Part 5 of my Intuitive Eating series is about discovering the satisfaction factor.
“The Japanese have the wisdom to keep pleasure as one of their goals of healthy living. In our compulsion to comply with diet culture, we often overlook one of the most basic gifts of existence—the pleasure and satisfaction that can be found in the eating experience. When you eat what you really want, in an environment that is inviting, the pleasure you derive will be a powerful force in helping you feel satisfied and content. By providing this experience for yourself, you will find that it takes just the right amount of food for you to decide you’ve had “enough.” (From Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch)
I LOVE tasty food. I’ve always been someone who savors the taste of food and seeks out things I enjoy! I’m so afraid to get COVID not because of my lungs but because I can’t stand the thought of potentially losing my sense of taste!
Living with cystic fibrosis has taught me to appreciate life’s little moments and pleasures. Food, for me, is one of life’s pleasures…. especially chocolate!
But when you’re trying to lose weight, eating becomes about limiting calories rather than eating what tastes good. Your choices are governed by your diet not by your tastes.
Often times, when I was trying to lose weight and I asked myself what I wanted for dinner, the options were limited to low calorie dinners. Some of these meals WERE satisfying, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes what would really satisfy me was a creamy pasta or a slice of pizza!
Now that I’ve discovered intuitive eating, I pay much more attention to what I’m in the mood for and what will taste good. We have started ordering Hello Fresh to discover new recipes, to add variety to our meals, and to discover new tastes. This week we are having Pineapple chicken tacos 🤤, Creamy dill chicken 🤤, and Mandarin Chicken salads🤤. Each night I pull out the recipe cards and see which one make me drool the most and choose to make that one!
Last night, when I pulled out the cards I couldn’t stop thinking about the new gourmet pizza place in town. So we got that instead, because I knew that’s what would satisfy me!
I find that I’m able to savor my food more now that I’m practicing intuitive eating. I take time to enjoy the flavor of whatever it is I’m eating. And I’m more in tuned to what DOESN’T taste good either. Before, if I decided to eat something I would finish whatever was on my plate even if it wasn’t that enjoyable. Now, I have no qualms about throwing something away or putting it aside if I don’t enjoy it, or I’m much more apt to stop eating something once I’ve reached satisfaction with it. Sometimes, that means all I need is a taste of something rather than the whole thing.
Intuitive Eating also teaches you to eat your food in an enjoyable environment. I try to sit down at the table when I’m eating lunch or breakfast so that I can fully experience what I’m eating. Sometimes for dinner, we set the table and light a candle if we’re having a fancier meal that we really want to enjoy. This principle stresses the importance of not being distracted while eating, but I still find myself scrolling Tik Tok sometimes when I’m eating. It’s all a work in progress!
Next time you eat something, take some time to really pay attention to the tastes, smells, and texture of what you’re eating. This helps to make you more in tuned to what you enjoy and what you don’t, and allows you to be more mindful. Plus food is made to be enjoyed, so the experience is that much more enjoyable.
Paying attention to what tastes good makes you appreciate life so much more. Being able to savor the flavor is so much more fun than being hungry and miserable!
As always, check out Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch for more details!
