On Friday night, I had a 7PM reservation to meet some girlfriends for dinner. The plan was margaritas, chips with guac, my favorite tacos in town, and great company.
Around 5:45 PM, I felt myself getting hungry.
Before intuitive eating I never would have let myself eat an hour before a dinner reservation. I would have told myself… Just wait! You’re going to dinner soon and you should save the calories!
‘Save the calories’ was a dieting lie I believed for a long time.
I’d have gone to the restaurant famished.
Found myself elbows deep in the bottomless chips, unable to hear anything but the chewing crunch in my ears and unable to think about anything but how quickly I could shovel guacamole into my mouth.
I’d have definitely left dinner feeling like a failure, out of control around food, and that I couldn’t be trusted with chips.
‘NO MORE CHIPS, SIMI! ONLY KALE! YOU NEVER OVEREAT KALE!!!!!’
Ever happened to you, too? If so, I get it and I’m here for you.
Practicing intuitive eating has taught me that when my body is hungry, I can trust that hunger and honor it.
So, at 5:45 PM on Friday night I made myself a snack and enjoyed every bite.
Sure, I ate a snack and I wasn’t quite as hungry at dinner.
But, I was able to enjoy the company and the food a heck of a lot more because I didn’t go into dinner ravenous, distracted, and feeling out of control around food.
There are NO rules about how close to a meal you’re allowed to enjoy a snack.
The idea that it’s beneficial to ‘save the calories’ is one of so many harmful diet lies we’ve been led to believe.
When your body feels hungry, you can trust that hunger and honor it.
All the diet lies (like, ‘save your calories!!!’) can make it hard to remember this truth.
Chips and guacamole aren’t the problem… the lie that you need to starve yourself earlier in the day to earn and enjoy them is.
