Many of us have found intuitive eating when we are in a place of restriction, food rules, and / or feeling really chaotic + obsessive in our relationships with food.
Whether you are acting out those behaviors or carrying the thoughts, shoulds, rules, and judgments around in your mind, it can be incredibly all consuming.
Then, hallelujah (!), in one way or another, you discover intuitive eating.
If you’re new to the idea of intuitive eating, you can check out the 10 principles here.
As you learn more about it, there’s that moment of “oh my gosh, this makes so much sense. I’m so glad it doesn’t have to be this [restrictive, rule-filled, chaotic, obsessive] way.”
And the work of becoming (or, more accurately, “re-becoming”) an intuitive eater begins.
You’re noticing all the rules + shoulds you’ve internalized about food.
You’re becoming aware of diet culture + the food police.
You’re working on the unconditional permission to eat, the tuning in to your body’s cues, and making peace with food.
You’re reading the books + listening to the podcast episodes + following all the IG accounts you can find.
You’re learning, growing, taking it all in.
And, suddenly, BAM! The questions about the foods you ate pre-intuitive eating naturally start to creep in…
Am I a “bad” intuitive eating because I’m drinking this green smoothie?
Is it wrong to puree cauliflower instead of potatoes?!
Do intuitive eaters ever order the salad instead of the burger? Have days when they don’t eat dessert? Am I allowed to like the raw nuts?!?!?!
I can say with almost 100% certainty that this will happen on your intuitive eating journey.
In fact, I don’t think I’ve coached a single client around intuitive eating who hasn’t hit this moment of questioning in their journey.
Today, I want to offer you a simple question to help you guide yourself through it!
“Am I carrying any stress, fear, panic, or anxiety around this choice?”
How would you feel if this choice suddenly wasn’t available to you and you were required to eat something different (i.e. “the blender broke so no green smoothie… looks like it’s going to be eggs + toast this am!” or “instead of salmon and mashed cauliflower we are going to do pizza takeout tonight!”)?
Does that create stress, fear, panic, anxiety?
If so, then you may still be clinging to these choices from a place of trying to control.
This question can help you to be curious with yourself (which is the path to self connection).
There is nothing inherently un-intuitive-eating about a green smoothie or cauliflower if those choices are coming from a place of satisfaction + enjoyment, free from fears, judgment, panic, and stress.
