I often meet clients who tell me that if they could only "get their eating under control," everything would be fine. In essence, their eating behaviors are not seen as connected to any other aspect of their lives. I, on the other hand, see it a bit differently. Here's an article that I wrote for Health&Fitness in June 2014. See what you think...

There are scads of books and articles written about the concept of intuitive eating. In short, it means feeding yourself based on your own experience of your needs and desires rather than what diet plans, friends, or “experts” dictate. Intuitive eating philosophy centers on the idea that your body can be a trustworthy and consistent source of wisdom about your health and well being. This concept, however simple as it sounds, is not very easy to sell, and certainly is not easy to implement. In my experience as an eating disorder specialist, many people do not eat intuitively much less live that way. To many, such a prescription for health sounds like mayhem in the making! But if we don’t know what is best for ourselves, then to whom are we listening?

If someone is struggling with disordered eating, whether it be compulsive dieting or a full-blown eating disorder, she or he is always overriding their own intuitions and "swallowing" other sources of information, whether they "taste" good to them or not. This is quite a normative occurrence in our culture. That’s not to say that seeking wise counsel or staying informed of empirical science should be excluded. It’s "swallowing it whole" that’s the problem rather than simply "chewing on it" to see if it’s for us or not. For example, many women totally discount their own experience of hunger and fullness. They lose the ability to know what they want to eat, what would taste good, and how much is enough. They substitute their authentic needs and desires for what they believe they should want or need. And where do those directives come from? They come from anywhere but from within – magazines, peers, media, parents, and the culture at large. Over time, people become numb to their bodily cues and intuitions, resulting in their inability to care for themselves at the most basic level. In time, many people end up at unhealthy weights, unable to eat or stop eating, and chronically dissatisfied with themselves. There is always backlash for ignoring the self.

On a broader level, it is my opinion that most folks carry this strategy to living their lives in general. Living intuitively is replaced by living robotically, leading to feelings of emptiness and dissatisfaction. We follow plans and flow charts designed to bring us meaning and fulfillment. We look to culturally held values for answers, rather than using these resources to inform our own intrinsic natures. Just like it is difficult for a women with disordered eating to embrace an indulgent craving, it is difficult for someone to bless their true desire to change jobs, change relationships, dislike what other may like, or like what others don’t. Living intuitively means seeking what is right for your rather than believing in the one right answer. It is my experience that as people begin to trust themselves and look inward for direction they become more aware of what they are truly craving from life and are then better able to feed themselves in nourishing and meaningful ways.