“I don’t want to be counting calories when I’m 80.”
I just can’t see myself doing that! Can you?
Whether you’re counting calories, macros, grams or whatever unit of food you’re tracking, can you really see yourself sticking to it for decades on end?
Are you stuck in the depths of calorie counting, fad diets, and the constant stress of “I’m hungry, but I’ve gone over my calorie limit for the day, but I’m still hungry… Now I’ve gone over my limit so I’ll have to restrict tomorrow. I’ll be better tomorrow” mindset? Then you know how vicious of a cycle it can be.
If you can see yourself counting calories until the bitter end, then this post honestly isn’t for you.
If you’re feeling stuck and want freedom to eat what you want, when you want, and not feel like a busted can of Pillsbury biscuits in the process, then read on my friend!
Here are the best tips from someone who isn’t perfect, but has completely embraced intuitive eating!
Pay attention to how your food tastes
This was SUCH a game changer. To slow down and actually taste the food seems like a no brainer.
“Of course I’m tasting my food!”
But are you really? Slow down and really savor every bite, spice, texture, flavor, everything about what you’re eating. You’ll start to notice that it may not taste as delicious as it was on the first bite. That’s a subtle but distinct way we can determine our tummies are getting full!
Learn how your stomach feels while eating
The best way I have found to do this is to check in every quarter of the meal. Ask yourself teh following questions:
How am I feeling? Is this still tasting amazing? If I stop now will I still be hungry? Will I be satisfied if I stopped at this point?
Remember practice makes perfect! And you won’t be perfect in the beginning.
Every meal is a new chance to try eating intuitively!
Remind yourself you can always have more later
For a large number of us here in North America, we are extremely privileged when it comes to food. It’s truly a blessing and a curse.
The beauty (and tragedy for some) is that we can have access to anything we want, just about whenever we want it. When you have the urge to eat an entire cake, a whole sleeve of Oreos, or clear out whatever delicious treat is lurking in your pantry, remember you can ALWAYS have more. You can always go out and buy more ice cream, or go back to your favorite restaurant and have that pizza again.
It’s not foolproof in every situation, but it is an AMAZING reminder that yourself that you don’t have to eat the entirety of whatever it is you’re craving all at once.
Eat enough throughout the day
Do you skip breakfast, skimp on lunch, and then wonder why you’re ravenous and have “no self control” by the end of the day? It’s definitely not your willpower that’s to blame! Our bodies need fuel to keep us alert and functioning throughout the day. If you feed your body nourishing meals (with all three macronutrients Miss Ma’am!!) consistently throughout the day, your cravings (or lack of) may surprise you for the better! Not to say you won’t crave chocolate cake ever again, but you may find that you will be satisfied with one piece or two, versus the entire cake!
There you have it! 4 tips that can help you lean into your intuitive eating journey even more! Coming from someone who has totally been there with the calorie counting, food obsessions, and feeling like there was absolutely NO WAY I would ever be able to stop, I can tell you there is hope from the constant mind war going on in your head. You can eat delicious food and not feel guilty, I promise you!
Which tip helped you the most? Leave a comment or DM me on Instagram here to let me know! → https://www.instagram.com/find.yourroots/