Helpful Reminders Before Starting Your Intuitive Eating Journey
Congratulations on making this decision, you will not regret it! Here are some helpful reminders I wish I knew before I started…
● There is no such thing as failure in IE, but there WILL be times when you think you have “failed/fallen off the wagon/snuck back into old habits” because; a) we’ve been conditioned to believe this for so long and b) our minds love familiarity
● Traditional diets and regimes have very stringent rules and many of us have been shamed for merely straying from the path a few times. This can lead to spiralling out of control because of the emphasis on what is “right” or “wrong” and us being labelled as “successes” or “failures”.
● The 10 principles are guidelines, not rules. You may find some resonate with you more and others less - that’s totally fine. Hold space for yourself, practice self-compassion… you’ve had a tough time so the last thing you need is to beat yourself up even more. The main thing to remember is that you are now aware of all this and when you feel like you want to pay more (or less) attention to the guidelines, you can do so as long as it is right for YOU
● My anchor in this whole process was my ability to feel/perceive/reflect on/work with the physical sensations that came from within my body - trust me, I was no expert at the beginning. This is called ‘Interoceptive Awareness’ and If I could give you only one piece of advice, it would be to focus on, learn about, listen to, feel into and learn to trust this sensation because it will get you to where you want to be
● Your whole reality is based on TWO things; 1) your thoughts, 2) the pictures in your head - these make up the blueprint for your mind to follow. Ever had food poisoning and from then on even just the thought or smell of it makes you feel sick? Your clever mind created and linked very clear thoughts and pictures to that one food to instruct you to steer clear, because it’s number one job is to keep you SAFE. So change the thoughts and pictures in your head, get excited about your new life coming your way
● Make a list of what your body has done for you. No matter what you’ve both been through, it’s still here and practicing gratitude for your body can only ever produce positive outcomes. What have you been able to see because of it? What songs have you danced to? What illness has it got you through? What health DO you have? Try to start thinking of it as your sister, a loved one or your friend, because you really are partners in all of this and you need each other to live your fullest lives.
● If you feel triggered a good old fashioned deep breath can work wonders, trust me. I know it may seem a bit generic to recommend breathing, but this has often times helped me re-calibrate and put things into objective perspective instead of being consumed by my emotions.
● Start to notice how you and people around you label food. In Intuitive Eating there are no “good” and “bad” foods - only food. Some are nutritionally dense and some are nutritionally sparse but it’s still all food and you. are. allowed to eat it.
● Notice trends or patterns in your eating habits with inquisitiveness, this is you getting to know yourself again. Notice what makes you tick, what food do you LOVE and what foods really don’t do it for you?
● Make a list of 5 positive traits you appreciate and love about yourself that DON’T involve your appearance.
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