Photo by Taylor Kiser on Unsplash
First off, you may be wondering just what Intentional Eating actually means…
“Intentional eating is about eating mindfully and choosing to consume foods that make us feel good and reflect our values.”
It’s taken me a long time to get here. To a place where I just EAT to feel good!
I have enjoyed my journey over the past 20+ years of trying different “diets” to see how they would make me feel and what results they would get me. But what I determined is that they are not a “forever diet” or a lifestyle diet. I could do them for months or even years, but then there would come a time where I wanted that ONE THING that was not allowed in that diet. And then I had to go through the mental torture of, “will this mess up all my progress and all of my hard work??!!”
Seriously? It’s not any way to live. At least not for me. Because I love food!
Now, if you think that this means I am saying that it’s okay to eat everything and anything you want, that is not what I am getting at.
I still follow a modified paleo-style diet. But I do not regularly consume wheat or gluten. It is NOT my friend! My body does not do well with it, so I stay away from it as much as possible. (See, listening to my body and its signals! 😉) But, yes, I did have some bread this past weekend on vacation. And I enjoyed it, because made me happy. 😊 I stay away from dairy as much as possible and no processed foods for me! I have only eaten fast food maybe 4 times in the last 3 YEARS!
I have finally stopped to actually LISTEN to what my body is saying, how it is feeling, or how it reacts when it comes to my nutrition.
Here are some of the things I have been paying more attention to when eating my meals…
When I eat certain foods, do I feel lethargic? Energized?
If I finish a meal, am I satiated? or still hungry? Do I need more protein? More fats?
If I am tired throughout the day, am I not eating enough protein? Enough calories?
What veggies make my digestion “regular”? Do I feel bloated after eating them or satisfied?
If I have an alcoholic beverage too late in the day, do I sleep well or toss and turn all night? How do I feel the next morning?
When I go out with friends am I afraid I won’t find something that is allowed on my “diet”? NOT ANYMORE!
These are the kinds of things that I am really paying attention to now. And I have found that this can change from day to day.
Seriously, as much as I love food, if I am going to consume it, I want to feel happy, energized and satisfied when I eat, so I need to LISTEN! 👂
I notice when I am more stressed or tired, my digestion is not as good, so foods that normally are fine for me, don’t make me feel well at that time. But I NOTICE this and take it into account when eating my next meal.
Not only has my Intentional Eating made me more aware of which foods my body needs at certain times, but it has also gotten me away from the having to eat a certain number of times per day OR eating at certain times of the day.
Are you a person that sees the clock says its 12pm and you eat, just because its lunchtime? Well, I was that person for YEARS! And now I eat WHEN my body needs food–by listening to what it is saying.
How often do you eat because its available or offered to you? I used to do it all the time and all it did was make me overconsume calories for the day. Because most often I was not even hungry. By actually listening to your body, it will help to keep you from overconsuming too many calories on any given day.
Our bodies are so smart! They can tell us so many things when we just stop and listen.
“I believe that instinctively, we all know that what we put into our body is important and directly affects our health. What we eat can energize us and promote healing, or it can deplete us and promote disease.”
If what you are doing is not working or you feel as if you are sacrificing so much of yourself just to “STICK TO THAT DIET”, stop and look at what’s REALLY important. Listen to your body and what it is trying to tell you. You know how to eat healthily, now you just need to find out how that looks and feels for YOUR body.
Everyone is different. What foods bring me happiness or joy, may or may not be the same foods as you. Just keep in mind, #allinmoderation when it comes to any foods. Let your body be your guide.
And more about #allinmoderation to come soon… 😉
