Intuitive Eating

[Lynne1]

Has anyone ever tried intuitive eating as a method of loosing weight? Basically means eating what you want when you are hungry and stopping when you are full.

[am1977]

I think that's really the best way to eat. However, for me, it would be a problem, b/c I seem to be hungry ALL the time. I'd be eating 'round the clock :eating:- so don't think it would work for me.

I'm still trying to find out what exactly DOES work-don't think I've found it yet :(.

[duck]

Lynne, that sounds like a formula for disaster for me, LOL.

[Lynne1]

Lynne, that sounds like a formula for disaster for me, LOL.

Yeah, the person who wrote the book I read doesn't have diabetes. Her point was that we may not be eating for real hunger, but for emotional hunger. After you switch to only eating for real hunger you eat much less and loose weight.

[duck]

Yeah, the person who wrote the book I read doesn't have diabetes. Her point was that we may not be eating for real hunger, but for emotional hunger. After you switch to only eating for real hunger you eat much less and loose weight.

I've heard variations on that theme before, one being that we tend to eat for what we lack--ie, we lack vitamin C, we get hungry for oranges, we lack calcium we crave cheese, etc. My problem is I crave cheesecake, which I figure means I lack will-power. :flute:

I'm not knocking her psychology, but I think for the vast majority of people, they would take what she recommends and twist it into a justification to eat like gluttons.

[gettingby]

I've heard variations on that theme before, one being that we tend to eat for what we lack--ie, we lack vitamin C, we get hungry for oranges, we lack calcium we crave cheese, etc. My problem is I crave cheesecake, which I figure means I lack will-power. :flute:

I'm not knocking her psychology, but I think for the vast majority of people, they would take what she recommends and twist it into a justification to eat like gluttons.
I have to agree with Duck on this one. Especially the last statement.

[rea]

it would be a big problem for me. my stomache is completely messed up from dieting and glucose monitering, and mild depression.

I no longer have a sensation of being 'hungry'. I just get sick, (low or high BGs) and when I feel sick, I hate to eat. If i am lucky, my stomache will growl, but mostly I eat by the clock and a schedule that tells me when its time to eat.

I do get cravings though, which are usually for good chocolate or tea.

[Lynne1]

it would be a big problem for me. my stomache is completely messed up from dieting and glucose monitering, and mild depression.

I no longer have a sensation of being 'hungry'. I just get sick, (low or high BGs) and when I feel sick, I hate to eat. If i am lucky, my stomache will growl, but mostly I eat by the clock and a schedule that tells me when its time to eat.

I do get cravings though, which are usually for good chocolate or tea.
My cravings are usually for sweets. I've also gone off sugar cold turkey before and found the cravings subsided. I think I'll do that again with some careful carb control (not elimination). I know that works...enough playing around with experimental eating plans that don't seem to work for me.

[Jeannie]

I have the same kind of problem. I don't usually "get" hungry. I have to remember to eat. Comes from years of bad eating habits...going for long periods of times without eating. Now I usually only manage to get in one meal a day. And there are times when I don't even want that. It makes control very hard for me. And I have tried and tried to eat like I should, but I end up getting sick from eating when I'm not hungry. In spite of this, I still gain weight easily.

[Lynne1]

I have the same kind of problem. I don't usually "get" hungry. I have to remember to eat. Comes from years of bad eating habits...going for long periods of times without eating. Now I usually only manage to get in one meal a day. And there are times when I don't even want that. It makes control very hard for me. And I have tried and tried to eat like I should, but I end up getting sick from eating when I'm not hungry. In spite of this, I still gain weight easily.
I have the opposite problem. I usually end up overeating...I think due to boredom. I'm starting to write down everything I eat and count the carbs and weight watchers points. I need to loose weight and ww points have worked in the past.

[Cyborg]

I think if I had the money and the time I'd be able to eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. It would always be delicious and healthy and diabetic friendly. Guess I'd better stop dreaming and get back to work :burnout:

[Erin]

I eat much like you describe, and it works well. The key is not to have tons of junk food around. Have chocolate, but only have really GOOD chocolate (Ghirideli, Lyndt, Godiva etc and i realize i spelled them all wrong) that way you can eat a small portion, and be satisfied. Have cookies, but only have your FAVORITE cookies. Also have your favorite vegetables and fruits and other healthy options as well. Light cheeses are key. By saying to myself "I can have a piece of really good chocolate whenever I want" I never pig out on whatever junk is in front of me. (yes this is $$ but it's one of my few pleasures, so I do it) Also freeze the really good stuff. If you have to plan on eating something (pastries, brownies, cheesecake) you can't over do it. Only defrost one serving, and NEVER microwave anything that's that good.

My mom, on the other hand, tries to be really strict with herself, and pigs out on whatever junk is available.

it is also important to learn to distinguish between hunger and thirst. I know it sounds silly, but MANY people think they are hungry when they are actually thirsty! Once you can do that, and you can identify what you are craving and why, you can give your body (and your psyche) what it needs from the foods that you're eating. If you're an emotive eater, (as I am) you need to satisfy that urge in a different way (for me it's drinking tea or coffee, or if I really want the sensation of eating I eat very low calorie things, carrot sticks or celery, cause it is usually the "crunch" I'm going for)

[DeusXM]

Umm....I don't want to tread on anyone's toes here, but I'm failing to see what on earth is so revolutionary about eating when you're hungry and not eating when you're not. As far as I was aware, that's what most normal people do anyway.

Or am I just weird?

[Lynne1]

Umm....I don't want to tread on anyone's toes here, but I'm failing to see what on earth is so revolutionary about eating when you're hungry and not eating when you're not. As far as I was aware, that's what most normal people do anyway.

Or am I just weird?

The book I read was called "Breaking Free from Emotional Eating" and deals with people who eat when they are not physically hungry. It's not a diabetic specific book. I used to eat just when I was hungry, but, after being on MDI and a strict eating schedule, I find it hard to go back to eating intuitively.

[DeusXM]

Ah, well now you're talking about the discrepency between appetite and hunger. Why were you on a strict eating schedule on MDI though? Surely the point of MDI is that you don't have to follow a schedule?

[Lynne1]

Ah, well now you're talking about the discrepency between appetite and hunger. Why were you on a strict eating schedule on MDI though? Surely the point of MDI is that you don't have to follow a schedule?
I was on NPH, not lantus. Did have to follow a schedule. I didn't want to switch to lantus for some reason. Going on a pump, though, so won't have to eat on a schedule anymore. Now, to break the eating on a schedule habit!

[MarkMunday]

... intuitive eating ... Basically means eating what you want when you are hungry and stopping when you are full.
As I don't have a weight problem, I am not well placed to comment on this. But I have observed with interest my wife's struggle with weight loss. And she has had remarkable success from eliminating carb cravings. So here is my take on it.

By all accounts "intuitive eating" works well, but only in the absence of carb cravings. Whether you realise it or not, eating carbs makes you feel better because of increased seratonin levels. This positive reinforcement, together with the subconcious need to feel better, drives perceived hunger and excessive carb consumption. And as long as you have carb-cravings, losing weight by eating as much as you "feel" you need is difficult, to say trhe least. Which begs the question, how does one eliminate carb-cravings? The intuitive answer is to reduce carb consumption and wait for the cravings to subside. You should then be able to manage your weight effectively by simply satisfying your hunger.

Cheers,

Mark

[Erin]

Umm....I don't want to tread on anyone's toes here, but I'm failing to see what on earth is so revolutionary about eating when you're hungry and not eating when you're not. As far as I was aware, that's what most normal people do anyway.

Or am I just weird?

Americans very rarely eat when they are actually hungry. We eat when we're bored. We eat when we're depressed. We eat when we're thirsty. We eat because it's the time of the day that we usually eat. We eat because it's there. These are my informal observations of a societal phenomenon, and by no means do they apply to ALL Americans, just to the ones I know or have observed. Getting back to eating when we are actually hungry would be amazing. I make a purposeful effort to eat when, and what, my body actually needs.

[Diana]

I agree with what you said about people not eating predominately becasue of hunger, Erin. And its not just Americans, I'm sure that you could count Australians in too!

I read an interesting book that spoke about having treats, but like you say, having quality treats and actually enjoying them, rather than just stuffing down lots of crappy chocolate bars. So now, like you. I buy good chocolate, and enjoy a small amount every day or second day, or whenever I feel like. Same with cheese. I love yummy cheese, like Brie and Castello and stuff, but previously I would buy a large amount and eat it all with my boyfriend. Now I buy little individual pieces of my fave cheeses, and just enjoy a small amount often. Ive lost 2.6kg over the last 4 weeks just by changing my eating patterns slightly, and really thinking about if I am hungry or not before I eat a meal.

I think for those who have previously been on regimented diets before the more flexible insulins and delivery methods came in, changing can be very hard. I was dignosed when I was 13, which is about the time a young person would normally be starting to make more choices themsleves about what they wanted to eat when. So at that important time of my life, I was told to eat X carbs at Y time, hungry or not. Getting out of the habit of eating meals and snacks has been pretty hard for me. When I was diagnosed I was told to eat three meals and three snacks.. thats a lot of food! Now I realise that some days I might want only two meals, or I might just graze throughout the day instead. Now I try to eat when I want and need food, and not just because three hours have passed. Now that I have a pump, I can pretty much eat what I like, but the old habits still creep in sometimes.

[HelenM]

I think I'm lucky to get this disease at a time when one is able to use insulins that give more choice in eating patterns than previously but one of the consequences must be that it also alows poor choices in eating patterns. Sadly the presssure and availability of food at all times of the day as is the case in the the majorityof 'Anglo-Saxon' countries is not necessarily the best way of eating. Eating when hungry is very difficult to follow when temptation is always there.
I don't think that it would occur to my diabetologue to suggest being flexible about meals... well maybe I could eat at 1pm and not midi! She doesn't like the way my main meal tends to be in the evenings and maybe she's right.
Where I live almost everyone stops at midday to eat, usually at least 3 courses. They have 2 hours off for lunch. If you want to eat in a restaurant you won't get at meal after 1pm . People then eat a smaller meal in the evening (unless its a fete when they eat another several course meal. ) In the supermarkets you cannot buy snacksize portions because except for the children's gouter very few snacks are eaten. Many dieticians would consider the local diet to be very heavy in fat... particularly duck fat yet the area has a very low rate of heart disease, both types of diabetes and obesity.
Sadly (?)things are changing, despite quite violent attempts to stop them by local 'antimondialists' Mc Do's are springing up everywhere and although empty for much of the day are often full of families at weekend lunchtimes and early evenings.

[DeusXM]

Americans very rarely eat when they are actually hungry. We eat when we're bored. We eat when we're depressed. We eat when we're thirsty. We eat because it's the time of the day that we usually eat. We eat because it's there.

I know what you mean. It's the same in most Western countries. It never ceases to amaze me how many people seem to regard eating as a leisure activity.

I work in a really small office and I'm not joking, at every possible moment the people I work with appear to be feeding themselves sweets or cake or chocolate. I don't snack with them. I mean, yeah, I could stuff myself with all that **** and keep my BG under control but the effort of having to bolus every time and get that right doesn't really seem worth it for the two minutes of leisure eating. I find other ways to cheer me up at work - like coming here, for instance!

Besides, I actually prefer savoury snacks to sweets, and I always have done, even before getting dxed.