I became a dietitian to help people become healthier, to lose weight, to feel better. And, over the years, I’ve learned that being healthy and well is not just about physical health, but about mental and spiritual health as well.
I’ve worked with clients who have lost 200 pounds and hoped that losing weight would be the answer to all of their problems- but their problems still exist. I’ve worked with women who are at a perfect weight and very fit, but spend every moment of the day obsessing about food and exercise….is either scenario the definition of wellness or health?
One of my goals now is to help people learn to eat intuitively, to enjoy food – not to fear food, to not feel guilty because of eating. Intuitive Eating is a great book by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD and Elyse Resch, MS, RD, FADA. I could talk about the principles in this book for hours…so I plan to bring you topics from the book to think about a bit at a time.
Principle 1 states: Reject the Diet Mentality.
How hard is this to do? Many of us have been led to believe that the answer to weight loss lies in the next great book, or exercise plan, or supplement. Or-we believe that if we eat foods we truly love- then we will gain weight…which leads to a vicious cycle of restricting, binging, guilt…repeat.
The authors of the book share 3 steps to Rejecting the Diet Mentality:
1. Recognize and acknowledge the damage that dieting causes…
Chronic dieting has been shown to: teach the body to retain fat when you start eating again, decrease metabolism, increase binges and cravings, and cause body shape to change.
2. Be aware of diet-mentality traits and thinking….
Forget willpower. Intuitive Eating is about honoring your natural instincts…not inhibiting them.
3. Get rid of the dieter’s tools…
for example- the scale – how many times have you let the number on the scale determine how you feel about yourself for the day?
My questions to you today…
What does it mean to you to eat intuitively?
Do you need to reject the “diet mentality”?
Thanks for reading….have a great Monday!
I love this book too! I definitely reject the diet mentality in favor of eating in a way that I can envision doing the rest of my life. That means enjoying ALL food in moderation and letting go of all the “rules” about what’s bad and good. Thanks for your insight- it’s good to hear it from a professional!
Great post — Please keep sharing!!
Thanks, Kori and Lauren! I’ll share more principles from the book over the next few weeks…have a great day!
Sounds like a great book-looking forward to more posts on it!!
Great book recommendation. I’ve seen it at the bookstore and have always been intrigued. I guess it’s time to get it!
I’m a big fan of eating intuitively. What amazes me, though, is that our intuition is up against our cravings and deep-rooted psychological ties to food. I wonder if this is discussed in the book?
Hey Sweta! Thanks for stopping by! I’ll continue to discuss the principles of Intuitive Eating- it never gets old to me…Have a great night!
Thanks for stopping by! Yes – it is amazing how complex and deeply rooted our psychological ties to food can be. A big part of the book is the premise that if we eat intuitively, we embrace our cravings, and they are satiated. Rather than continually focusing on restricting “bad” foods, which then leads to increased cravings for those foods- often foods our body doesn’t intuitively want anyway.
I have heard a lot about this book and your post really makes me want to go purchase it! I think I have a pretty good relationship with food, but I will admit feeling guilty at times when I eat bad things. For me it’s not necessarily a weight issue, but the fact that I’m an RD! It sounds wierd, but I feel guilty eating ice cream while telling others not to. But at the same time, I eat those types of guilty pleasures in moderation, and that’s what I suggest to everyone. Either way, I loved your post!
This book sounds like something I should read. I definitely have the diet mentality – my entire life, I’ve known nothing else. I don’t know if I would even know how to eat intuitively. I’m looking forward to future segments.
This looks like a fantastic book. I’ve been trying to eat more intuitively recently and get away from the diet disasters that have plagued me for so long. I can’t wait to read more on what you’ve got to say about it.