This guest post is part of our New Year, New Approach feature to kick off 2011 with a renewed passion for healthy eating.
Over the next few days Estela Schnelle will describe three ways you can adopt a more mindful approach to eating with her Concrete Steps for Letting Go of Diets:
1. Part One - Stop counting calories
2. Part Two - Let go of the ‘Cheat Day’
3. Part Three - Define what ‘Normal Eating’ means to you
Although I’ve never had an eating disorder, I did go through a period of being a little too concerned with what I was eating. Here is one of my favorite messages from the National Eating Disorders Association.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY:
• Eat what you want, when you are truly hungry.
• Stop when you’re full.
• And eat exactly what appeals to you.
• Do this instead of any diet, and you’re likely to maintain a healthy weight, and avoid eating disorders.
This is where normal eating comes in. Normal eating is basically eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re satisfied. Do this and you will control your weight while falling into your natural healthy weight.
Registered Dietitian Ellyn Satter provides a more detailed definition:
• Normal eating is going to the table hungry and eating until you are satisfied.
• Normal eating is being able to give some thought to your food selection so you get nutritious food, but not being so wary and restrictive that you miss out on enjoyable food.
• It is leaving some cookies on the plate because you know you can have some again tomorrow, or it is eating more now because they taste so wonderful.
• Normal eating trusts your body to make up for your mistakes in eating.
• Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life
• In short, normal eating is flexible. It varies in response to your hunger, your schedule, your proximity to food and your feelings.
This is a very good definition of normal eating and sounds relatively easy, but for some, it’s harder than you think.
What I’ve learned from my clients is that everyone’s definition of normal eating is different. Someone’s view of normal eating could be eating fast food only once or twice per day.
It’s really important to clarify that it’s both quantity and quality that matters. Eating healthy is very important, but how much you eat is even more important. If you want fast food, eat fast food, just don’t order and consume the entire supersized value meal. Normal eating as mentioned above is “going to the table hungry and eating until you are satisfied.” This can be difficult for some.
It’s all about having the right attitude. Food is fun, delicious, and satisfying. Forget trying to lose weight… carry your head high and your attitude positive. Let yourself eat what you want when you’re hungry and stop when you stomach isn’t hungry anymore. Like Ellyn Satter says…“Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life.”
I leave you with one question…“What is your description of Normal Eating?” I’d love to hear from you!
Part One - Stop counting calories
Part Two - Let Go of the Cheat Day
Estela Schnelle is a registered dietitian and stay-at-home mom. She shares recipes, nutrition tips and her adventures in mommyhood on her blog, WeeklyBite.com.
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