This is a guest post written by Skwigg. This girl is a walking dictionary of food and nutrition facts, has read and tried MULTIPLE fitness plans, and every time I check, she’s read another “hot of the press” diet book. And, she tells it like it is.
Well, it took like 25 years of trial and error, but I am a happy eater. I follow no rules. I count no calories. I’m completely over nutrient ratios, meal timing and measuring cups. Plus, as an added bonus, I’m not fat. Any time I’ve flirted with this “intuitive eating” stuff before, I’ve quickly become too fat for my little pants. This time I’m gradually losing. I’m 5′8″ and weigh 135-137 most days. I don’t know my percentage of body fat. It’s possible that I’m losing muscle and brains. I’m not concerned enough to get out the calipers. My Tanita scale tells me that I’m between 14% and 24% body fat. Helpful, eh? It’s like asking a Magic 8 Ball. The readout may as well say “Concentrate and ask again.” Or “Signs point to yes.” All I know is that my yoga pants are loose! Woohoo!
So, why did intuitive eating work this time when it’s destroyed my abs so many times before? I’ve been trying to figure that out. I know that in the past I’ve used intuitive eating as an excuse to binge. I’d turn to it after a bout of really restrictive dieting, or when I couldn’t face my nutrition software, or when I wasn’t accountable to a trainer. My “intuition” would tell me to eat boxes of glazed donuts and sheets of cookies. I’d gain weight, scoff at the total lameness of this “embrace your inner cow” intuitive hoody-hoo, and go right back to obsessive dieting, tracking and measuring. I wrote down every single thing I ate or drank for TWO YEARS. That was not fun, and actually not helpful.
I’m more relaxed now. I don’t make food decisions from a place of frustration and panic. My intuition really likes strawberries. I eat chocolate every day. I like bagels. I like to eat out. I’m not limiting myself to dieter food but I’m very aware of portions. I eat one Cadbury Egg, not six. I eat mini-bagels, not those bakery bagels the size of my head. I understand that a typical restaurant serving is enough to feed four people.
Last time I tried intuitive eating, portion control was my downfall. I believed those books that said to eat as many cookies as I wanted and that eventually I wouldn’t want as many. Right!! Weeks later, I still wanted every cookie that had ever been baked. I was reeling out of control on a blood sugar rollercoaster. The more junk I ate, the more junk I wanted. I was never able to pull it together enough to even maintain my weight, much less lose.
Some things that really helped me this time:
- I weigh myself every day. If you’re not going to count calories or measure your food, you’d better be keeping an eye on something. It could be weight, waist measurement, a caliper pinch, a pair of jeans, but you need some kind of objective feedback. If you choose not to track your food and not to look at any of your measurements, then you’d better go buy some fat pants.
- I eat what I want but I always control portions. Generally, the more I want something, the more I need to watch out. I can play fast and loose with spinach but I’d better take my ice cream in a single-serving container.
- I share. I never used to share before. Sharing is the greatest thing ever! You get to eat whatever you want and make everyone around you fat. Try it! Order the double-fudge super cookie dough caramel delight. Eat three bites and watch your dining companions devour the rest of it like hungry hyenas. Share your French fries. Split the sandwich. Order three tacos and only eat one of them. It’s exhilarating! Plus, I always have great leftovers.
- I strike a nice balance of healthy food and treats. You can’t eat an all-treat diet and look or feel very good. I eat loads of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. I love whole grains. I eat nuts and seeds like I’m a squirrel. I’m a sucker for a big salad. I enjoy lean protein as long as it’s not forced upon me every 2-3 hours. I eat a lot of healthy whole foods but I like to add a Pop Tart or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup for good measure.
- I don’t eat six times per day, or three times per day, or three meals and two snacks. I don’t follow anybody else’s rules because how does the book or the calculator know what I’m doing or when I’m going to be hungry? It doesn’t. So, I eat when I feel like it. On an active, hungry day I might eat 5-6 times. On a lazy day with restaurant food, I might eat 2-3 times. I’m no longer dumb enough try to force three more meals after lunch at The Cheesecake Factory.
- I grasp the importance of good nutrition. I’m not knocking diet plans or nutrition programs, especially if you’re trying to achieve a sports performance or body comp goal. A little bit of structure can be good. I base my eating on the healthy principles I’ve learned but I don’t allow myself to become a slave to the details. And don’t believe that I can eat as many cookies as I want and still lose weight. Big derrrr there!
- I flow. That’s significant because I used to battle. I battled my weight. I struggled with willpower. I waged a war against fat. I fought with the numbers. I kicked myself when I slipped. My mindset was one big bloody massacre. My fitness goals were always at odds with what I really wanted, which was to relax and eat Cheetos. Now, if I want to relax and eat Cheetos, I do so immediately. No struggle. No stress. No guilt. I know that for my next meal I’ll choose something a little more ab-friendly.
14 responses so far ↓
1 Jenn // Jun 12, 2009 at 5:47 pm
I hope that one day I will be able to throw all the “rules” away and have control over my eating. It will happen I know it will.
2 christy // Jun 12, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I think it’s just awesome that you’re able to do this. I hope to one day too…for now I’m struggling. But I’m active almost every day – and that is totally helping!
christy´s last blog ..The Best Meal EVER
3 Irene // Jun 12, 2009 at 6:10 pm
That’s fantastic! I hope one day to be able to do that without gaining 5 pounds in a week.
Irene´s last blog ..Comment on I Am Human
4 ttfn300 // Jun 14, 2009 at 6:58 am
great post, something I’m trying to get back to myself!
ttfn300´s last blog ..Mexican Slaw
5 LianaS // Jun 15, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Love it! How long did it take you to get to that point?
6 JoLaine // Jul 3, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Hi Skwigg – It sounds like you’ve been on the diet roller coaster for years and congratulations on beginning to see things differently! You’re on a tremendous journey to becoming an Intuitive Eater and I wish you all luck. I would encourage you to keep reading IEbooks. It’s not something that happens overnight. I still see lots of diet mentality in your post – something that will trip you up in the long run. My website at genuineyoucoaching.com has a partial reading list on the “free resources” link, also some great articles. You’re on your way!
7 Christie @ Quit Your Diet // Jul 5, 2009 at 10:58 am
I congratulate you on your success with your weight but I agree with JoLaine. There is a lot of the diet mentality in your post. I myself have also used IE as an excuse to binge and in fact, my first go round it made my binge eating disorder peak to it’s highest point. But now, two years later, I have done the mental and emotional work of IE and I am getting to a peaceful place with food.
I have also learned the difference between taste hunger (cravings) and what my body is actually asking for. A blood sugar roller coaster is a clear indicator to me that I am not giving my body what it is asking for, I am giving into emotional food cravings. It is an important step to eat whatever you want because legalizing all foods is an essential step in IE but only when you are hungry and you have stop when you are comfortably full. Our hunger and fullness signals are automatic portion control.
It is possible to break free from the rules and deprivation of dieting; we just have to really trust our bodies and give it what it needs.
Christie @ Quit Your Diet´s last blog ..Pizza Fusion, Richmond, VA
8 Waller // Jul 31, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with overcoming your inner-dieter. This is very inspiring information that is giving me hope today! I am in the middle of a few months of binging in learning how to feed myself and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down since I keep going back to brown rice. I am going to loosen up a bit, use some of your experience and trust that I will be ok to live in the gray. And to live free from mealtimes + rules sounds exhilarating! Thanks for sharing…
9 Intuitive Eating #10 - Page 9 - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community General Diet Plans and Questions // Aug 7, 2009 at 5:01 pm
[...] Intuitive Eating 2.0. Well, it took like 25 years of trial and error, but I am a happy eater. I follow no rules. I [...]
10 Marna Goldstein Thall // Oct 30, 2009 at 2:29 am
I love seeing other women free themselves from the bondage of diets. It’s so wonderful isn’t it? Welcome to the club! Congrats!
11 Regan Wilson // Jan 12, 2010 at 1:29 am
If someone is looking to Intuitive Eating as a way to lose weight, they’ll quickly find it doesn’t quite work that way. If you embrace Intuitive Eating as an eating lifestyle, you will probably lose weight. It sounds like you’ve figured that out, but many people still see IE as another “diet.” For people with constant diet attempts, until they reject the diet mentality, nothing will work.
As a registered dietitian and personal trainer, I find that some people lose weight by counting calories and increasing their activity. Many people need to relearn their natural way of eating (watch a 2 year old, she eats what she wants and stops when she’s full!) and find that Intuitive Eating is their salvation.
12 Joy // Jan 30, 2010 at 4:21 am
I tried Intuitive Eating and lost 15 pounds since November 2009. I have just started adding more healthy foods to my diet. I love the way I feel. After I started IE, I decided to pay attention to how I was feeling rather than loosing weight. I feel more balanced now after eating everything under the sun since November. I feel more happier since I no longer count calories and think about everything I put into my mouth. Do what ever makes you happy
13 Stephanie // May 1, 2010 at 2:23 am
I LOVE this post! I recently (2 weeks ago) decided to stop WW and switch to intuitive eating. I have been really struggling in some ways with the switch. I appreciate the insight!
Stephanie´s last blog ..How I Got Here- Part 1
14 J@WholeBodyLove // Jun 12, 2010 at 3:32 pm
First of all, I love Swigg’s blog! Anyway, I just started reading intuitive eating and working with a health coach. I have struggled with diet for ten years. During highschool I went from 140 lb to 108 lb and then up to 180 lb junior year. That is just one example of my many fluctuations. After my daughter, I lost all the weight and then 20 lb more. I am now about 10-15 lb over my happy weight (115-117). I am so sick of restricting and dieting and carb cycling and refeeding …ugh. I picked up Intuitive Eating and I exhaled. The funny thing is : when I ask myself what I really want to eat, most of the time I have no idea! I have been eating what I know I should or what I “couldn’t have” for so long ! I’m so glad to not have go through a workout knowing I can’t have carbs for the next 2 days or go to bed knowing breakfast will be the same thing again.
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