*This post is written by my intern! Check out her Instagram and her other post about HAES 101.
Chronic dieters have a habit of trying to eat perfectly for every meal, every day.
Every day is a new day to accomplish their goals. They wake up feeling motivated
and have high hopes for a day of clean eating, however, the willpower to follow
through and maintain this motivation slowly fades.
Their days might look something like this… smoothie for breakfast, salad for lunch,
and chicken, rice, and broccoli for dinner, and whether or not that’s what they truly
want, they believe it is best for them. In actuality, getting a variety and balance of
foods every day is important for maintaining proper nutrition, and when someone
eats the same foods every day, there is no variety or balance.
The chronic dieter may even make it a whole week before indulging in a certain
“bad” food. It’s in those moments that a chronic dieter might say, “I’ve already eaten
this much, I might as well finish the bag.” This type of thought pattern leads to
immense shame and guilt over food decisions and a longing to be and do better
without ever getting there.
Intuitive eating teaches that we have the complete freedom to eat whatever we
want, whenever we want. The thought pattern of “good” and “bad” foods no longer
exists as there are only foods that satisfy and foods that don’t. An intuitive eater
gives themselves the complete freedom to consume any food, while using the hunger and fullness scale. Suddenly, a once chronic dieter can eat food that is satisfying without overdoing it. The way that food is perceived can truly make an entire difference in someone’s approach to eating.
One way to stop the cycle of dieting and bingeing is to incorporate satisfying foods
throughout your day. Finding satisfaction in meals is the key to breaking the cycle. In
other words, don’t restrict foods, rather, incorporate them into a nutritious balance of healthy foods.
If you’re interested in becoming an intuitive eater to stop the cycle of guilt and
shame in eating, please reach out! Elizabeth Beil Nutrition offers several different options for how to become an intuitive eater. From a self-guided program to a 6 week 1:1 course.
