Are you ready to remove the guilt and shame associated with food?
Do you want to feel physically, mentally, and emotionally pleasant?
Are you ready to start your intuitive eating journey but are afraid to begin?
We are breaking down what to expect when starting your intuitive eating journey in this blog post, and the main takeaway from reading this is to shift your focus to learning to trust your body. Trusting your body may sound really hard but it is one of the key parts of your intuitive eating journey. No one knows your body better than YOU! You might be thinking, “no way could that be true”! But the truth is, your body knows what’s best more than anyone else and you know your own body better than anyone else.
At the beginning of your intuitive eating journey, approach every thought, experience, feeling with… curiosity.
As you are starting your IE journey, the goal is to connect with your body. And as mentioned above, to trust your body. Leading with curiosity allows you to make decisions for your body that don’t come from a place of shame and guilt.
Be curious about:
- how your body feels when you eat certain foods
- what it feels like to go too long without eating
- connecting with your hunger cues or what it feels like when you eat past fullness
Instead of holding any judgment, get curious about how your body feels at the beginning and throughout your IE journey.
Second, is to have compassion. Being compassionate with yourself is another important part of beginning your IE journey. Internalized diet culture voices may have been the influence for your previous decisions surrounding food & movement. You may be reflecting on the impact these voices have had your entire life. So, hold compassion for yourself as you go through your journey. Know that you cannot mess up intuitive eating and there is no such thing as a “perfect” intuitive eater. Give yourself compassion and grace!
The things you learn about your body on your IE journey are discoveries, explorations, and observations. Approach your journey as a time of exciting, new discoveries. When you start to allow yourself to break away from diet culture, you may feel guilt and shame. Use these opportunities to reframe your thinking to match the purpose of your intuitive eating journey: learning to connect with your body, and ultimately trusting your body. Doing what feels good for your body and mind based on observations throughout your journey & choosing to remain curious is helpful in quieting any shame or guilt that may rise.
As you start your journey, or if you’ve already begun, remember you know your body best. Continue to learn to trust your body by reframing your thinking with an emphasis on curiosity and compassion. Your journey with IE is just that, a journey of new discoveries, with no right or wrong choices or experiences. Every day and every eating experience is another opportunity to learn more about YOU and your body.
If this blog resonated with you as an intuitive eating newbie, or you want a refresher, listen to our podcast “What to Expect When Starting Your IE Journey” to hear more about starting your IE journey and learning to trust your body. Click here to listen!
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