Are you wondering how to Embrace Cravings & Have a Joyful, Balanced Relationship with Food? If yes, Intuitive eating can help you do that! No restriction required.
Intuitive Eating: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Embrace It
In recent years, intuitive eating has gained significant popularity, but with it comes a range of interpretations and misconceptions. Intuitive eating is not just eat whatever you want whenever you want.
At its core, intuitive eating is about fostering a healthier relationship with food by listening to your body’s natural hunger and satiety signals. While listening to cravings is part of intuitive eating, it’s equally about respecting how you want to feel in your body and honoring your overall health.
First, let’s dig into what intuitive eating is and how it can help you.
What is Intuitive Eating?
Intuitive eating, introduced by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in their book, “Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works,“ aims to help you break free from the cycle of chronic dieting and promote a positive, guilt-free relationship with food and body image. To dive deeper into intuitive eating, check out my detailed blog post here.
If you find yourself having cravings and constantly stuck in a cycle of guilt and shame when you finally “give in”, this blog post is for you. Here, I am going to teach you how to embrace your cravings instead of fighting them!
How to Embrace Your Cravings
One of the fundamental principles of intuitive eating is that no food is off-limits. Take a deep breath because I know this is against everything every diet has taught you. However, it’s an imperative step in the process of letting yourself enjoy food without feeling out of control.
This inclusive approach eliminates the “good” versus “bad” food mentality, allowing you to enjoy various foods without guilt. This may seem challenging initially, especially if you’re used to restrictive diets. However, shifting your mindset around food can be more effective than any diet you’ve tried.
Instead of viewing cravings as a lapse in willpower, consider them as signals from your body, possibly indicating specific nutritional needs or a desire for pleasure and satisfaction. By giving yourself unconditional permission to eat what you genuinely want, you can prevent the binge-restrict cycle (pictured below) often seen with traditional dieting. Mindfully addressing your cravings allows you to enjoy your favorite foods in a balanced way and savor each bite.
You do want to make sure you’re well nourished when bringing in fun foods, and if you’re unsure about how to do that, working with a dietitian can make this process feel smooth versus feeling like a crazy free for all.
Honoring How You Want to Feel while You Embrace Cravings
Ok, so you’ve allowed yourself to have some foods that were previous off limits, amazing! It may feel really good, or you may notice you don’t feel well. You didn’t fail at intuitive eating if you noticed you don’t feel well or ate more than you intended.
Intuitive eating extends beyond satisfying cravings; it involves tuning into how different foods make you feel, both physically and emotionally. This means not just focusing on immediate gratification but also considering the long-term impact on your body and health.
For example, while a slice of rich chocolate cake may bring temporary joy, it’s important to consider how it affects your energy levels and mood afterward. Evaluating how something may make you feel helps you decide if having that specific food will help you in this current moment.
Maybe having a small piece of cake after dinner feels fine, but having a big piece of cake while you’re at work doesn’t. The food itself is NOT “bad” but how you decide to eat it can feel more or less supportive.
Striking a Balance
The beauty of intuitive eating lies in finding a harmonious balance between indulging in what you desire and choosing foods that support your well-being. This balance is personal and can evolve with your body’s changing needs and life circumstances.
To achieve this balance, consider these practical steps:
- Mindful Eating: Focus on your eating experience and savor each bite. This practice helps you enjoy your food more and recognize when you are comfortably full.
- Body Awareness: Regularly check in with how your body feels after eating certain foods. Notice patterns in your energy, digestion, and mood.
- Nutritional Knowledge: While intuitive eating isn’t about strict rules, having a basic understanding of nutrition can guide your choices and align them with your health goals.
- Self-Compassion: Remember, intuitive eating is a journey, not a destination. Embrace progress rather than perfection and be kind to yourself along the way.
Embracing the Journey
Intuitive eating is more than a dietary approach; it’s a way to cultivate a deeper connection with your body, honoring both immediate cravings and long-term health.
If you’re considering intuitive eating, approach the journey with openness, curiosity, and compassion. These are the themes that come up again and again with my clients in session. Truly, changing how you approach food both physically and mentally can completely change your life! Don’t believe me? Read about my client M.
Embracing Cravings: Client M’s Story
The beginning
When M first came to me, she had spent 35 years believing she was the problem. She had tried every diet you can imagine – Whole30, keto, calorie counting, clean eating, cutting sugar, cutting carbs. Each time she would eliminate something, she could follow the rules for a few weeks but eventually the cravings would build. She’d find herself in the kitchen at night head first in a pint of ice cream, feeling out of control and guilty.
Then it was time to “start over” on Monday. She truly believed her cravings were proof she lacked willpower. I assured her that willpower was not the problem.
What working together looked like
We worked together over six months, slowly unwinding decades of dieting and rebuilding trust with her body. Instead of fighting cravings, we explored them with curiosity. She started eating consistently so she wasn’t going into meals starving. Snacks that satisfied her became a part of her day, whereas before she was terrified of anything in between meals.
We did a lot of work on body image to help her find more acceptance around her body and explored what exercise could look like in a way that left her feeling empowered instead of punishing.
She did so much work on both the physical AND mental aspects of food, because both are required to really heal your relationship with food.
Where she is now
Now, she moves through her day in a completely different way. Consistent meals happen without negotiating with herself, and she keeps foods like cookies and bread in her house without obsessing over them. If she wants dessert, she has it, enjoys it, and moves on. There is no “last supper” energy or urgency .
M now easily checks in with how she wants to feel. She knows skipping meals leaves her ravenous and more likely to overeat later, so she nourishes herself earlier in the day. She notices satisfaction and is able to stop when she’s comfortably full most of the time, not because she’s forcing control, but because her body cues feel clearer.
Social events no longer spiral into overeating followed by guilt. A stressful day doesn’t automatically end in a binge. Cravings feel normal and manageable instead of like emergencies.
Most importantly, her inner dialogue has shifted. Food is no longer a daily battle. She trusts herself and her body. She still messages me sometimes and says she cannot believe this is the same person who once felt so out of control around food. I could, because these are the results my clients see day after day. I have worked with over 100 women and am confident I can help you feel peaceful around food.
Client M:
Take your first step towards a better relationship with food
Ready to be like client M and finally feel in control around food? Book a completely free 1:1 call with me here.
Not looking to get started with me yet? Check out my Free Intuitive Eating Guide & these resources below:
Where to find it: https://amzn.to/4qCUwKY
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