Did you know that what and when you eat doesn’t always have to be based on hunger cues?
One of the things that gets skewed when someone begins an intuitive eating journey is that, if you aren’t following hunger cues to the letter, you’re doing something wrong. People adopt this idea that you absolutely have to eat when you’re hungry and IMMEDIATELY stop when you’re full. It can become a different kind of obsessive, and goes against what intuitive eating is really about (giving yourself UNCONDITIONAL permission to eat!)
You see, the ‘intuitive’ part of intuitive eating holds so much more meaning than just eating based on our cues.
There are SO MANY reasons to eat when you aren’t necessarily hungry. Because, remember, food is so much more than fuel. What are some of these reasons? Let’s explore:
Sharing Moments - Food can be culture. It can show love. It can be caring. It can be adventure. Eating outside of your hunger cues to share a moment with someone - who wants to miss out on that?
Celebrating - Holidays, birthdays, parties - food is usually a main factor here. There are holidays where eating a certain type of food is auspicious. Birthdays tend to have cake. You get the idea. Food is a celebration, so let yourself celebrate!
Planning - You know what’s super intuitive? Eating before a period of time where you know you won’t have access to food.
After a workout - Sometimes exercise makes the body shut off our hunger cues! Getting in fuel after some movement even if you don’t feel super hungry is never a bad idea.
Snacking Between Meals - Going a long time between meals? A snack is the intuitive thing to do.
You want to try something - Exploring food is truly a joy in life.
None of anyone’s damn business - Your eating habits, remember, are none of anyone else’s business.
You see, the point is - giving ourselves unconditional permission to eat means also giving ourselves permission to eat outside of hunger cues. Food is so much more than fuel, and you absolutely do not need to justify your eating habits to anyone at all. Period.