So I've started reading (and practicing) the concepts in Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works. So far, I like it and I can agree with its early premise.
According to the authors, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, we are all so weighed down by mixed messages about food, that we no longer can recognize our instincts about what and how much to eat. Some of us were told when we were children to finish our plates, regardless of whether we were still hungry or not. Others of us were berated for eating too much, or taking in too much sugar. Most of us have learned to listen to outside opinions about food rather than our own inclinations.
So one of the first steps to reclaiming our 'eating intuition' is to just eat what we want to eat. The reasoning behind it: Often we binge on foods because we've been forbidding ourselves from partaking. As a result, when we get a taste of the forbidden foods, we can't stop eating. The book suggests that we keep the forbidden foods around because that shows us that we can have those foods whenever we want. Eventually the allure of the forbidden foods diminishes. And even more importantly, eventually we'll get in touch with our eating impulses, which will lean toward foods that are life-preserving once we correct the imbalance we've set up through years of ignoring our natural food urges.
I told you about my Reese's Peanut Butter Cup craze - particularly the miniature cups. The other day, I bought some and consumed them within a couple of days. So in the spirit of Intuitive Eating, I went right back out and bought some more of the candy. Logically, it made no sense and I wondered if I was being ridiculous to buy more candy, but I did it anyway. This time around, I haven't been as interested in the candy. Yes, I've had a couple of pieces, but I haven't gobbled the candy up as if it were my last supper.
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