WEEK 2: Slowing Down

This week is where you want to really start understanding intuitive eating and what it means to listen to your body. It’s about:

• Connecting to your body mentally and physically 
• Understanding what your body is trying to tell you
• Knowing what foods your body needs in that moment, as well as an entire day
• Thinking about what you can ADD to your meal (and day overall) rather than take away
• Not over-analyzing or letting food consume your mind or thought processes throughout the day

What we eat should not be the only thing that we think about. Yes, we must think about fueling our body. Yes, we must think about eating enough protein, nutrient-dense fat sources for hormone health, and consuming enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains for energy and micronutrients. 

But what we don’t need to do is let it consume all of our thoughts for the day, or steal our joy when it comes to food. When we were younger, we didn’t think about food all day long. Instead, we were eating when our bodies told us to. We are aiming for this simplicity.

If you are tracking your intakes daily, for now you may continue to do so, while implementing the things below.

FOR WEEK TWO

Journal your hunger and stress before and after meals:

• Start to pay attention to how you feel before you’re about to eat
  • What is your hunger level before a meal or snack on a scale of 1-10 (1 being low and 10 being high)
  • What are your stress levels before meals on a scale of 1-10 (1 being low and 10 being high)
  • Listen to your hunger cues. Ask yourself:
    • Is your stomach growling? 
    • Are you thinking about specific food? 
    • Do you feel low energy? 
    • Do you feel irritable? 
    • Dizziness?
    • Headaches?
    • Difficulty concentrating?
    • Sudden cravings?
    • Shakiness?
    • Mood swings?
• Pay attention to how you feel after you eat
  • What is your hunger level after on a scale of 1-10 (1 being low and 10 being high)

Get in touch with eating more intentionally:

• Choose one meal per day to focus on this to start. For this one meal, eat without distraction (no phones or tv). Eat slowly, chew your food, and pay attention to the taste, texture and smells. Assess how your body feels, checking in with yourself before, during and after eat bite. This is the beginning of listening to your body and actually focusing on what your stomach and brain are telling you.
• Journal how doing this makes you feel.

Give yourself the ability to respond to hunger cues promptly: 

• Spend time at the beginning of the week planning out a few snack options that you will have when you are feeling hungry. Balanced snacks will have protein, or fiber, or lots of color (micros), or all three!

Eat when you first feel hungry to avoid becoming overly hungry, which can lead to overeating. Eat one of your planned snacks, then give yourself time to digest the meal before deciding if you are still hungry or not.

END OF WEEK TWO

1. Reflect on the snacks you prepared ahead of time. Were they easy to prepare? Easy to eat? Did they satisfy you? Did they taste good? Were they balanced with protein, fiber and color? If your snack ideas need tweaks, make them before you head into week 3.
   
   If you need help with creating meals and snacks that have more balance, a nutrition consult with one of our coaches would be a perfect place to start. Apply for your consult HERE!
   
2. Second, plan on eating without distractions for at least 2 meals and 1 snack per day. Decide specifically what meals you will slow down for and write them down. Week 3 will continue to guide you through this.
   
   Eating with more intention is how we begin the process of understanding what your body feels, needs and wants. Not only will this help mentally with intuitive eating, but this will likely also improve digestion and gut motility, which will allow your body to better process and utilize the foods you’re consuming. Eating with more intention will increase insulin sensitivity, mood, and feelings of satiety.

Remember: Our bodies function better when properly fueled. When we restrict and ignore our hunger cues, we create a habit. Ignoring your hunger cues commonly leads to one of two detrimental scenarios: overeating/bingeing or chronic undereating. When we create these habits, it’s harder to be intentional and mindful with our food choices.