One of my favorite parts of Intuitive Eating that I find most interesting is listening to your body to find out what it needs. We hear "listen to your body" a lot, but what does it really mean and what if you can't "hear" anything?
Our body has an inner messaging system to tell us things like when we're hungry, full, need to use the restroom, when it's time to sleep, and when it's time to move, for example. Our ability to sense those messages is called interoceptive awareness or the ability to perceive physical sensations from our body telling us it needs something.
We are all born with interoceptive awareness, however, some may be be better than others at perceiving these sensations. When our body sends us a message, it starts subtlety and grows in intensity until we address the need. As we get older, different things can cause interference with our ability to "hear" those messages. Some may include being told when to sleep/wake, being encouraged to clean our plate regardless of hunger, and using external strategies to tell us how much/when to move our body.
Many of us may have "forgotten" how to listen to these cues from our body if we have ignored them long enough and, in some cases, our body has stopped sending messages of they've been silenced long enough.
So ask yourself, what messages do I hear from my body on a daily basis?
Let's focus in on hunger. How does your body tell you when it needs food? Can you differentiate between subtle hunger cues and intense ones? Some people experience hunger in their stomach, others detect that they're hungry when they get a headache. With the latter, it's possible that this kind of signal is a sign that you've gone too long without eating leading to an uncomfortable alarm from your body.
If you feel like you're in a place where you are disconnected from these cues, don't worry. You can tune back in and reconnect. You can start by quieting your mind and eliminating distractions. Sit still and "listen" for your body to give you a message. If you don't "hear" something immediately, don't be discouraged. It takes practice to reconnect and be able to detect the more subtle cues.
Note: If you feel your hunger cues are absent, it may be possible that you need help from a trained professional such as your primary care provider or a Registered Dietician. Complete loss of hunger cues can be associated with eating disorders and can lead to issues with adequate fueling of your body and serious health concerns.
The next thing you can do when learning about your hunger cues, is to observe how intense the hunger cue is at different points of the day amongst movement, meals, and sleep. These cues can help you decide how much food your body needs at any given time. There are some other strategies for this that we will discuss in another post.
Learning to connect with your body's cues will help you to identify what it needs. We don't need a tracker or a time of day to tell us what we need and when we need it. Remember, reconnecting with your body's messages takes time, practice, and a lot of grace. Learning to "hear" them and responding appropriately is how you rebuild trust with yourself and show your body respect.
After reading this, I'd love for you to share. Where do you experience hunger in your body? Also, how can you use these cues to better meet your body's needs?
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