SS Fitness

I have observed many different health and diet trends over the past year. One that always stands out to me is intuitive eating. In theory, I love this idea. I don’t believe that people should ever compromise their health in the name of “beauty”. Heavy restrictions on food can be very harmful, but it is not always a bad thing. I know that this can be a touchy subject for many people since disordered eating can stem from toxic “diet culture”. However, I do think that while intuitive eating is a great thing to work towards, it may not be the best place to start.

As someone who tends to stress eat, I understand that it can be challenging to learn to intuitively eat. The first step towards intuitive eating is to be aware of what you are currently eating. Many Americans are overfed and undernourished, meaning that a lot of the food we eat may be small, but extremely calorie-dense. It is essential to learn what your body needs and from there, understand what you should be eating and how much to sustain your body and be healthy.

If calorie counting is something that discourages you, try tracking just your protein and hitting a certain goal each day. Once you can understand that a calorie is a unit of energy and figure out what foods work best for you, you can later start listening to your body. But at the moment, it is possible that your body does not know how to tell you what it needs yet.