What you must remember :
- Intuitive eating is an innovative concept developed in 1995 by American nutritionists Evelyn Tribole and Elise Resch.
- This method is opposed to the classic diet and places importance on listening to our body, our feelings of hunger and satiety to guide our food choices.
- Diets, adopted by a large number of people with the aim of losing weight or improving their health, very often have harmful effects on the body and mind.
- There are 10 main principles for practicing intuitive eating peacefully.
- The main goal of intuitive eating is not weight loss, but it is possible that some people lose weight when they adopt this approach.
Connected is the term frequently used to describe the contemporary era in which we operate. However, we tend to neglect the signals emitted by our body and to be disconnected from our own feelings . Indeed, for many people, external signals exert an equivalent, or even stronger, influence on their food choices than bodily signals. If you too have already experienced the feeling of having your eyes bigger than your stomach and felt discomfort afterwards, the principles of intuitive eating could allow you to become aware of your sensations during meals and to intuitively regulate your diet.
What is intuitive eating?
Did you know that around 63% of French people pay attention to their weight ? And make no mistake, this affects both women and men. It has been shown that 44% of French people have already followed a diet during their life with the aim of losing weight. These restrictions disrupt our relationship with food. Result: we no longer pay attention to our satiety (or we cannot stop), we have eating compulsions or we eat emotionally. How to cope ? Eat intuitively.
But what is intuitive eating? This innovative concept, developed in 1995 by American nutritionists Evelyn Tribole and Elise Resch, emphasizes attentive listening to our body and our bodily sensations to guide our food choices. It is opposed to a classic diet , since by eating intuitively we say goodbye to food programs, restrictions and the feeling of guilt. This type of feeding is even more similar to the feeding of babies who only eat when they feel hungry. The goal of this method is simple: by reconnecting with your hunger and satiety signals, you will have a healthy and balanced relationship with food, you will enjoy eating and you will be able to put an end to restrictions and guilt.
Say goodbye to the vicious cycle of dieting with intuitive eating
Diets, although adopted by many people with the aim of losing weight or improving their health, generally have harmful effects on our body and mind.
The consequences of diets
# Regain lost weight (or more)
It's common to hear about the yo-yo effect when it comes to diets. You may be wondering why, despite your best efforts to lose weight, the pounds end up coming back? The answer lies in the complex mechanisms of the human body. When you follow a restrictive diet and drastically reduce your calorie intake, your metabolism slows down to save energy. Your body responds to this restriction by burning fewer calories to maintain body fat and maintain vital functions. Once you stop dieting and return to a normal diet, your metabolism remains in "energy saving" mode, and your body tends to store more fat to guard against another period of restriction. This is how the lost pounds often come back, or even more. To avoid this rebound effect, it is essential to adopt a healthier and more balanced approach to nutrition, focusing on healthy food choices and maintaining an active lifestyle.
# No longer feel full
It is common to gradually lose the feeling of satiety, that pleasant feeling of satisfaction after a meal. This is due to several factors. First, strict diets often limit food portions and exclude certain food groups, which can lead to decreased intake of essential nutrients. These nutritional deficiencies can disrupt the satiety signals sent by the body. Additionally, some diets favor foods with low calorie density, meaning you can eat larger quantities without consuming enough calories to fill you up. Finally, stress and obsession with dieting can also affect the perception of satiety.
# Eating compulsively and without hunger
It's not uncommon to find yourself caught in a cycle of compulsive eating behaviors. Several factors can contribute to this phenomenon. First, the constant deprivation induced by dieting can lead to feelings of frustration and deprivation, creating an intense desire to eat forbidden foods. When an opportunity presents itself to give in to these urges, it becomes difficult to resist, even in the absence of actual physical hunger. Additionally, restrictive diets can cause hormonal fluctuations and chemical imbalances in the brain, which can amplify food urges and lead to compulsive eating.
# Develop an obsession with food
When following a restrictive diet, it is common to develop an obsession with food. This constant fixation on food can be attributed to several factors. First, food restriction itself creates a feeling of deprivation, which leads to an excessive focus on food. Prohibited foods then become even more attractive and arouse strong temptation. Additionally, the constant focus on calories, macros, and eating rules can take over our minds, leaving little room for other thoughts and activities. This obsession can also be fueled by social pressure and beauty standards that push us to achieve an often unrealistic ideal.
The benefits of intuitive eating
Intuitive eating is a method that offers many benefits for our physical and mental well-being. Among these, we find:
- Restoring the connection with our feelings of hunger and satiety: It allows us to reconnect with our internal signals, thus promoting a harmonious relationship with food.
- Maintaining a stable weight over the long term: By listening to our nutritional needs, we can eat according to our appetite, which helps prevent unwanted weight fluctuations very often observed during a restrictive diet.
- Developing a Healthy Relationship with Food: By allowing space for our intuition, we can establish a healthy relationship with food, caring for our bodies in a respectful and attentive way. This helps to improve the relationship we have with our body.
- Appreciation of food variety: Intuitive eating encourages food diversity (we say goodbye to “forbidden foods”), which encourages us to savor every bite and be more satisfied during meals.
- Reduction of stress around food: By freeing ourselves from strict rules and prohibitions, we can say goodbye to stress, guilt and obsession related to food. This improves our emotional well-being and self-esteem.
The 10 main principles for practicing intuitive eating peacefully
“Finish your plate!” » , this phrase we have surely all heard at least once in our lives. Despite everything, it goes against listening to oneself and one's feelings. Indeed, intuitive eating has 10 main principles. We will explain everything to you.
Principle 1 – Reject diet culture
Free yourself from restrictive diets and the pressure that tells us to follow strict dietary rules, instead favoring a more flexible and respectful approach to our bodies.
Principle 2 – Honor your hunger
Listen and respond to our internal hunger signals, nourishing our bodies when we feel real hunger, rather than eating at specific times out of habit.
Principle 3 – Make peace with food
Eliminate the notion of good and bad foods, and allow yourself to enjoy a variety of foods, freeing yourself from the guilt associated with certain food choices. No food should be banned, it's all a question of balance!
Principle 4 – Stop categorizing foods
Avoid categorizing foods in terms of nutritional value or calories, and instead focus on listening to our individual needs and finding overall balance.
Principle 5 – Consider your feeling of fullness
Pay attention to our satiety and stop eating when we no longer feel hungry, even if there is food left on our plate. You no longer have to force yourself to finish your plate, fortunately it is possible to store leftovers in the refrigerator to consume them later.
Principle 6 – Experience your emotions with kindness
Recognize that our emotions can influence our relationship with food, and look for healthy ways to manage our emotions, without resorting to compulsive eating. To do this, you can, for example, choose to discuss it with someone or practice relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga, in order to refocus on yourself and what you feel.
Principle 7 – Respect your body
Adopt a caring attitude towards our body, accepting it as it is, recognizing its needs and providing it with the care and attention it needs.
Principle 8 – Feel the benefits of physical activity
Move our bodies in a pleasant and respectful way, choosing physical activities that give us pleasure rather than focusing only on results or calories burned.
Principle 9 – Discover the pleasure of eating
Rediscover the pleasure of eating by engaging all of our senses, savoring every bite and cultivating a positive relationship with food.
Principle 10 – Honor your health and your taste buds
Strive for a balance between satisfying our taste buds and taking our health into account, by making food choices that nourish our body and give us pleasure.
Does the power of intuition help with weight loss?
The main goal of intuitive eating is not weight loss, but rather cultivating a healthy relationship with food and our bodies. However, it is possible that some people will lose weight when they take this approach. Indeed, when we are connected to our internal signals of hunger and satiety, we are more inclined to eat according to our real needs, which can lead to better weight regulation . However, it is essential to understand that each individual is unique and results may vary. The focus of intuitive eating is on overall health and well-being, rather than specific weight loss. It is recommended to consult a healthcare professional or dietician for personalized advice if you have specific weight goals.
Source :
https://www.ipsos.com/fr-fr/les-francais-leur-poids-et-leurs-experiences-des-regimes
