Help with intuitive and mindful eating
Hello,
I am on a long path to overcoming a not-so-great relationship with overeating. It's been about 7 years since the worst of my issues began but I still find myself slipping into old habits when I endure stress from work and life (I'm in the process of prepping for my wedding as well as recently starting a new dream job that is quite demanding...so no shortage of stress here!). I have read and re-read "Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. It's a great book and has really helped me in the past. It's so helpful and I hav come to a point where I can very clearly recognize the signals of true hunger and true satiety that my body sends me...BUT I often find myself emotionally unable to stop myself at those cues and will override them. I think this puts me somewhere closer to the compulsive overeating side of the spectrum. How can I stop myself from overriding these body cues? Why do I reach for one (or 5) more bites past my "full" level?
Usually I eat very healthy and balanced meals and I rarely crave junk food (I will endulge when I do though so as not to restrict myself) but every now and again I have an "episode" of frantic eating.
@MyCatAndIBothBingeEat
Hi! It sounds like you're well on the right track to learning and practicing intuitive eating! It's not easy to do!
It sounds like while you're eating you are aware of those cues of being full and not needing more, yet when you're emotional you override them - is that right? I'm wondering if you've tried to tune into what it is that makes you want more? How are you feeling - sad, angry, stressed, bored, tired, lonely?
I think a big part of being intuitive isn't just about the eating; but about how you are feeling too. If you can start to identify what it is you actually feel then maybe you can work out another strategy to manage those feelings without wanting more bites than you need.