A Realistic Take On Intuitive Eating
Attuned eating. Let’s talk about it. The words “intuitive eating” get thrown around a lot and I am not sure that everyone really knows what this means or how to implement it into their lives, especially if they are accustomed to food noise or the food police.
The reason I like to use the phrase “attuned eating” instead of “intuitive eating” is down to the very definition of the words and the nature of recovery. To be attuned means to “be able to understand or recognize something” while to be intuitive means “having the ability to know or understand things without proof or evidence.” When we are babies and young children, we can be intuitive. We know when we are hungry and when we aren’t. However, as we get older, there are so many things that take away from that intuition (dieting, being told you shouldn’t eat between meals, chaotic school/work schedules, exercise changes, erratic sleep, and intense emotions that can override your hunger cues. All of these things can lend themselves to you struggling with what to do or how to make a decision that involves food.
When you are in eating disorder recovery, having the ability to know that you’re hungry and to nourish your body regardless of whether you are feeling hungry or not is a really big ask. Especially since you’ve trained your brain to ignore hunger cues and push through them. You’ve also relied on maladaptive coping skills to silence the thoughts and feel guilty for eating unless you are absolutely starving. Due to these reasons, when you choose to start working on your recovery, your physical hunger cues may not be where they need to be. Get help if this is you.
As registered dietitians, we are trained to help you find exactly what your body needs and teach you how to adjust on a daily (even hourly) basis. Understanding that your body likely needs way more than you think it does is a huge part of attunement. Rather than trying to stay under a certain number of calories or completely avoiding the dessert table, remember that your body has a minimum number of calories that it requires to function properly. Unfortunately, diet culture has taught our society to underestimate what we need so that the diet cycle can continue.
Control is one of the most common reasons why people struggle with disordered eating. If you are able to develop a flexible plan, you can find comfort in knowing that you are doing what your body needs, regardless of the circumstances. Recognizing that outside influences and schedule changes do not change your physiological requirements is VITAL!! We are all different human beings and have completely different bodies and energy demands. Find what works for you (by consulting a professional) and try not to get trapped in comparison.
Give yourself space to make mistakes and grow. Becoming attuned to your body’s needs is not an easy thing to do. If it was, everyone would be able to do it. It will take TIME! There will be some really great days and also some really hard days where meeting your needs will feel like torture. We recognize this battle and are here to support you every step of the way. Recovery is not linear for a reason. As you learn about yourself and work to allow self-compassion you will find that freedom begins to show its face and you begin to live the life you were born to live.
Written by Trinny Duncan, Student Intern and Peggy Pratt, PhD, RDN, LDN, CEDS-C
Cambridge Dictionary. (2024, December 11). attuned. @CambridgeWords. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/attuned
Intuitive Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary. (n.d.). Www.britannica.com. https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/intuitive