Intuitive Eating and Weight Loss: Does it Work?
If you are obese or overweight, you are likely at war with your body. The constant struggle to lose weight while ensuring a proper diet sometimes takes a huge toll on a positive mindset. Particularly, when you have tried everything and managed to lose only a few pounds. You wonder looking at yourself in front of the mirror that this is not what you signed up for. The thing about weight loss is that it is really easy to gain weight, but losing weight is the real deal. You might talk to a doctor online, get some weight loss tips, and still struggle to lose weight. Because anyone going through the weight loss journey would understand the struggle and dedication required to lose weight instantly.
However, what if I told you that you could lose weight while eating everything intuitively. And there’s nothing like bad food for your body. Also, you never have to feel guilty about eating ice cream or a slice of apple pie during thanksgiving. It requires you to eat everything without feeling guilty about it in the first place. But the biggest question is whether eating intuitively can help you lose weight or not? Well, most nutritionists believe that radical eating is a healthy practice. Earlier it was considered a fad, but over the years people have started acknowledging its benefits.
Times that have sadly set beauty standards force young girls to look a certain way. Thanks to the social media trending reels. Everyone wants to look a certain way in search of acceptance. Little do they know that feeling good in your own skin is the new cool. Unfortunately, only 20% of women feel satisfied with their body weight. Despite clean diets, the rates of obesity are still shooting up, and exercising without changing your previous unhealthy diet will take you nowhere. This is where comes the role of intuitive eating.
Also Read: GAINING TOO MUCH WEIGHT LATELY? HERE ARE A FEW OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS
What Is Intuitive Eating and How Does it Work?
Intuitive eating means a healthy weight and it tries to separate healthy weight from the total weight. Intuitive eating encourages eating green vegetables and at least five fruits while also maintaining an exercise regime. Intuitive eating is not like dieting. When an individual is on a diet they restrict themselves from eating almost everything that can help them gain weight easily. Whereas, intuitive eating means trusting your body and recognizing the signals that help you understand the difference between hunger and a full stomach. For the same, you have to love your body and get in touch with internal signals. Simply put, you have to recognize the clues that tell you how much to eat and when to eat.
Right now everything might sound questionable – eating sugar and carbs and indulging in a scoop of ice cream? You see, there are evidence and studies on the subject of intuitive eating. And the good news is, often people report they have benefitted from intuitive eating. It’s an approach that helps them keep their nutritional value high. It also makes healthy eating satisfactory without making you feel bad about your body.
Not only this but people who eat intuitively lead a happy life with excellent life coping skills. Luckily, these days more and more people associate intuitive eating with optimism, increased motivation, and great psychological strength. A recent review from a study exclaimed that intuitive eating is more about healthy weight than overall weight. It concentrates on the health and well-being of an individual without causing self-doubt. After all, eating healthy is all about the well-being of your mind and body.
What’s More
If you seek intuitive eating, you have to first understand one thing. You have to be patient and give time to your body to adjust to the changes. For instance, babies eat when they are hungry and stop only when they are full. However, as they grow up the same view changes. Of course, for valid reasons, but intuitive eating works oppositely. It won’t ask you to stick with a strict diet or force you to leave dairy. The diet will simply focus on reconnecting your body with what is consciously healthy. And here’s how you can eat intuitively.
Also Read: OBESITY, DIABETES & HEART DISEASE – WHAT’S THE LINK?
Be Generous to Your Body
When you embark on the weight loss journey, you have to be hard on yourself. This means leaving everything that once watered your mouth. If you are one of those individuals who have long considered taking care of extra weight, it can be extremely challenging for you to treat yourself. Interestingly, physical well being should be your priority, but you cannot ignore your mental health. It’s like saying I am better off with weight measures while drowning in insecurities. The reason why you need to ask yourself one question. Are you happy with all the weight loss when your mind is crowded with insecurities? I believe the answer is no and it’s not normal to doubt your body again and again.
You can try something new. For example, start loving your body and be kind to it. Do not fret about societal expectations. Always remember that some or the other person will always be disappointed in you. You can’t please everyone all the time. Instead, you can start loving your body like you love your parents. This will help you make the right choices. The best example of this would be: saying to yourself that I do yoga because it helps me stay positive rather than taking it as a practice to immediately get back in shape. By starting with kindness and generosity, you will reach a point where you are both mentally and physically strong.
Listen to Your Body
The next step is to notice the feeling of hunger and fullness efficiently. Simply put, hunger and feeling of fullness are two different things. Interestingly, they both are a major part of intuitive eating. Most of us are good at suppressing clues our body gives us from time to time. For example, you will work through dinner or avoid dinner to lose weight. Or else, you will binge-watch shows on Netflix despite your body repeatedly signaling you to get some rest. We are all guilty of doing something that did not agree with our bodies. If you stop and think about it, you might come across a few more examples.
To solve this problem, you have to notice every little thing your body indicates. Most vitally, you have to credit yourself for responding to the signals on time. For instance, taking a blanket when your feet feel cold and removing distractions (turning off the TV, laptop, or phone) while eating healthy food. This way you will easily connect with your body while freeing up your mental space. Listening to your body also means that you have to take a radical approach. In other words, you have to ask yourself, are you eating broccoli to check green vegetables off the list or would you find broccoli tolerable with a little salt and butter? If you chose the latter means that you already know what your body signals.
Also Read: SIMPLE LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO MANAGE WEIGHT EFFECTIVELY
Be Unapologetically Happy While Eating
If you have serious weight problems, talk to a doctor online or visit a weight loss clinic. Doctors can help you deal with obesity problems effectively. But for those with no underlying conditions, seeking natural ways to lose weight, intuitive eating can come quite handy. All you have to do is enjoy eating food. After all, eating food does not mean filling your belly. In fact, at the end of every meal, you should say that you are satisfied. So, permit yourself to enjoy food without feeling guilty. After a brief period of intuitive eating, you will notice that you no longer have cravings for certain food items because you treat yourself with such food every once in a while. The bottom line is that you have to be happy with whatever you put into your stomach.