5 Mistakes I Made When I Started Intuitive Eating
Before I was an intuitive eating Registered Dietitian, I was deep in diet culture. I had spent years trying to “eat perfectly” and follow the strict eating routines I had set for myself. Which meant that the transition to a life without rules or diets to follow was a bit… rocky at times.
I made mistakes, I got confused, but I tried my best. And I’m so grateful I did because it brought me to where I am today.
My goal is always to empower women like you to experience intuitive eating and food freedom for themselves, and while it’s sometimes impossible to avoid the roadblocks that pop up, I’m always willing to let you learn from my mistakes in the hopes that you can experience the food peace you deserve.
What is Intuitive Eating
Before we dive in, let’s quickly chat about what intuitive eating is:
Intuitive eating is a philosophy that encourages individuals to listen to their body's signals when it comes to food choices, rather than following external rules or restrictions. It's about reconnecting with your body's natural cues for hunger, fullness, and satisfaction, and fostering a healthy relationship with food, free from guilt or shame.
Contrary to popular misconceptions, intuitive eating is not about "losing control" or eating whatever you want, whenever you want. Instead, it's about honoring your body's needs while also being mindful of how different foods make you feel physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Top Mistakes I Made When I Started Intuitive Eating
1 . Not letting go of My Fitness Pal (AKA tracking my food)
I was still weighing food, measuring food, and limiting the amount of food I was eating. This kept me really focused on food and didn’t allow me to truly listen to my body.
2. Only eating the serving size on the label
Hear me out- you actually don’t have to follow the nutrition label (shocking, I know)! It doesn’t know what your body needs, so how can it tell you how much to eat? I had to learn this one the hard way way but trust me, it’s best to just ignore the label and trust your body instead!
3. Comparing what I was eating to other people
I was looking to their plates for validation and to tell me “how” or “what” I should eat. This kept me from tuning in to my body and letting intuition be my guide. PS: comparing plates to others can also be done online! (looking at you, “what I eat in a day” videos!)
Continued In My Podcast:
Want to know #3 and #4? Check out this podcast episode where I go into this topic more (jump to 4:15 to start with mistake #4!). This podcast episode is quick, to the point, and even better: you can listen from anywhere!
Tune in to learn the BIGGEST mistakes I made on my own journey & the approach I take to help women ditch their food rules and end the diet-binge cycle so they can eat without the guilt, stress or fear of losing control.
