Dieting can be classified into three different groups: extremists, intuitives, and apathetics.
1. Extremists.Doesn’t matter if it’s keto, vegan, paleo, IIFYM (If it fits your macros), Ayurvedic, etc. These people are hardcore about whatever their plan is.
2. Intuitives.These people abide by Intuitive Eating which means they “listen to what their body needs” or have the flexibility to adjust whenever needed. There is no real plan, but this crowd has a sense of right and wrong. However, this can be a dangerous road for some. More on that below.
3. Apatheics.They eat chili cheese fries and give no f*cks. YOLO, right?
If you are any sort of athlete or someone with a desire to change your body composition, you will most likely fall into category 1 or 2. I swing between the two of them. The problem with #1 is that people can easily get burnt out on it and then fall back on “I’m just going to eat what I feel.” And here the problem lies…
Intuitive Eating stands out as a seemingly good option to people because it doesn’t involve counting calories but relying on your own human instinct. While it sounds like a great solution, it can go wrong for many people. Because here’s the secret. 9 times out 10, the people who are the primary educators of this method have spent many years counting calories! Usually these people, like myself, were former figure competitors or athletes of some sort and have had to track calories or macronutrients before. Ergo, they naturally know what portions they should be having and understand the difference between 400 calories of chicken and a sweet potato and 400 calories of XYZ drive thru.
If you weren’t ever in a position where you had to track calories for long periods of time, like Judy Gingerberry, you have no idea of what calories look like on your plate. Many people continue to eat this way, thinking that they are being healthy. And when the results don’t come, they throw in the towel. I’ve seen it time and time again.
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BUT there is good news.
Here are three steps to mastering Intuitive Eating. I want you to imagine yourself as a college freshman with hopes of going to medical school. You’re so excited and you know you have what it takes. But…you just don’t know everything yet. It doesn’t mean you’re not smart or focused. It just means there is much to learn.
But fear not. You’re going to be an amazing doctor one day with these 3 steps:
1. Count your calories. For a period of time.
Yes, count your calories. Look up your restaurant orders, use online sources to discover ballpark figures, track labels, etc. Begin to teach yourself what portions look like and how you feel from each. Consider this to be like taking all of your core classes in college. (How many calories do you need? Message me)
2. Track calories half the week and eat intuitively for the other half.
Now you’re in med school! You get to begin applying what you’ve learned in undergrad while still having some structure. Pick 2-3 days of the week and eat intuitively without any counting. See how you feel and track your weight/body composition over the course of this time. (Ideally, 3 months)
3. Eat Intuitively!
Oh, happy day! You’ve graduated medical school and received that coveted MD. At this point, you should have an in depth understanding of your body and how it responds to calories, portions, etc. This is a good place to live, but if you need to bring it back to steps 1-2 periodically, it’s okay. In fact, think of it like Continuing Education.