Collin County Living Well Magazine May/June 2020 | Page 38

INTUITIVE
EATING
E
By Julie Alvira, MD, MBA
at when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full.
Can you do that? It’s hard. But, like everything, it’s
a skill that can be learned. Of course, it’s easier to
try another diet that will work for the short term. If
you’re lucky, it may last for the long term. However,
the best way to lose weight is to stop the diet mentality.
Breaking out of the diet mentality helped me feel good
about my body, connect to it, develop better eating habits,
and achieve freedom from food. During my pregnancy 18
years ago, I gained almost 70 pounds. I wanted to lose all
the baby weight to once again fit into my little shorts and
jeans.
Even though I lost everything in six months by restricting
myself and counting calories, it’s been hard to maintain
the weight. Losing weight is not as hard as keeping it off.
Through the years, I’ve experienced episodes of stress,
emotional eating, and cravings due to everyday situations
and life events. Add hormone fluctuations during my period
and being in the years of pre-menopause to the mix and it’s
been challenging not to gain weight. Can you relate?
Several years ago, I learned how to calibrate my body
by connecting with it by recognizing true hunger versus
cravings, becoming aware of my thoughts at a particular
moment, and by learning to manage those thoughts and
the emotions that are created by them. I didn’t know I was
practicing intuitive eating, but with these efforts, I finally
achieved freedom from food.
That is why I don’t do any diets. I don’t believe you have
to restrict yourself from food. It’s better to develop the skill
of making a choice of having something or not. And it’s
fun! Often, individuals tend to blame themselves if a diet
goes wrong and feel awful after deviating from the plan.
After eating something they weren’t “supposed to,” they’ll
beat themselves up. Usually the thought of “I failed” follows
with intense feelings of failure, which activates a cascade
of events.
You can develop a good relationship with food. Of course,
if you’re intolerant or allergic to different ingredients or
can’t eat certain foods because of a medical condition, be
mindful. But make sure it’s a choice you do for you. If you
want to eat foods like ice cream, cakes, etc., you learn to
have the choice and give yourself permission to consume
those foods. Not because you “can’t”, or it says somewhere
that today that’s not on the menu you’re supposed to follow.
We live in a society where most individuals are disconnect-
ed from their bodies. It’s time to get back to yourself and
accept your body. Intuitive eating helps with this concept.
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COLLIN COUNTY Living Well Magazine | MAY/JUNE 2020