The most ironic fact about intuitive eating is it is not very intuitive for most. It takes intentional effort to get to that point. Eighty per cent of women in the US alone are dissatisfied with their bodies. Moreover, longing for a thin and ideal body is international in nature.
The impact of diet culture is rippling. But here are some of the top ones to consider:
*Certain groups of food are heavily demonised
*Makes you feel unworthy of enjoying the good moments of life
*Pressure on every woman, especially brides and new mothers, to lose weight is immense
*Excessive emotional eating behaviours if your weight does not reduce in the timeline you need
The by-products of the impacts are feelings of lethargy, eating disorders, mood swings, guilt, shame and anxiety. Chronic dieters know that they will always gain the weight back. Dieting has a negative connotation to it even while thinking about it. Multiple perspectives come into play when considering intuitive eating.
The basic principle is to put weight loss on the back burner and listen more to hunger cues. It shows you the path to heal your relationship with food. It encourages tapping into your inner wisdom of what your body needs. It also leads to acceptance of your ancestral form of eating. It values fullness over starvation. It nudges you to respect your body.
The best way to look at diet culture vs intuitive eating is to ask the right questions.
*How many kgs did I lose? Vs Am I feeling stronger every day?
*How can I avoid carbs in this meal? Vs Am I feeling satisfied with my meal?
*What will others think when they see my body? Vs Am I feeling healthy in my body?
*Am I eating a 1,200 calorie diet? Vs Am I eating according to what my body and mind need to function properly?
The thought of losing weight weighs on pretty much every woman's mind. There are deeper roots of the diet mentality than what seems on the surface. Good things take time. So let's make small shifts in our eating mindset, daily movements for optimised health, and make nutrition and fitness a lifestyle instead of a short-term weight loss goal.
