7 Tips to Restore Hunger – Fullness Feelings in Eating Disorder Sufferers Using Intuitive Eating.

 

 

Dear Readers,

 

I was asked a question by a reader in Melbourne on how to restore hunger and on intuitive eating. Please find below a fabulous article by my favourite Dr Irina Webster. There’s so much literature on Intuitive Eating that one becomes confused. I try to do structured eating (three meals and three snacks), and it works  well for me. Recovering from an eating disorder leads us to follow many different paths. I hope the path you chose, whether intuitive or structured leads you towards good health and lasting recovery (Inshallah).

I found this Webinar by Nina V on how to become an intuitive eater and on 3 mistakes she made when she became an Intuitive Eater.

 

7 Tips to Restore Hunger – Fullness Feelings in Eating Disorder Sufferers Using Intuitive Eating.

 

 

Intuitive eating is a nutrition philosophy which teaches people to become more attune to the body’s natural hunger and fullness signals in order to attain a healthy weight and to become a generally healthier person.

It is a process that is intended to create a healthy relationship with food, mind, and body. Intuitive eating can also be called wise eating, conscious eating, non-diet approach and normal eating.

People with bulimia and binge eating lose the ability to recognize the body’s natural signals of hunger and fullness so their eating becomes erratic. The feelings of hunger disappear during the day so they don’t eat but when they decide to binge the feelings return but only in reaction to the binge.

When they go on a binge they can’t stop until they are so full they feel be sick, this is because they have no sensations of fullness. It becomes none or all for them there is no in between.

To restore feelings hunger and fullness you can start eating with awareness. Eating with awareness means when you eat, you should only eat, this means focusing on the food and nothing else, making sure there are no other distractions.

Here are seven useful tips to start eating with awareness:

1. Sit down at the table when you eat. Sitting down will help you focus and allow you to relax more, when you sit down try and find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed.

 

2. Avoid distractions while you are eating. By distraction I mean TV, reading books, doing work, looking at the computer screen while you eat. You should focus on your body’s signals and sensations while you eat. Focus on chewing the food, the taste of the food , the swallowing process etc.

3. Always use a plate and cutlery. By using a plate and cutlery you are making an official statement “I am having food now”, instead of just shoveling some snacks into your mouth from the cupboard. Using a fork and knife makes the process more cultural and makes you eat bit by bit without shoveling the food in.

4. Using a plate also helps:
– to make yourself aware that you are about to eat
– to make eating formal
– to make it easier for you to see where and what you are eating.

5. Mid-meal check in. This means that half-way through the meal you should pause and became aware of what you are doing. Ask yourself questions:
– How does the food taste, does it still taste as good as it did at the beginning?
– Are you still hungry, half full or completely full? What are the body’s signals sayings?
– Put your right hand on the middle of your stomach and ask:” Is my stomach filling up?”

 

6. Make every meal special. Lighting candles and putting on some soothing background music will help you to feel more relax and intuitive. It’s amazing how delicious the meal can taste when you take the time to indulge your senses.

7. Meditate before and after a meal. It does not take long – it can be 5-6 minutes before the meal and 5-6 minutes after the meal, this can make all the difference to stopping the binge. Focus not just on stopping the binge but creating a nice special atmosphere where you feel good and your senses are satisfied.

To conclude, becoming more intuitive to your body’s signals and sensations of hunger and fullness can help you to stop binging on food and make your eating more enjoyable. Intuitive eating could be one of the ways to foster a recovery from an eating disorder.