This is a post that I’ve been meaning to write for a while now, but I’ve been putting it off because I’ve had a hell of a time trying to put my thoughts on the subject into words. Heck, I’m not even sure if my thoughts will come out coherently at this point, but it’s time to stop thinking and just go with it. What exactly is this pesky mind-boggling subject?
Have you guys noticed it? The sudden influx of the term ‘intuitive eating’ being tossed around the blog world lately? I feel like I can’t go a day without reading a handful of blogs talking about it – in a way, it almost seems like the newest cool thing to do, the newest trend. Suddenly everything is all “intuitive this and intuitive that“… and while it’s certainly not the worst trend to get caught up in, I still find it somewhat problematic for a couple of reasons.
First, it continues to encourage an extreme focus on food. Sneakily, mind you, but the obsessive mindset is still there.
Instead of asking “Am I eating the right thing,” people are now asking “Am I eating in the right way” – the focus on eating, eating, eating (!!!) is still there. Analyzing cravings, analyzing hunger, analyzing portions… it’s still analyzing. It’s still putting way too much focus on food when eating should be something that comes naturally and doesn’t require all that much thought. Heck, the very definition of the word “intuitive” includes the phrase “without conscious reasoning,” so you can’t exactly think about something and do it intuitively at the same time, can you?
Now, I know that the beginning stages of intuitive eating require a lot more conscious awareness and analysis – I’ve been there too. Making the transition from rigid meal planning to a more natural and relaxed approach to eating is a difficult journey and it’s perfectly okay to talk/think about all of the struggles/victories you experience along the way… My only hope is that people aren’t trading one obsessive mindset for another, and that they realize that there has to come a point where you need to let go of the whole idea of intuitive eating and just.eat without making a big deal about it.
That expression actually used to drive me crazy when I was in recovery from my eating disorder. People would see me struggling and tell me to “just eat” and I’d be all: “but… but… how!?!? And what?!? It’s not that simple!!” But in all honesty, it really is that simple. Eating is not hard and does not require constant analysis and calculation. Look at kids, the most intuitive eaters out there. If you were to ask them if how they’re eating is intuitive, they’d probably look at you like you’re crazy and say they’re “just eating” – no fuss, no muss, no second guessing. Want cookie, eat cookie, enjoy cookie, [sometimes grab another cookie], move on. Simple as that. They don’t worry about whether that cookie will make them fat, fit in with their macros, make them go over their allotted daily calorie allowance, or any other nonsense. They just eat.
As delicious as it is, food shouldn’t be at the center of our world. We shouldn’t be planning out a day of eats and analyzing where we can fit things in. We shouldn’t be patting ourselves on the back for a meal/food that was properly/bravely eaten. We shouldn’t care so much. Yes, it’s important to fill the tank with healthy fuel, but it’s just as, if not even more, important not to use so much energy stressing over it. Why? Because it’s kind of a waste of time and life…
Want to know my #1 tip for how to eat intuitively? Stop thinking about eating intuitively and just eat – stop worrying about whether or not you’re doing it “right.” Accept the fact that how you eat will never be, and isn’t even meant to be, perfect, and come to peace with that – trust your body to make up for your mistakes. Like I said before, there are days where I undereat, and days where I overeat. There are days where I eat a lot of sugar and carbs, and days where I eat a lot of proteins and fats. There are days where I get my veggies in, and days where I don’t. It all balances out, and lo-and-behold, I’m still alive.
Live. Laugh. Love. Play… Undereat. Overeat. Eat your veggies. Don’t. Take food off the pedestal and stop worrying about it so much. Really. I’ve found that the people who struggle with their eating habits and weight the most are the people who are constantly worrying about those things. A focus on intuitive eating is definitely a step in the right direction, but it’s not the be all, end all – it’s still another clearly labelled way of eating, with guidelines and rules of its own to follow. Those may be necessary during the learning process, but there comes a point where even those need to be tossed aside and intuitive eating replaced with just eating.
. – . – . – .
No questions today – I’d just love to hear your thoughts.
It’s weird, because I think the concept of intuitive eating is wonderful, and exactly as you described it–just eat. My nutritionist and I are working towards getting me to that place, where I can be INTUITIVE and listen to my body. I don’t think it’s a bad thing in any sense, and I’ll be honest–it’s my goal.
HOWEVER, I think (once again) the blog world has sort of twisted that concept to be more complicated than it should be. They’ve dissected it for all it’s worth and made it become something that needs thought and effort when truly, intuitive eating is just the opposite.
So I don’t have a problem with intuitive eating, in fact I LOVE the concept. But I DO have a problem with the blog-worlds twisted view and take on it.
My thoughts exactly 🙂
i have been seeing alot of posts around about it too and some made just no sense. I am by no means an “intuitive” eater, I still have my days where I am thinking oh you didn’t have enough veggies today go get a carrots, but they are getting further and farther in between. I too now try not to stress as much about it all, days I barely eat anything but waffles and other days i only eat fruit all day. Whatever I am wanting I have it. I think that’s what normal eating is and I am still striving to do that 24/7 like you, one day!
I’m having trouble with this. I admire how you climbed out of depths in sensible eating. “normal” eating (though I still think you eat too little 🙂
But with me about 2 years ago I went a different route and started the binging at night…this has brought me to a point where I’ve lost everything in life (jobs, money, comfortable home, ability to exercise, and complete digestive and bowel success). ….I’m in my 30’s now Amanda, and I have feel old and I hold a lot of regret and guilt and I’m not sure how to get past the regret and guilt. Because even I make baby steps today to try to binge *less*….than I still have to face that I’ve lost the last 5 years of my life….(well more cause this has been a decade…but at age 27 when it started up again, instead of doing what I *knew* I had to do..instead of that I ended up binging, comparing, and obsessively stalking the internet). I’m ashamed and I’m filled to the brim with regret to the point where the sadness can be extremely overwhelming. The guilt, shame and regret …those are things I’m ffiniding hard to let go.
Thing is that now if I try to do the “right” thing…well, I’m not 27 anymore…now I’m well over 31 and its been 5 years of binging, wrecked digestion (like wrecked to the point where I am really not sure how to “start” over with food because I’ve almost lost the luxury to just eat what I want), my age is older and my metabolism is older and not the same (will take less for me to gain, particularly after binging habits), my hormones are 5 years further shot (ammenorheic for years and years), my intestines and stomach have lost all healthy bacteria and I’ve just…
I’ve made a mess of things 🙂
Im not sure why I let myself do this. Why I thought it was okay. I know I compared myself to my sister…..and she had started binging (difference though was that she could exercise to mentally deal with it….me? nope…plus I’m’ constipated so I’ve been even more depressed)….Irony of all this? the last year she’s gone overseas and changed her life…while I’ve continued to binge and age and live in crummy places.
I’m sad and I’m lost and I don’t know how to approach food anymore. I literally need to “reset” my body. I fear food (metabolism and hormones older…WISH I’d done this 4 years ago when I was young and lithe…those years make a difference…I scientifically know that)….I’m not sure how to rid myself of the shame, regret and guilt OR how to pack as much life into the next few years to “make up” for the time lost…I’ve lost…everything….
Want a roomie? Guess not me after all I said….but I want to change my life and I’m very quiet and clean 🙂 And I’d not bother you 🙂
If you know of any Canadians wanting a roomie let me know. OR if you know of any jobs or ways to go overseas for a job (all accomodations paid…I have no start-up funds …let me know).
I feel……
limp Amanda.
Just limp with the wonder of it all.
DITTO! I think this intuitive eating trend is such an oxymoron because by focusing on intuitive eating, you’re not being intuitive at all because you are still putting so. much. thought into what you eat. Also I don’t necessarily agree with the notion that you HAVE to stop eating the moment you feel slightly full. If I did that, I would probably be hungry in an hour or two. Instead I tend to eat past that point when I feel that initial satiety, which keeps me full for more like 3 hours. And I think that’s perfectly normal. It doesn’t mean I’m ignoring my satiety cues and being “un-intuitive”.
Hmmm I’m not sure that I agree. Some people might become obsessive with intuitive eating but eating intuitively basically means eating when hungry and stopping when full, eating what you crave, whether it be a chocolate bar or a chicken salad. Intuitive eating means not letting food rule over you anymore so if people become obsessive, it means they’re doing it wrong.
I read the book on Intuitive Eating that everyone has raved about (myself included) and it really helped me be ok with portion sizes, eating when I feel as though I shouldn’t be hungry, and it even helped me to be ok with overeating!
Intuitive eating is a trend, but it is something that humans should do naturally. In fact, YOU do it! You just don’t go on and on about it 😛
xxx
Oh girl, don’t get me wrong – I think the concept of intuitive eating is great; I’ve just noticed way too many people making it more complicated than it should be.
Yea girl! agree with this! I think sometimes reading about it distorts the image of “intuitive eating” to be this new diet (which I myself question sometimes) but then I realize it’s all about being more true to yourself and what you like/don’t like, need/don’t need. It is simple, and people are blogging about it because it’s very relevant to their lives, but I don’t think that makes it disordered!
I am in recovery from anorexia and after seven years,I really really NEED to leave my Eating Disorder behind. I’ve been hospitalized,I’ve been in therapy NUMEROUS times – nothing helped. And recently,things got really bad again and I was just like “Why try? I’ll never make it. Never. There’s no reason to fight anymore.”
Really? – NO!
It’s a fact my life has been ALL about food for such a long time I cannot imagine it any different anymore. I’m using food as a copic mechanism to handle my feelings,stress,just everything in the most “easy” way… Except I’m destroying myself along the way.
All I want is my obsessive calorie and macro-counting; restricting,bingeing and purging to STOP. And therefore,I bought that above-mentioned book because it was like my very last hope.
I must say,personally,I find it pretty helpful as it has helped me realizing just how disordered my thoughts and behaviours really are. I used to think many things I was telling myself; many fears and rituals were not THAT abnormal… Wrong,obviously.
The book has opened my eyes and for the first time in my life,I am beginning to understand that it’s OKAY to eat sugar and saturated fat. It is OKAY to to net eat veggies with every meal. It is OKAY to not eat anything “green” each and every day. It is okay to simply LET GO.
Of course,I absolutely understand what you’re trying to say,especially since I am a true perfectionist and tending to try and bring everything I do to perfection. Also,I am well aware of that after so many years of deprivation and distortion,I cannot simply go ahead and trust my hunger signals all the time as I’d possibly end up restricting UNCONSCIOUSLY out of habit.
However,at least I’ve realized I don’t need to feel bad about eating ice cream sometimes because it won’t make me fat. Just like you said,it all balances out in the end.
And in the end,I have to initialize that eatining intuitively means NO COMPARISON – so whatever people/ bloggers trying to eat intuitively do or say,it mustn’t affect ME because I am different. Unique. Individual. I have my personal needs,and that’s what I have to listen to.
Sorry for the novel.
It’s definitely okay to let go 🙂 I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the concept of intuitive eating at all, it just worries me to see people get so hung up on adhering to it perfectly.
Oooh Amanda. Just go be a professional writer already!!
I have no further advice or help on how to make that happen, sorry. Lol :p.
Its just I , like EVERYBODY else, think you’d be seriously amazing at this job. Words…you’ve got a way with them! It has to be said.
Ill buy your book :).
Xxx
Awwr Sarah… Thanks for totally making my morning 🙂
<3
I think intuitive eating in the blog world has been taken to mean not counting calories or macros, but focusing a lot on just eating ‘whole foods’ and listening to cravings that usually tend to be very healthy and balanced. But real intuitive eating doesn’t work like that! I feel like intuitive eating wouldn’t mean Instagramming every morsel that enters your mouth, or agonizing over whether to eat a mango or a banana or somehow eating perfectly balanced everyday. Intuitive eating is more like how we ate as kids, not worrying about calories or balance but just eating what we liked. I don’t think it has to mean eating just junk, but not freaking out if we don’t get in our 5 servings of veggies every day. Real life just doesn’t always allow for that, and if we allow it to happen, everything will work itself out. And I think we can absolutely enjoy our food, but we shouldn’t obsess over it!
Great post! I agree, that while someone who’s deep in their ED might not be able to wrap their head around “just eat,” I think that when you’re a bit further along in the recovery process, you really should be more open-minded and embrace that phrase — to take it literally! There were times in my recovery where I thought, “Well, I’m doing ok because I’m eating this and that food that I never would’ve eaten before, and I’m eating way more than before, but…. I’m still hungry. Maybe I should wait it out? Maybe I should fill up on diet soda? Or should I just eat something?!” Ahhh! It was this crazy talk in my head over and over…. until finally I got sick of it and gradually started giving into my cravings more and more and blocking out any thoughts around food. I’d eat with literally NOTHING going through my head, clean up, and move on until the next meal. It got easier and easier, and I really don’t think much at all about what I eat or how much.
I have been seeing the whole “intuitive eating” terminology thrown around quite a bit over the past couple of weeks. I guess I must have interpreted it differently though. I was thinking more along the lines of simply not planning around food, not thinking about food at all and then when your body gives you the hunger cues, to have something to eat. In essence, I thought it was removing any of the obsessive, compulsive behavior around food. As someone who has recovered mostly from anorexia (OK, who am I kidding, I am not fully recovered and I still obsess from time to time)… I have been trying it for a few months or so though – after reading Women, Food and God and I’ve found a level of peace with it all. I truly just go about my day, occupied with work and whatever else and only think about eating when I am truly feeling hunger pangs. My thing is to not eat on any particular schedule but try to eat when my body indicates that it needs food. So far it seems to be working. Nonetheless I can completely understand where you’re coming from in this post and in some ways it’s just a new/different label that can be attributed to another form of “obsessing” – sometimes I wish I could revert back to my childhood self that never thought about these things and truly just ate for nourishment and energy so that I could go out and play with my friends. 😉
Yes yes yes yes yes….
I can definitely appreciate that ‘intuitive eating’ encourages people to listen to their bodies and whatnot but it’s still becoming just as much of an obsession as anything else. Why do we constantly have to be focusing on food? Why does it matter?
I don’t know about everyone else, but I don’t want to look back on my life when I’m 80 years old and see years of thinking about food. That’s ridiculous and it won’t matter in the slightest. I’m not going to remember if I overate one day or got WAY too busy and wound up skipping 2 meals another. That’s just how life works and everything balances out in the end. Eat to live, don’t live to eat- that’s really what it comes down to, in my opinion. (:
Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full..BAM!! It’s like I just figured out rocket science. Love it, point blank you put it perfectly.
I am so glad that you expressed your opinion on intuitive eating, because I completely agree: We shouldn’t care so much. Food shouldn’t be the center of our attention, although focusing on intuitive eating can do just that. Food is food and shouldn’t be an idol. Often when reading about idols in Christian devotionals I know that I feel convicted of making food/health an idol. I can admit it, but it isn’t as easy to change as snapping ones fingers.
Thanks again for sharing this post, it really got me thinking!
I love this post! I too have seen the abundance of intuitive eating and it ends up not seeming so intuitive to me after reading how the person analyzed if they were truly hungry, what their body really wanted, etc. I mean just eat right??!! If you’re hungry eat, if not don’t, if you want seconds fine, if you don’t finish your plate that’s ok too. I try to keep it simple and….. Just eat. Thanks as always for your wonderful posts! Always a joy to read.
Great post. I am so annoyed with this “honouring my cravings,” and “oh I’m so brave I ate (egg yolks! Fruit! Coconut oil! ) Etc etc.” So many of these bloggers really just need to get help for their eating disorders, rather than trying a new way of eating. And when you see what they are eating day after day, it’s still all the same safe foods… Sweet potatoes, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, sushi, eggs, vegetables and salads x 300, coconut oil, nut butter, avocado, tea, chicken and fish. Where is the fun? It’s still all rigid and disordered, even though there is no measuring and counting. Myself, as a former anorexic still trying to recover, knows what it feels like to be obsessed and “IE” is not the way to go. For me, it’s about trying to include things in my diet that I couldn’t/wouldn’t eat for years. This was how I loosened up and starting experiencing the joys of eating again…. Eating a real cookie (nope not a protein, non sugar one), a piece or two of pizza, really good cheese with baguette, a glass of wine with family and friends, French fries, a burger (even veggie ) on a bun… You get the point. 😉 IE just doesn’t have it’s place for people who are still struggling with disordered eating.
As always you’re bringing up some great points to consider. Eating should definitely be an unconscious part of our lives and not play too huge of a role.
Some anorexic and bulimic people trying to “eat healthier” rush directly into the next obsession, namely orthorexia. If it’s the same with Intuitive Eating – as in it becoming the next “dieting trend” to follow I’d be skeptical, too. There definitely is the potential and it might be a slippery slope.
For me, though, “just eating” is easier said than done. I’ve never even eaten intuitively during my childhood [explaining it would take up too much space here] so it’s actually my first time really trying. The book has helped me understand a lot about the underlying issues of EDs, too, which made a lot of sense and took away some of my fears in recovery. Ultimately, my goal is to truly eat unconsciously, but for now, having these guidelines is quite helpful. So in the end, to me it’s a book that wants you to free yourself from it in the end.
Seeing it as a means to an end rather than an end in itself is a good way to approach it. I’m glad to hear that it’s been working for you, Miss 🙂
I didn’t know this was an actual movement (I’m not up on the blog world) I agree intuitive should just mean a natural part of living- not a thought process that can make you feel bad for failing to eat totally in tune. Sometimes we eat a bit much and then the reaction will be naturally to eat less afterwards, or under-eat and have a bottomless hunger day afterward. Life and living also have situations that can’t be accounted for and normal eating should just be flexible eating that encourages joy with food and celebration- and sometimes cake for the sake of cake and in turn life for the sake of living . Xo Sophia
Well, I think I’m too late to the party to add much to what has already been said! I do think that Francoise above put things particularly well though.
I guess I can only emphasise that I couldn’t agree more, and offer a round of applause!
Just one thing for someone who mentioned binge/overeaters benefitting from IE – just as undereaters can use it to legitimise starvation, overeaters can assuage the guilt of bingeing by calling their choices ‘intuitive’. Having read ‘the book’ weeks after it was released (so well before it was a blogging trend), in my opinion, IE (even in its ‘pure’ form) has no value whatsoever and is a cynically marketed concept built around just eating and getting the f**k on with it.
I’m so glad I found this post; it’s wonderful and I think something some people might need to be aware of. I wholeheartedly agree with you. I’m attempting to be a lot less restrictive with my eating, but, as you pointed out, I don’t want to replace one obsession with another. It’s so hard to find that happy medium once you’ve gone over either way!
I think the problem is that a lot of bloggers have turned it into an over-analyzing kind of thing. Intuitive eating is exactly what you described – you eat what you want when you’re hungry. Simple. I think a lot of people have just been so wrapped up in constantly analyzing food that they’ve turned IE into something more than it really is so they have something to focus on. It’s also a very new concept to a lot of them who’ve spent years following specific eating plans or cutting out certain types of food, so it takes a while to really get to the point where you don’t think about it.
I wrte a post about IE. a few weeks back and I couldn’t agree more with what you’ve said here! It simply is another way to be hyper focused a f obsessed with food and what’s going into your body. Not something I want to be consumed with by any means. Thank you for shedding more light on this subject!
I definitely hear where you’re coming from with trading one obsession for another. However, as someone who has been recently experimenting with intuitive eating, I find that IE is a personal journey on teaching my mind and soul to JUST EAT, which is a goal I’m ultimately striving towards. I picture it as the stepping stone between obsessing over everything last bite and knowing your body and being in tune with that. At least, that’s how I’ve been viewing it. 🙂
I see it as a stepping stone too. I know it’s a difficult and time-consuming process to transition from rigid planning to a more carefree approach, but I do hope that people aren’t getting too hung up on trying to be PERFECTLY intuitive and just obsessing over constantly thinking about whether or not they’re doing it right.
You are so right!!! Easier said than done. In part, I enjoy thinking about, planning, cooking and obsessing over food. I am still, however, trying to find a healthy balance between that and not stressing out over it. I will get there eventually!
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. SO well said. All of the other commenters have said what I felt. You have the best blog, and have the most refreshingly honest perspective. Keep doing what you do- it is so important.
Well said! I posted a link today from Meg and her goal is to eat WITHOUT putting too much thought into it, but just eating what she wants based on what she feels like. I honestly know that I put way too much thought into what I eat…. and I would really like to get to the point where I can just go with the flow and eat what I want because that’s what I have a craving for. Have a great weekend!
I love how you brought how kids eat into the picture because that’s how we should be! We should eat when we need to, what we want to eat, and move on after we eat (maybe grab that extra cookie on the way out). We make eating so much harder and complex that it should be. Great post!
OMG. Thank you. That definitely needed to be said, and you summed it up perfectly.
Amanda – GREAT post. I had to comment on it. Intuitive eating from what I read on the blogs seems way more complicated than the meal plan I have been on. Always eating the same foods (this is where I’m at) at least allows me to not even think about food, because that aspect is predictable. Intuitive eating is just normal eating, when you don’t use food in some way or another. If you used to suffer from an eating disorder, really you need to obtain psychological help, which will hopefully allow you one day to eat normally and not even think about it. Intuitive eating cannot be practiced by someone who still has ED tendencies. That is not possible. Intuitive eating on the HLB has become some sort of parody of normal eating. 🙁
Ironically, intuitive eating, i.e. eating without conscious analysis, really should be a matter of ‘just eating’. I really think a lot of people in the Western world have benefited so greatly from the staggering rise in standards of living (greater expendable incomes, sedentary brain-heavy (vs. brawn-heavy) jobs, being less aware of our own mortality through lowered death rates) that we’ve severed the connection we had to the real meaning of food= energy to drive us through our days and keep us alive. Several generations ago and further back we wouldn’t have had time to muse on such minutiae and our thoughts would be directed at obtaining enough food for our families and not losing weight. Also, we still don’t really know exactly what constitutes a healthy diet- recently there have been some papers published about whether statins can lower cholesterol too low such that it impairs cognition and possibly increases the risk of fatty liver and MS. So microscopic analysis seems futile to me in a way. But I am babbling… I’m glad you brought this up Amanda, the way in which some bloggers have misconstrued the concept of ‘intuitive eating’ has been making me frustrated recently!
Loved what you said about an increased standard of living playing a huge role in how our approach to food has changed, Laura. And it’s so true that we’re constantly finding conflicting “evidence” about what the proper way of eating is. That’s why I think we honestly shouldn’t be spending so much time thinking about it – we really have no idea what’s good/bad in the end.
Wow I didn’t even realize there was a book or movement about this.. sounds quite ironic for sure. It seems like a shame almost, because truly intuitive eating, like “Just Eating” is replaced by this masked calculated eating and now those people struggling won’t be working towards true health.
Even as someone who never had an ED or major weight struggles, but some fluctuation (as I believe all women have), and an interest in health, reading some peoples blogs can mess with your head a little.. some thinking is very twisted, and confused, and I think it is things like this that contribute to confused ideas of what healthy and normal are.
Great post!
I’m not sure how I feel about the IE concept – I *like* the idea of it, but the problem is, it’s not black & white. For some individuals who may be struggling with undereating, IE can be a dangerous stepping stone towards further self destruction. But, for someone who overeats, or eats mindlessly, it could be be the simple/useful tool they can apply to help bring awareness to their eating habits.
I also wonder if this IE ‘trend’ is going to make people with ‘normal’ eating patterns start questioning themselves. And again, there in lies the ethics around blogger responsibility. At the end of the day, I agree that it shouldn’t be so complicated, but I’ve never struggled with an ED so maybe that’s why I can’t wrap my mind around it completely.
“Want cookie, eat cookie, enjoy cookie, [sometimes grab another cookie], move on.” I know this isn’t easy for everyone – but this is my belief summed up. Life is too short to obsess over food.
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” — Michael Pollan –> Love this!
Well this is just one of the best posts i’ve been reading for a time.
I always appreciated you blog since it’s honest about the whole healthy eating story. We kinda think the same way. Eating disorder left behind, all i can do is to shake my head in disbelief when i read about the oh so healthy behaviors of some people out there.
Why can’t they enjoy a baked good without needing a “clean, healthy recipe version”? Bake a NORMAL PIE, eat a real cupcake and eat pasta if you want pasta and not spaghetti squash.
I did all those things too so i can understand the safety of this ‘state’.
But all you do is thinking about food. Food food food. And that is why i can’t read so many blogs anymore because they freak me out about food! I want to read about it too, yes, but not all the time. I’m not interested in grocery shopping and the photo of the single peanutbuttercup they ate (and honestly, they can’t tell me that they just ate ONE)
If you want to recover from a eating disorder, Food need to play a minor role in your life.
Eating a bit more of sweets during the day and not being able to remember the next day – that means you didn’t think much about it, and just enjoyed it. You enjoyed it like the craving for salad the next day.
You blog helped me a lot with recovering my thoughts about food and exercise. Being normal makes you special in the healthy-blogger-world i guess.
Plz Keep writing!
Hi Amanda! I’ve been reading your blog for a while now, but have never commented before (too shy I guess haha). However, I feel the need to tell you how appreciative I am of your blog- it’s honestly my number one favourite in the “blog world”. I love how real and honest you are. As someone who has suffered with disordered eating, you remind me that food does not have to be complicated or calculated meticulously, but it is something that is meant to be enjoyed. Thank you so much for helping me realize that there is more to life than food. I think you are awesome, and are a wonderful inspiration to many. 🙂
Awwr well thank you for saying hi and for your kind words, Allie 🙂
I’ve been hearing so much about this in the past month. I want to buy the book but like you said, would I be over thinking it? I also connect with people telling me “just eat normally.” when I had an eating disorder. It really isn’t that easy when you’re trapped in the ed world. I was bulimic so even during recovery and now sometimes I have a hard time stopping and realizing I’m full. I have this “need” or maybe “want” to just eat and eat. I’ve gotten a better handle on things now and really looked into WHY I was binging, WHAT I was feeling, getting CONTROL of my emotions. I do still focus on what I’m putting into my body and have some guilt if it’s not the best but I’ve come VERY far and will continue on.
seriously, amazing post. I could not agree more with you any of the ladies above. just eat when you want, when you want, what you want, at that moment. live in the moment. we only get one life, lets not obsess over small things and just enjoy that we even have the option to eat when we want to, because a lot of people don’t. 🙂
I am so glad I read your blog today. I have become overwhelmed with all the talk of “Intuitive” eating. I started to question if I was eating too much and maybe I shouldn’t be cleaning my plate even though I wanted the food on it!!! I am also recovering from an eating disorder and sometimes I feel like reading blogs every day are hurting rather than helping me. Everyone claims to be eating the way they do for health reasons, but I am not so sure sometimes. I just ordered the book “Intuitive Eating” and after reading your post today, regret it. It is going to be one more thing to set me back. I already have a hard time eating what I want when I want it because of fear, now this book may influence me in a negative way. I appreciate your honesty and great words of wisdom. As for the book……
Thanks!
I bought the book really early in my recovery too, but never actually ended up reading it. I got a few pages in and realized it wasn’t something I could do because it was just another thing for me to obsess over. The concept of intuitive eating isn’t something I would recommend for anyone in the early stages of recovery because hunger cues are way off when someone has suffered from an ED for any period of time and you basically have to go against everything that your “ED intuition” tells you.
YESYESYESYESYES and, oh yeah, YES.
You nailed it.
I do feel like the IE swing is the latest trend… you know like hemp seeds are the new chia seeds were the new flax seeds….Maybe IE is the new Paleo which was the new Vegan.
Most of the bloggers are writing about it straight after (suddenly!) realizing and admitting they had “issues” in the food obsession spectrum– but this new approach may be a step in a good direction but it is NOT helping them much.
It worries me most when it comes to those fellow E-D strugglers, particularly the in-denials, the EDNOS’s and those beginning the preliminary stages of overcoming anorexia (whereupon you think you deserve a gold medal for eating an apple (and yes I have been there and in many ways probably still am)).
I wrote recently that promoting Intuitive Eating to an individual struggling with eating dis-order is like un-plugging the drain in the bathtub and telling the water it can do whatever it wants.
Because I am pretty sure intuitive eating involves ice cream at some point … not an extra handful of nuts at snack-time or eggs in the morning instead of oatmeal.
Reading too many HLBs can make one so insular in regard to …dare I say the REAL WORLD where there is poverty and people eating bologna, where it’s normal to order Domino’s or Pizza Hut, where some people actually don’t work out and are healthy, where 34 year olds like myself need to focus on retirement and nest eggs and mortgages instead of $10 jars of peanut butter or a $9 3oz bag of kale chips…. or whether or not they should go gluten free just because (<—ain't nobody got time for that).
It perpetuates the fixation because it seems like everyone else is doing it. In reality? NONE of my "real life" friends have no clue what a HLB is… and I'd never be able to explain or want to.
That being said, I love the blog community and I know none of these women are trying to purposely do anything wrong to harm themselves or others… it's just unfortunate. Since we read them, it is nice to be able to express opinion and so thank you for doing so and allowing others to comment as well.
OMG — Sorry TL:DNR!
I love this! I’ve been considering this topic lately too….but you pointed out some things I hadn’t even thought of. I think it’s very interesting to think that the whole act of intuitive eating being an undercover way to keep obsessing and over analyzing food. The purpose of this perspective was created with good intentions, but in the wrong hands, and without the right coaching, it can just be another cover for disordered eating. Really interesting perspective.
Have you even heard of Ellyn Satter? She’s a dietitian who wrote a few books…and here is a quote from her answering the question “What is normal eating?”
“Normal eating is going to the table hungry and eating until you are satisfied. It is being able to choose food you like and eat it and truly get enough of it -not just stop eating because you think you should. Normal eating is being able to give some thought to your food selection so you get nutritious food, but not being so wary and restrictive that you miss out on enjoyable food. Normal eating is giving yourself permission to eat sometimes because you are happy, sad or bored, or just because it feels good. Normal eating is mostly three meals a day, or four or five, or it can be choosing to munch along the way. It is leaving some cookies on the plate because you know you can have some again tomorrow, or it is eating more now because they taste so wonderful. Normal eating is overeating at times, feeling stuffed and uncomfortable. And it can be undereating at times and wishing you had more. Normal eating is trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating. Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life.
In short, normal eating is flexible. It varies in response to your hunger, your schedule, your proximity to food and your feelings.”
Don’t you just love that?!?!
I’ve seen that definition of normal eating before and I definitely love it 🙂
I find myself getting angry at other people when they talk about some new diet/way of eating they’re trying- I want to scream- no! just keep eating like you are and don’t try and change it! They have no idea how lucky they are not to have to overanalyze every little thing – if you don’t have to put yourself through anything like an eating disorder, then don’t! I miss the days when food wasn’t so important and such a huge part of my day. I agree, it’s getting easier and easier to stop the obsessive thoughts like- I have this huge dessert I have to eat the entire thing because it’s here in front of me right now and I’ll never have the chance again?! …that’s silly, but I think it’s common for a lot of people. I love the idea of just eating 🙂