Intuitive Eating Series: Principle 2

Week 2 of this "Intuitive Eating Journey" brings me to Principle 2: HONOR YOUR HUNGER.

Now that the diet mentality is at least partially out of your system, it's time to go back to your roots and realize what hunger means to you.

The whole concept of intuitive eating is to recognize when you are hungry and eat based off of the biological signals your body is giving you. However, there are many tactics and concepts that can interfere with recognizing those hunger signals. Diet culture often chooses when/what/how much you eat. You forget to focus on when you are really hungry, and focus your eating based off of the time of day, how many calories you have left for the day, etc. Tactics such as drinking water, fizzy beverages, chewing gum, sucking on mints, etc. can all be ways to attempt to "ignore" your hunger signals.

Along with diet culture, distracted eating can also make it difficult to listen to your body. If you eat in front of the TV, on your phone, etc., it can be harder to recognize when you are actually hungry vs. when you are actually full. But not to worry, no one is saying you CAN'T eat in front of the TV sometimes...because sometimes, that's just necessary.

When you've been succumb to dieting for some period of time, you lose touch with your body's biological signals. So you have to go back to basics and ask yourself: What does hungry FEEL like?

For some, it's a light rumble in their stomach. For others, it's headaches, irritable moods, slight dizziness, random pains, or a combination of a few of these symptoms.

The second principle of intuitive eating all comes down to this: when you are hungry, EAT!

There are many different LEVELS of this hunger, and often times dietitians refer to a "Hunger-Fullness" scale to help you determine what level you're at. It is important to recognize hunger before it becomes too overwhelming: when you are OVER-hungry, you are much more likely to make snap decisions, eat in excess, or eat whatever you can first get your hands on (even if it's not what you're in the mood for).

The Hunger Fullness scale ranges from 1-10, with 1 being starved and 10 being stuffed. It typically looks a little something like this:

I like the way that she words each category, as I feel it is easy to relate to each level.

The "goal" (though there is no real right or wrong) is to eat when your hunger levels feel at about a 3; you notice your biological signals, but aren't SO hungry as to not be able to think about what you want. When your body is at a 3, you can decide what TRULY sounds good to you in that moment, and then eat it!

Fullness is a later topic; for NOW, the goal is to just recognize your biological signals and honor them when it comes to hunger. Check in before you eat, while you're eating, and after you eat to see how you feel, both physically and emotionally.

If you've been dieting for quite some time, it can be difficult to really feel these hunger signals. You may ONLY be able to recognize hunger when you are overly hungry; if this is the case, OR if trusting your body is a bit nerve-racking to you, aim to eat every 4 hours. You can choose whether you want snacks in between or a larger meal, but every 4 hours tends to be a rough estimate of when people get hungry again after a satisfying meal. When you've been dieting for too long, your body loses trust in itself; it cannot recognize the difference between dieting and starving. Once your body realizes that it's being fed frequently, those hunger signals will become stronger and normalize once again.

Just remember, your body was given these hunger signals for a REASON. Diet culture tries to teach you to ignore these signals. It doesn't matter what time of day it is or what you are craving. If you are hungry, your body is telling you to eat. You should listen to it!

Another thing that is important to acknowledge is the hunger that goes beyond your biological senses. While biological hunger should be your "moral compass" while intuitive eating, there are other types of "hunger" that are extremely valid as well. Other primary forms of hunger include Taste and Mouth Hunger, Practical Hunger, and Emotional Hunger.

Taste and Mouth Hunger is based off of the craving for a specific flavor, texture, mouth-feel, or food item. This hunger may not have ANY form of physical signal; but you're just CRAVING that food for the sensations that it brings you. Think a special ice cream store you pass by while on vacation; you may not be hungry, but that TREAT is special and brings you sensual joy. That should be honored!

Practical Hunger is based off of a schedule. Sometimes, you only have a specific time frame for lunch between classes or work. Maybe you're going to a concert that evening and aren't quite hungry for dinner but know you will be OVER-hungry afterwards. In these cases, use your best judgment to pick the most optimal time to eat, EVEN if your biological hunger isn't strong at that time.

Emotional Hunger, though "shamed" by the media, is actually extremely normal. This is eating based off of happy OR sad emotions. You could have just gotten fired, have a stressful week of classes, gone through a breakup, etc., and be using food as a coping mechanism. Conversely, you may have just gotten promoted, be celebrating a friend's birthday, or otherwise, and be going out to celebrate. BOTH of these are completely normal reasons people want to eat, and you are COMPLETELY allowed to emotionally eat. However, it is important to recognize WHY you are turning to food in a time of sadness, and recognize how emotional eating makes you feel. DON'T judge yourself for doing so, but simply acknowledge why it is happening, and what other coping mechanisms you may possess to deal with your emotions.

So how do I take action on all of that this week? Well, mostly by eating what I want when I am hungry. I'm going to log where my hunger is at on the Hunger-Fullness scale before I eat, acknowledge what I want to eat, and then WHAT I eat and how I feel afterwards. I'm not doing this in a judgmental way; it is simply to acknowledge any patterns or noticeable reactions I have to food, hunger, and my emotions. I'm a big dessert person, but mostly out of a "Taste and Mouth Hunger" rather than for any biological reasons. Additionally, there are times where I'm going to be working, celebrating a birthday, etc., and I may eat more or at a different time than usual. All of this is perfectly acceptable! By acknowledging and documenting my hunger, I can get more in tune with my body and recognize what makes me feel the best.

And that's it for principle 2! Tune back in next week to discuss principle 3: Make Peace with Food.