We are all born as intuitive eaters.
As infants, when we were hungry, we would scream, cry and demand to be fed. As we became satisfied, we would lose interest in food – turning our head away and becoming fidgety to get out of our chair. However, life, media messages, emotions, and several other factors influence our eating habits. As a result, we listen less to our body’s natural cues and more to outside messages. This is where intuitive eating comes into the picture.
Intuitive eating is important for several reasons. It is about making peace with food, respecting your body, and valuing your health. Also, diets don’t work. Research shows that most diets actually result in weight regain.
At Anderson’s Nutrition, the staff believes in intuitive eating. It is being conscious about what you eat and why you are eating it. In a world full of busy-ness, we can be found eating on the go, while watching television, while working, and the list goes on-and-on. It is about focusing on internal cues of hunger, rather than external such as party platters and office meeting snacks.
Hunger Scale
One simple way to practice eating intuitively is to check in with yourself on the hunger-fullness scale.
| Hunger-Fullness Scale | |
| 1 | Famished |
| 2 | Really hungry, need food ASAP |
| 3 | Stomach pretty empty, should eat soon |
| 4 | Stomach a little empty, could eat |
| 5 | Neither hungry, nor full |
| 6 | Satisfied |
| 7 | A little full, feeling should subside in thirty minutes |
| 8 | Too full, changing into sweatpants |
| 9 | Overstuffed. Unbuttoning pants |
| 10 | Feeling sick |
- Important to remember:
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- Before you eat a meal or snack, ask yourself to rate yourself on a 1-10 hunger-fullness scale.
- Ideally, you would be a 3 or 4 prior to eating.
- Pace yourself through your meal and snack. Check-in with your hunger and fullness.
- Eat until you reach a 6.
- We want to avoid numbers 1,2,8,9,10. We would want to address our cues before we reach those numbers.
You may not have normal hunger and fullness cues, and that is okay. That comes with not listening to our body’s natural cues over time. It is possible to get those cues back. Anderson’s Nutrition works with a meal planning service to provide a comprehensive menu plan. Our dietitians can work with you in creating menus and meal plans to help you achieve your goals and jump start your path to intuitive eating.
Intuitive eating was introduced in detail by Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch, two certified eating disorder dietitians. To go in depth with the 10 principles of intuitive eating, we encourage you to consider reading their book, Intuitive Eating (A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach). Click for an Amazon copy.
If you are interested in learning more about intuitive eating or want to learn about other healthy eating strategies, please visit our scheduler to set up an appointment.
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