Cos Lettuce Wraps recipe here.
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After transitioning to a (mostly) Low Carb lifestyle, the second biggest change I’ve made in recent years has been to become an ‘Intuitive Eater’.
Low Carb is helpful because it guides what to eat. It gets you off the high carb ‘roller coaster’ and focuses on foods that are naturally satisfying.
But that’s only one piece of the puzzle.
It’s still possible to be completely Low Carb and not achieve your health goals because you’re eating too much.
So how do we find the balance of how much to eat?
I’ve tried so many approaches. The only thing that’s worked for the long term is Intuitive Eating.
I can’t wait to share this ‘secret weapon’ with you!
So lets dive in…
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN TODAY:
- What intuitive eating is.
- How intuitive eating can help you.
- How to harness the power of intuitive eating to reach your health goals.
- My big intuitive eating ‘breakthrough’
What is Intuitive Eating?
It’s the process of connecting with your internal hunger and satiety cues to help you decide how much to eat.
We’re all born with a well-tuned ability to regulate our appetites. I’ve become super aware of this by observing Fergal (my 4-year-old) and Finbar (my 18-month old). They know exactly when they’ve had enough. And apart from when Finbar throws his plate on the floor, it’s beautiful to watch them.
So why do adults struggle with their appetites?
A number of reasons. Dieting and using external cues to decide how much to eat is the biggest culprit. But being on the high carb blood sugar roller coaster doesn’t help. And then there’s the murky waters of emotional eating and food addiction.
But the good news is even if your hunger-fullness meter is completely broken, you can repair it!
How intuitive eating can help you.
Intuitive eating is the easiest way to reach your health goals because it uses your inner hunger and satiety cues to determine how much food you eat.
It allows you to develop a healthy relationship with food.
It allows you to enjoy what you eat, gives your body the fuel it needs and it takes away all the struggle and deprivation.
This is huge!
How to Harness the Power of Intuitive Eating to Reach Your Health Goals.
1. Decide to stop dieting.
Stop counting calories or carbs or using any other external measures to tell you how much to eat.
2. Before you start eating, observe how hungry you are.
If you like you can rate it on a scale from 1-10.
3. When you’re eating keep gently observing how you feel.
The key is not to obsess but to just be aware. Hunger and fullness are complicated. It’s not just whether your stomach feels stretched. It’s in your brain as well.
4. Be patient.
Keep practicing and refining. Like any skill it takes time to master. It feel awkward at first but the more you do it the easier it will be and the less focus it will take. So just keep at it.
My Biggest Breakthrough
I remember the first time I used Intuitive Eating and stopped eating when I felt satisfied. I had decided in advance I was going to ‘waste’ and throw food out as an experiment.
I realized I often over ate because I didn’t want to waste food. That I had a ‘hang up’ about not finishing my plate (thanks to my childhood).
It was a huge light bulb moment for me.
I felt wonderful. My body knew how much to eat. And I didn’t have any of the bloating / grossness I often used to feel after meals.
Of course there are still times when I over eat, but I don’t beat myself up. It’s no big deal, just an opportunity to learn.
SUMMARY
Here’s what we’ve covered:
- Intuitive Eating is the process of connecting with your internal hunger and satiety cues to help you decide how much to eat.
- It’s the easiest way to reach your health goals for life without all the struggle and deprivation of dieting.
- Intuitive Eating is a skill that takes practice to master.
- It’s OK to waste food. Better to throw out than over eating.
ACTIVITY
Experiment with Intuitive Eating.
Have a least one meal each day where you follow the steps above and focus on eating until your body tells you you’ve had enough. Try at least one wasteful meal where you decide to throw food out in advance (or give it to your chickens!).
See you tomorrow for our ‘day of rest’!
Cheers,
Jules x
ps. If you have any questions or comments from today’s lesson definitely head over to the Ask Jules page or leave a comment below.
pps. If you’d like to go deeper with Intuitive Eating, head over to the website. They also have a book and exercises to follow. If you’ve been dieting for a long time or have any struggles with emotional eating or food addiction this approach will make a difference.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Low Carb Love 28-Day Program is where I share my personal journey of managing my blood sugar eating (mostly) Low Carb. I am not a doctor and this information is not intended as specific advice. Please discuss with your doctor or dietician before changing your food intake. Especially if you’re on medication or have any special medical concerns.
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