible to start intuitive eating. It should be noted that the creator of this nutrition system lost 20 kg using it.



2. Don't be afraid of hunger. This is the normal state of the body. Energy is consumed during the day, it should be replenished. In this way, the body signals that it is time to absorb calories. That is why, if there is a feeling of hunger, you need to eat, and not torture yourself.
3. Relinquish total control. The process is complicated by persistent stereotypes about diets. Especially women are accustomed to dividing products into useful and harmful. For example, an apple is good, chocolate is bad. It is important to know and not forget that each product saturates the bodycertain substances. If you want something especially strongly, then there is a lack of trace elements contained in the desired product. The main thing is to trust your body, listen carefully to it.
4. Don't go to war with food. Disruption from diets, as a rule, occurs due to prohibitions. When a person desires something forbidden, he begins to reproach himself for it, convincing himself that he wants to do something bad. And this is fundamentally wrong. You should go the opposite way: eat until you are full, but in no case overeat. Food is not the enemy. You should not torment the body with systematic malnutrition.
5. In order to stop at the right moment, you should understand that the body is saturated. If you train for a while and understand the mechanisms of hunger and satiety, you will definitely be able to determine the right moment intuitively.
6. Food should be enjoyable. In Asian culture, every meal is turned into a kind of ritual. It's not just about tea ceremonies. It is extremely important to eat slowly, enjoying the taste of the food consumed. You should also avoid hasty snacks on the go. Eating should be given special time, and you should not be distracted by watching TV, reading mail, viewing social media feeds and other factors.
7. You can't console yourself with food. Two categories should be distinguished here: biological and psychological levels. The main thing is to recognize if you are hungry or trying to eat boredom, stress or other emotional state in this way.
8. You need to learn to accept your body asgiven. This is an important point for those who want to lose weight. You should always remember about genetics. A person cannot grow dramatically to the desired state if it is not inherent in him at the genetic level. The same thing happens with weight. If there is a tendency to be overweight, then achieving perfect harmony becomes an incredibly difficult problem.
9. Adequate approach to physical training is extremely important. Without a normal level of physical activity, it is impossible to achieve a good result, no matter how high-quality and complete your diet is. It should support he alth, and also correspond to the lifestyle that a person leads. Training, in turn, should be adequate, taking into account the level of physical fitness. You have to learn to enjoy everything. And from physical activities, including.
10. Respect for yourself is the main advice. You need to love yourself, take care of your own body, and not chase imposed stereotypes. Only under such conditions, taking care of your body will be a joy.

Only by applying the principles of Intuitive Eating above can you learn how to use this system in your life and truly begin to enjoy every meal.

Efficiency of the methodology

More and more research is being done that confirms how effective intuitive eating is. The results of this technique are amazing. So, the approach helps to get rid of food addiction, teaches you to carefully listen to the signals that the body sends, which subsequently contributes toweight stabilization. With Intuitive Eating, you will no longer experience the problem of not feeling full after eating. The reason for this lies in the fact that the system takes into account the needs of your body, as a result of which the body receives all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs.

After achieving harmony with their body, adherents of the idea no longer pursue the stereotypes that society imposes on them, do not attach much importance to the standards of beauty, accepting themselves as they are. In turn, this has a positive effect on the psychological state, reduces dissatisfaction with oneself and, as a result, eliminates overeating.

How to lose weight with intuitive eating

The Intuitive Eating Method does not help everyone lose weight. This happens for the simple reason that not every person is able to correctly follow the basic principles. Also, it is not suitable for people who are predisposed to fullness. Good results are observed in those who achieve a balance between carbohydrates, proteins, fats and at the same time satisfy the needs of their body.

In order to achieve good results and lose weight, you may need several years, during which you will learn to fully understand what your body wants.

Intuitive Eating Benefits

The advantages of this way of eating are obvious:

• Attentive attitude towards yourself, your own needs, including food.
• No stress due to no restrictions, effective weight lossperhaps with a positive mood.
• Emotional stability that occurs as soon as a person begins to listen to their needs.

Disadvantages of intuitive eating

Cons include the following:

• Can be costly financially as you won't be able to save on food purchases.
• Inevitable is the process of getting used to eating when you feel like it, and not when you should, which can lead to some inconvenience.
• There is no guarantee of quick weight loss.

Popular myths

In order to understand exactly how to switch to intuitive eating, you should learn about some of the myths that surround this system:

1. You can absorb everything. This is not true. The essence of the system is to learn to recognize the real signals of the body, to distinguish them from momentary impulses and impulsive desires to eat something tasty. If you constantly want only the most harmful, then there is no talk of any conscious nutrition.
2. Intuitive Eating is a trendy diet that has replaced previous options. This is also not true. The goal of this system is not so much to lose weight, but to find harmony with oneself. And weight loss is more likely a consequence of nutrition, which will be balanced.
3. Exercise is optional. And this is not true. Everyone knows the phrase that movement is life. No matter how he althy your diet is, exercise should be an integral part of your life.
4. Although it can be argued that the intuitivefood is suitable for everyone, there are exceptions. For example, if a person has restrictions for medical reasons. Here you can not do without special control.

Intuitive Eating Literature

Those who are interested in the proposed methodology can recommend a number of books:

• S. Bronnikova, "Intuitive nutrition. How to stop worrying about food and lose weight." The book is very popular among those who want to come to harmony with food. The information contained in the book helps to deeply know and understand oneself. Bronnikova's book on intuitive eating also details all the principles of this system.
• I. Tribol, "Intuitive Eating. A Revolutionary New Approach to Nutrition." The author of the book collaborated with the founder of this technique. The book teaches you to live intelligently and look at life with inspiration.
• Dr. Mazourik, "Intuitive Eating. How to Lose Weight Guaranteed?". The average reader will get acquainted with the basic rules of the methodology and learn how to switch to intuitive eating. The author's own example of the book is described in accessible language.

Intuitive eating is not only a way of eating, but also a special way of thinking. It is necessary to prepare for it, respect and love yourself, value your feelings. Only the proper use of this concept will lead to the achievement of results.

However, if you decide to use intuitive eating, but after a while you feel weak, notice that your energy level has decreased,consult a specialist and take basic tests, you may have a deficiency of one or another important food component. This may be due to the fact that you did not fully understand how to switch to intuitive eating, and could not recognize some of the signals from your body.