This tenant is the hub of intuitive eating, it is all about actually ENJOYING and finding SATISFACTION from your food!
I know, it can be a hard topic to fathom, but YES - your food is supposed to be savoured and enjoyed… you do not need to be forcing down diet items you don’t love, or forcing meals into such a small window you hardly remember them happening!
What does slowing down and finding true satisfaction from our food look like?
Step 1️: Question what you are ACTUALLY craving by asking yourself questions like:
What do I feel like eating?
Do I want something sweet/salty/savoury/sour?
Do I want something crunchy/smooth/creamy/fluid?
Do I want something cold/warm/hot? Do I want something light/heavy/filling?
Step 2️: Go for that item in a mindful and intuitive way! This means portioning it out, sitting down, and removing distractions.
Step 3️: Tune into your satisfaction while eating by asking yourself questions like:
What is it about this food I am enjoying?
Is it the taste/texture/temperature/consistency?
Step 4️: Eat slowly and savour your food!
Step 5️: Continue checking in with yourself while eating by asking yourself questions like:
Am I still hungry?
Am I getting satisfied?
How is my hunger changing as I eat?
Does this still taste good?
💡When you start to notice your hunger fading and satisfaction taking its place, try using the satisfaction as a cue to stop eating - rather than driving to finish the whole plate or eat until overly full!
Step 6️: Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect! Sometimes you won’t have the option to eat exactly what you are craving - that’s okay! As Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch put it, “sometimes honouring your hunger is the best you can do”!
Eating this way may seem overwhelming at first, since our culture has normalized rapid meals, distracted eating, and opting for low-calorie or diet items in place of what we actually want. But, I urge you to try it out today! As tuning in and enjoying our meals becomes our new norm, our relationship with food becomes more freeing and less chaotic!
What ways do YOU tune into your satisfaction during meals?!
Resource: Tribole, E. & Resch, E. (2020). Intuitive Eating, 4th edition. St. Martins Publishing Group.