February is National Eating Disorders Awareness Month. While you may think eating disorders don’t affect you, chances are someone in your life is a victim. Not only are there anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and bulimia nervosa, but there is also something called disordered eating which doesn’t necessarily fit into the above categories, and some of us may suffer from.
The National Eating Disorders Association states that listening to your body when it comes to eating is the best and most likely way to stay healthy and keep your weight in check. There are 3 things you need to do!
1. Detect when you are getting hungry. Now this may seem simple, but often we eat for plenty of other reasons besides actual hunger (boredom, fatigue, social obligations, because it looks pretty, etc.). Hunger is the way our bodies let us know we need fuel. So, if you don’t detect this hunger signal, figure out what other reason is causing the desire. Also, keep in mind that this skill can take time to develop. If you have been eating more than your body needs, it will take some practice to get back in tune with what is natural for you.
2. Know when you have had enough. Listen to your body. Really try to enjoy the food you are eating, instead of shoving as much in your mouth as possible per second. It takes your body about 20 minutes to recognize when it’s full, so eat slowly! And this too may be hard to do on your first shot. Just keep up the good work, and eventually it will become second nature.
3. Moderation, nothing to extremes. Just because you are trying to listen to your body, does not mean you should listen to it every time it tells you to go to the vending machine. It’s still important to make healthy choices. But it’s not about feeling bad if you are not perfect 100% of the time. Nothing is off limits when it comes to food, as long as it’s in moderation. Doesn’t that feel nice? It’s so much better to have a treat you really enjoy once in a while, rather than to deprive yourself for 3 weeks, and on week 3 day 1, devour a whole box of stale doughnuts.
We are born with the natural ability to regulate our hunger, but sometimes we become disconnected with this process as we get older. Learning to listen to your body does not happen right away, but it is achievable! By living this way, you will never need another fad diet again. Happy eating and remember the word “diet” should be added to your four letter do not use word list!
