Intuitive Eating-Creating a Healthy Relationship with Food, Mind, and Body Sally Barclay, MS RD LD Nutrition Clinic for Employee Wellness

Intuitive Eating-Creating a Intuitive Eating-Creating a Healthy Relationship with Food, Healthy Relationship with Food,

Mind, and BodyMind, and Body

Sally Barclay, MS RD LDSally Barclay, MS RD LDNutrition Clinic for Employee Nutrition Clinic for Employee

WellnessWellness

Diets Don’t Work!Diets Don’t Work!

90 to 95 % failure rate90 to 95 % failure rate

Yo-Yo Diet cycleYo-Yo Diet cycle

Deprivation-rebellion-rebound weight gainDeprivation-rebellion-rebound weight gain

Cravings and food obsessionsCravings and food obsessions

Slow your metabolismSlow your metabolism

Short term solution: 41% gain back more Short term solution: 41% gain back more at one year than they lostat one year than they lost

Why IE??Why IE??

Self-empowermentSelf-empowerment

Trusting your body and it’s signalsTrusting your body and it’s signals

Lifelong-not a roller coaster rideLifelong-not a roller coaster ride

Get in touch with your body, thoughts and Get in touch with your body, thoughts and feelingsfeelings

Freedom from dietingFreedom from dieting

Awakening Your IE abilityAwakening Your IE ability

Obvious in toddlers and pre-schoolersObvious in toddlers and pre-schoolers

We all possess it but it’s been suppressedWe all possess it but it’s been suppressed

External forces control our eating: time of External forces control our eating: time of day, social engagements, food day, social engagements, food commercials, food plans or diets, food commercials, food plans or diets, food rulesrules

Erodes our trust in our body's internal Erodes our trust in our body's internal cues and signalscues and signals

Principles of Intuitive EatingPrinciples of Intuitive Eating

Goal: Gain a healthy relationship with food Goal: Gain a healthy relationship with food and your bodyand your body

#1 Reject the Diet Mentality#1 Reject the Diet Mentality Give up dieting for goodGive up dieting for good Don’t allow others to tell you what, when Don’t allow others to tell you what, when

or how to eator how to eat

Principles of IEPrinciples of IE

#2 Honor Your Hunger#2 Honor Your Hunger Begin to listen for any noise or feeling of Begin to listen for any noise or feeling of

hunger-growling, headache, lack of focus hunger-growling, headache, lack of focus or energy, grouchinessor energy, grouchiness

May need to feed body regularly to obtain May need to feed body regularly to obtain hunger signalshunger signals

Be prepared with food as soon as you Be prepared with food as soon as you recognize biological hungerrecognize biological hunger


#3 Make Peace with Food#3 Make Peace with Food Give yourself unconditional permission to Give yourself unconditional permission to

eat whatever you really like-no guilt and no eat whatever you really like-no guilt and no deprivation!deprivation!

Observe how your body feels when eating Observe how your body feels when eating this food and make mental notesthis food and make mental notes

Keep ample supply of all foods you might Keep ample supply of all foods you might like to eatlike to eat

5 Steps to Making Peace with Food5 Steps to Making Peace with Food

1.1. Pay attention to foods that appeal to you and Pay attention to foods that appeal to you and make a listmake a list

2.2. Put a check by food you actually do eat and Put a check by food you actually do eat and circle foods you have restrictedcircle foods you have restricted

3.3. Give yourself permission to eat one forbidden Give yourself permission to eat one forbidden food-buy or order itfood-buy or order it

4.4. Check in as you eat it to see if food tastes as Check in as you eat it to see if food tastes as good as you imagined-if yes, continue to buy good as you imagined-if yes, continue to buy and eatand eat

5.5. Keep enough so it is available if you want it or Keep enough so it is available if you want it or order as often as you likeorder as often as you like


#4 Challenge the Food Police#4 Challenge the Food Police Identify your distorted food, dieting and Identify your distorted food, dieting and

eating thoughts and myths-throw them out!eating thoughts and myths-throw them out! Listen for destructive voices, negative self Listen for destructive voices, negative self

talk: food police, nutrition informant, diet talk: food police, nutrition informant, diet rebelrebel

Develop helpful voices, positive self-talkDevelop helpful voices, positive self-talk No “good” or “bad” foods, no rules!No “good” or “bad” foods, no rules!


#5 Feel Your Fullness#5 Feel Your Fullness Listen for body signals you are no longer Listen for body signals you are no longer

hungry but are comfortably fullhungry but are comfortably full Pause often in middle of meal/snack to Pause often in middle of meal/snack to

see how food tastes and check current see how food tastes and check current fullness level fullness level

Discard idea you must finish everythingDiscard idea you must finish everything Make sure you have plenty of food Make sure you have plenty of food

availableavailable

Principles of Intuitive EatingPrinciples of Intuitive Eating

# 6 Discover the satisfaction factor# 6 Discover the satisfaction factor Seek pleasure in your eating-the more satisfied Seek pleasure in your eating-the more satisfied

you feel, the less you will want to eatyou feel, the less you will want to eat Figure out what you really want to eat-consider Figure out what you really want to eat-consider

sensations that go with eatingsensations that go with eating Make your eating environment is enjoyableMake your eating environment is enjoyable ““If you don’t love it, don’t eat it! If you love it, If you don’t love it, don’t eat it! If you love it,

savor it”savor it” Frequent “check ins” for pleasure-continued Frequent “check ins” for pleasure-continued

exposure to same food results in a decrease of exposure to same food results in a decrease of desire for that fooddesire for that food

Sensations Sensations

Taste: sweet, savory, salty, sour, bitterTaste: sweet, savory, salty, sour, bitter

Texture: hard, crunchy, smooth, creamy, Texture: hard, crunchy, smooth, creamy, chewychewy

Aroma: sweet, spicy, acrid, Aroma: sweet, spicy, acrid,

Appearance: color, shape, eye appealAppearance: color, shape, eye appeal

Temperature: hot, cold, icy, warmTemperature: hot, cold, icy, warm

Volume/Filling Capacity: airy, light, denseVolume/Filling Capacity: airy, light, dense

Key factorsKey factors

2 key factors in lifetime of weight control 2 key factors in lifetime of weight control without dieting:without dieting:

1.1. Knowing what you like to eatKnowing what you like to eat

2.2. Believing you have the right to enjoy foodBelieving you have the right to enjoy food


# 7 Cope with Your Emotions Without Using # 7 Cope with Your Emotions Without Using FoodFood

Ask yourself, “Am I biologically hungry?”Ask yourself, “Am I biologically hungry?”If yes, honor your hunger and eat!If yes, honor your hunger and eat! If no, ask “What am I feeling?” and “What If no, ask “What am I feeling?” and “What

do I need?” Food will not satisfy needs do I need?” Food will not satisfy needs other than hunger! Don’t use food to cope!other than hunger! Don’t use food to cope!

Meet your needs without food or provide a Meet your needs without food or provide a distractiondistraction


# 8 Respect your body# 8 Respect your body Accept your body type and geneticsAccept your body type and genetics Respect body diversity-including yours!Respect body diversity-including yours! Wear comfortable clothes that fit you well-Wear comfortable clothes that fit you well-

not too large or too tightnot too large or too tight Stop weighing yourself excessivelyStop weighing yourself excessively


# 9 Exercise-Feel the difference!# 9 Exercise-Feel the difference! Focus on how exercise makes you feel and that Focus on how exercise makes you feel and that

it means you are taking care of yourselfit means you are taking care of yourself Break through exercise barriersBreak through exercise barriers Disassociate exercise from weight lossDisassociate exercise from weight loss Get active in daily livingGet active in daily living Make exercise fun!Make exercise fun! Remember the importance of restRemember the importance of rest


# 10 Honor your health-gentle nutrition# 10 Honor your health-gentle nutrition No forbidden foods-deprivation does not No forbidden foods-deprivation does not

work!work! Moderation, balance (90% for health, 10% Moderation, balance (90% for health, 10%

for pleasure)for pleasure)

Normal eatingNormal eating

Occasional overeating is part of normal Occasional overeating is part of normal eatingeating

Returning to listening to your bodyReturning to listening to your body

Letting your body tell you hw much you Letting your body tell you hw much you need to eatneed to eat

Vacation, illness, travel are temporaryVacation, illness, travel are temporary

How do you measure success?How do you measure success?

Avoid scale and look for other benefits:Avoid scale and look for other benefits:-better mood, less swings-better mood, less swings-having more energy-having more energyLess stress/tension at work and homeLess stress/tension at work and home

Change is a matter of progress, not Change is a matter of progress, not perfection. Change is always easier when perfection. Change is always easier when you are self-accepting and feel good about you are self-accepting and feel good about yourselfyourself

Wellness JourneyWellness Journey

Life involves being off course. But being Life involves being off course. But being off course doesn’t matter as long as we’re off course doesn’t matter as long as we’re making the necessary corrections. making the necessary corrections. Making mistakes, taking wrong turns and Making mistakes, taking wrong turns and backing up and reevaluating are all parts backing up and reevaluating are all parts of the journey to optimal healthof the journey to optimal healthAs long as we’re moving in the general As long as we’re moving in the general direction of improved health, we are on direction of improved health, we are on track track

Final AdviceFinal Advice

Be realistic: Small steps work better than giant Be realistic: Small steps work better than giant leapsleapsBe adventurous: Expand your tastes to enjoy a Be adventurous: Expand your tastes to enjoy a variety of foodsvariety of foodsBe flexible: Your body will work with you to Be flexible: Your body will work with you to balance what you eat and the activity you do balance what you eat and the activity you do over several daysover several daysBe sensible: Enjoy all foods-listen to you r Be sensible: Enjoy all foods-listen to you r body’s signalsbody’s signalsBe active: Walk the dog, don’t just watch the dog Be active: Walk the dog, don’t just watch the dog walk. You will feel good and have more energy!walk. You will feel good and have more energy!

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Intuitive Eating-Creating a Healthy Relationship with Food, Mind, and Body Sally Barclay, MS RD LD Nutrition Clinic for Employee Wellness