Let's Stop Restricting Ourselves

The internet and social media have set a standard for what a healthy, active lifestyle should look like today. The majority of influencers are considered thin, fit and the "idealized" body type, creating a toxic standard for health. There shouldn’t be an ideal body type. We don't all need to be a size 0 to feel good in our own skin, even if that's what social media tries to push on us. 

The rise of diet culture comes from the increase of body image issues, which are often onset by social media. We've seen a rise in keto, intermittent fasting, veganism and gluten-free diets. These kinds of diets tend to label food as “bad” or “good” and are not sustainable in the long run because of how controlling and restrictive they are. 

Let us let you in on a little secret called initiative eating. It is the idea that you should eat when you're hungry and you stop when you're full. The term was coined by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in their book, Intuitive Eating, published in 1995. The book lays out the 10 principles of their philosophy and we’re here to share the basics with you:

Decide not to diet

Dieting is toxic, but we have been forced to believe it is effective and healthy. It's time to discard all of your ideas about dieting. Intuitive eating is the anti-diet!

Eat when you’re hungry

When you start to feel hungry, respond by feeding your body. Learn to respond to the first sign of hunger, because if you let yourself get excessively hungry, you are more likely to overeat, leading to that uncomfortable too-full feeling. Throw some snacks in your bag if you’re leaving for a while to curb hunger when it starts.

Accept that you can eat when you want 

You no longer need to be in a battle with food. Food is your friend. Get rid of the ideas of what and when you can and cannot eat. 

Reject the labels

Don’t fall into the trap of what society has labeled as “good” and “bad” to allow yourself to label yourself as good or bad. You should feel good if you eat a piece of cake and you should also feel good if you eat a salad. 

Stop when you’re full

Just like when your body tells you it is hungry, your body also will signal when it's full. Listen to your body and even check in with yourself as you eat. Ask yourself how the food tastes and assess your changing hunger levels.

Eat to enjoy

Enjoy your eating experience. Sit down and eat what you want. From this pleasant experience, you may find that it takes less food to satisfy your hunger. 

Don’t use food to fight feelings

Eating can be an emotional coping mechanism. Find alternative ways unrelated to food to deal with your feelings. For example, working out, journaling, meditating or talking to a family member or friend. Be aware of times when your feelings of hunger are based on emotion. 

Respect your body 

Instead of finding everything you don’t like about your body, find everything you do love about it. Thank and acknowledge everything your body does for you! 

Incorporate movement

Find an exercise you actually enjoy! Believe us, we know how miserable working out can be. But when you exercise because you like the way you feel, not because of how many calories you burn you are way more likely to be motivated to get up and go. For motivation, check out our article about finding the best exercise for you!

Eat to feel good  

Make food choices that not only taste good but make you feel good. It's important to remember that you don't have to eat only salads to be healthy. One meal or snack does not make or break you or your health. Life is about enjoying the little things like cappuccinos and warm chocolate chip cookies. Enjoy that cookie and don’t feel guilty!

Intuitive eating improves self-esteem, body image and overall quality of life. What we love most about this philosophy is that it encourages people to eat what they want, when they want it! This quote by actress Miriam Shor sums up how we should view food: “eating good food is, to me, one of life's greatest joys, and I will never punish myself for it.”