Principle 6: Discover your Satisfaction Factor

According to Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole.

The Japanese have the wisdom to promote pleasure as one of their goals of healthy living. In our fury to be thin and healthy, 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 enviroment 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 much less food to decide you've had "enough".

Here is how this relates to me. I go out to eat. I choose the salad when I really want a hamburger. I eat it. But I am not satisfied. In search of my satisfaction, I eat chips, cookies and jerky when I get home. Now if I would have just ordered the hamburger and thoroughly enjoyed every bite - I would not be bingeing now!

Steps to regain your pleasure in eating:

1. Ask yourself what you REALLY want to eat
2. Discover the pleasures of the palate. Taste, texture, aroma, appearance, temperature and filling capacity.
3. Make your eating experience more enjoyable. Savor your food, eat when gently hungry, eat in a pleasant environment, avoud tension and provide variety.
4. Don't settle. If you don't love it, don't eat it, and if you love it, savor it.
5. Check in: Does it still taste good?

Reclaim your right to pleasurable, satisfying eating. Know what you like to eat and believe you have the right to enjoy food, are key factors in a lifetime of weight control without dieting.

I went to my therapist on Friday. She told me they do use this book but WAY LATER in therapy. I am not even close to this yet. This makes me feel better because a lot of it, I would love to do just not sure how too!
She also told me that intuitive eating is when you can choose a food not based on caloric or fat content but just because you like it and want it. Then you stop eating it when you are full. She said that is how she eats. Now mind you - she is a twig! I can not imagine giving myself free reigns on food right now. I just do not trust myself with food yet. I will get there. I am going to keep reading and journaling about this book because I do like the message. I do dream of being able to do these things one day. I do want freedom from food. I do!

Live healthy at thinchic.com!