You may have noticed that I took some time off from blogging this week. Many people turn to rules and the likes to get back on track, but I prefer the opposite. Personally, I equate rules with restrictions, and I’m not ok with that. If that works for you, great. For me, it’s just unhealthy. Instead, I go the opposite route, listening (and I mean, really paying attention) to my body for guidance. I think that being an intuitive eater is extra difficult if you have a food blog because it just increases the amount of time in the day you are thinking about meals. Blogging is not my full time job, so it’s unnatural for it to consume my every thought, and sometimes I forget that. Hence, the mini hiatus from HHH. The past few days have served as a much needed break, reminding me that life is more than a series of meals (shocking, I know). So rather than revolving around food, my days have been free for other things (more “normal” things – like Gossip Girl walks around the neighb with Kyle). As a result, the amount of time in the day I think about food has decreased tremendously, allowing me to really hone in on my cravings in the moment (and not several hours leading up to eating). You see, blogging also adds pressure to meal time in terms of recipe variety. Since I’m taking the time to photograph and share my food with you all, I feel obligated to make something new and interesting each and every day. That’s hard enough to do when I’m feeling inspired, but sometimes I just want the same thing for dinner 5 nights in a row. And that’s why I’ve been using the down time to do simply that. Eat what I want, when I want.
Intuitive eating.
For some it’s as natural as breathing. For others, like me, it’s more difficult.
Lately I’ve been getting fairly frequent emails from readers commending me for my ability to eat how I do – disregarding the ridiculous FDA approved portion sizes and such. Flattering as that is, I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about how easy this is for me.
The truth of the matter is: I still struggle with the same issues that 99% of the females in this country also struggle with.
The fact that (a) I have IBS, (b) I’m a food blogger, and (c) I exercise with regularity, means I’m hyperaware of how diet fits into my life. And for the record, being hyperaware is not a fun way to live. So to any readers looking to me for guidance on being a carefree eater, please know it’s not as easy as it looks/sounds. I still have voices in my head that I’m constantly [CONSTANTLY] having to push away. And ignoring the noise is no small task. I’d love to blame the media, but I know the factors I listed above are also the main reasons I’m so neurotic analytical with my diet.
IBS is why I eat the way I do and what led to blogging in the first place.
Sharing my vegan meals with others and getting feedback is what keeps me inspired to continue.
Fitness just happens to be a hobby.
And due to all of these things, there is a great deal of consideration that goes into my food choices. I just want to make sure it’s not TOO MUCH consideration. So if you think I’m living the sweet life without a worry in the world, it’s not that simple. I’ve worked hard to drown out the noise (the “should” and “shouldn’t” phrases). Being an intuitive eater is an uphill climb for me; some days I’m rock solid, while other days I need to work at it.
So yeah, that’s all I wanted to say. I’m human, I’m still a work in progress…and not living in cruise control, yet.
Here are some (food) highlights from the past few days (in no particular order).
What does intuitive eating mean for you? Are you good at it (does it come naturally, or do you have to work at it)?
For me, intuitive eating is listening to my body for cues on when and what to eat. It means ignoring the clock and the times I think I “should” eat, and simply eating as much (or as little) as I want, when I want it. Obviously, this has some limits – I don’t consider it a free for all. The point is not to binge or restrict (buzz words be damned), it’s to be in tune with what I really and truly want, and then having it. In the same vein, intuitive eating also means sensing when I’m satisfied using the same method (listening to my body) and then stopping. Because I’m full, not because I should be full or want to be done. It sounds simple, I know. But it requires me to be present more than I typically am. It also means I have to accept the fact that some days I’m more hungry than others. Additionally, some days my body wants food earlier in the day, and some days I don’t seem to get hungry until later on. I’m a person, not a robot, so I have to treat my body like the complex system that it is, and if that means eating breakfast at 7 am one day and 11 am the next, then so be it. Routines can be dangerous because over time they can start to become so habitual that you are afraid to branch out. Change should not be feared. Intuitively, I think we all know this, but sometimes we just need a reminder.
Wow Elise this is such a powerful post and I can relate to you on every aspect in that I too have IBS, I’m a food blogger, and exercise is a huge part of my life. I tell myself that I have a healthy relationship with food but in all honesty I don’t. I don’t eat the cookie, I refuse the treats, I push away the bread because it doesn’t “fit” into my macros. Just today I asked my bf whether I should bring my dinner to a friends house…He thought I was losing my mind and that I needed to relax a little on my food choices and he was right. I eat certain meals, at a certain time, and if I don’t, I get thrown all outta whack. I should just listen to my body and relax. It honestly is both physically and emotionally exhausting to deal with. Thanks for this post, I really did need that reminder 🙂
You nailed it. I completely agree with everything you said 110%. I think this is why I have so much trouble blogging, because I HARDLY EVER take pictures of my food before consuming it because I just do not think about it that much. What is on my mind is feeding my craving at the time, and once it is gone, it’s gone! Oh well, maybe one day I will get the hang of photographing some of my masterpieces and becoming a awesome raw chef with a thriving blog, but until then I will eat when and whatever I feel like! 🙂 Glad you are lovin’ life! PS did your Justin’s jar come yet?
I don’t really have the time right now to properly respond to this post eloquently, but I just wanted to quickly say that it was awesome. It was raw and honest and just great. I really appreciated it.
Nicole G
PS. I had quinoa, hummus, and steamed butternut squash all mixed up for dinner the other night and I felt like a creep bc I had no one to comment out loud to to say “What an Elise dinner!”
Wow– what a great post, so inspiring! everything you said was so true, it is so hard to deifne anything because there are so many exceptions.
I think i would define intuitive eating as eating when I feel hungry and full without feeling guilt. But I cannot say I do this all the time– and probably not even half of the time!
awesome post. Thank you for writing it 🙂
I have multiple factors in my life that work against intuitive eating: for starters, I had anorexia, so that makes you pretty hyper-aware of everything you eat, no matter how long ago your recovery was. Also, I’m a graduate student in nutrition, so it’s my job to think about food all day. Accordingly, intuitive eating is NOT something that comes naturally to me!
great post! i’m trying to get back to intuitive eating too…it’s hard for me (wish it wasn’t!) but i beelieve we are all born with the ability so we can all get back to it!
I know how you feel. I have to work hard at intuitive eating so it also bugs me when people around me think its so easy for me to do. Also, on the same note, because I am fit they think its because I am naturally that way. I work so hard in regards to exercising!
Elise,
Thank you for this awesome post. While I am not a food blogger, I agree that food bloggers should not be looked to as role models or advisors on what to eat, when and how much. We are all different, our bodies have different needs, we have different activity levels, and issues that we deal with (like IBS). I read food blogs for inspiration on food and honestly, because I like the people who write them, but it doesn’t make any sense to me to base it off someone else.
For me intuitive eating is exactly what you said: listening to your body and what it needs and wants, not following some strict set of rules of what you should and shouldn’t have.
Thanks again!
i agree sometimes blogging makes me think about food way too much! i’ve been thinking about taking a wee bit of a break just so i can focus on more important things like school. i’m so in love with this post though!
since being diagnosed with non celiac gluten sensitivity, i try to eat intuitively but without pressure. I couldn’t agree ore with your perspective. And yes, sometimes I eat lunch at 10:30 and again at 2pm. The body wants what it wants, ya know?
i can vouch for everything you just wrote in your blog today. because i’ve known you since seventh grade.
also, i posted something spesh for you on your fb page. i wrote the story about the tiffany earrings. it’s good. i’m pretty sure that everyone who reads it will think i’m the most horrible person in the whole wide world. and my blog will go from 10 followers to 2 – you and ethel.
xoxo
ok, so all the foods your tend to crave and desire = happy happy foods in my tummy! So seriously, go ahead and post pics of sunflower seed butter, hummus, fruits, crazy vegan desserts, quinoa, carob chips, almonds, dates etc. to the moon and back because I LOVE ’em! You inspire my eats all the time:) And for the record, I loved that you addressed this situation of intuitive eating and knocking away those STUPID voices! you go girl:)
I have to be honest that there are many times when I read your blog that I think, “wow wish I could eat like that and still look as good as she does.” I think you made such great points that everyone needs to be reminded of.
I’ve been having a tough time adjusting to some changes in life this post couldnt have come at a better time so I just wanted to say THANK YOU and that you’ll always be a role model to me! <3
I consider myself a very intuitive eater – but it definitely did NOT come easily. I’ve been working on it for probably 5 years. I used to be really restrictive and follow a bunch of dumb rules – and I was miserable. For now, I’m happy eating what my body tells me it wants. Lately, it’s been more unhealthy than healthy – and that kind of worries me, but I know my body will straighten itself out, it ALWAYS does, but it’s hard to trust sometimes. It’s also hard (or disappointing to myself) to blog about my less than stellar food choices sometimes.
Glad you had a little blogging break – I always feel refreshed after a couple of days off. 🙂
Thanks so much for this post. While I’d like to say I’m a very intuitive eater, there are always going to be days when your meals are dictated by your schedule, and the best you can do is be prepared, you know? While my clinical nutrition training tends to help with that whole being prepared thing, I do find myself thinking things like, “Okay, so I had 1 grain at lunch, 1 protein, 1.5 servings vegetables, and my snack had a fat and a grain so maybe dinner should have…” where other people would be more inclined to think, “I want pasta” or “I want a salad.” It’s hard to think about the “want” when you’re so used to talking about needs. That said, I think that there’s a lot of intersection between the two.
Hey Elise. Thanks for being so open. Honestly…it’s really refreshing to hear. I think that often in the blogging world people forget that the blog posts are only one part of a persons lives. It takes a lot of strength on your part to be as open as you were in this post and I really respect you for that. Like a lot of females in this country, I struggled with an eating disorder through high school and in college went the opposite direction with complete binging. It has taken me a few years to finally feel some sense of “normality” with the way I eat but I know I still have a lot of unhealthy habits. Intuitive eating is something I definitely have to work on but a lot of times I find it so draining. I have to tell you that you have been an inspiration these past couple months I have been reading you blog. Really. I am not sure how often you hear that, but I hope you can add it to the list of reasons why you would continue blogging. Also, where would my life be without hippie-roons?
THANKS ELISE!
Oh boy I will chime in here beause dealing with a disordered eating past (present really for me) makes this SUPER hard.
If I am Not Hungry (really! not just Anorexic not hungry) skipping dinner causes me a great deal of mental gymnastics. Am I being good? Bad? Will this Cause me to binge? To restrict?
The key is that when I really listen…it won’t matter.
I will not restrict or binge no matter what if I listen to my body.
But I still can’t bring myself to skip dinner.
The trouble with eating when you are not hungry? How do you tell when you are full…sigh.
Thank you for writing this. I wish I had something really eloquent to say, but my brain is tired…basically, I think all food bloggers have had these kind of thoughts. Blogging encouraged me to break out of my daily food habits, but it definitely puts pressure on constantly coming up with new meals. I’m trying to learn to be ok with posting boring stuff every once in awhile, because hey, that’s life. Love your honesty- might be linking back to this tomorrow, because you’re way better at expressing these feelings than I could be!
i love this post. thank you for being true to yourself, it reminds us all that we should all be listening to our own bodies 🙂
Such a thoughtful post. Intuitive eating is a struggle, but if it counts for anything, you always seem like you’re doing it so easily to your readers!
great post. I totally understand and relate to how all those factors at play that can work against intuitive eating. some of the very things I love about blogging, such as how it inspires me to try new recipes and foods, can at times be unwanted pressure. there have been many-a-dinner where my focus is not on what my body wants, but what I had planned on making. in other words, I am so not an intuitive eater. yet! like you, I’m a work in progress! Love that you took some time to listen to your body 🙂
PS You go Glen Coco!
wow, i loved this post! its actually sort of like what i wrote about a few days ago here: http://cinnamonbums.wordpress.com/2011/04/22/freedom-sweet-freedom/ – but yeah, i think i am still in the process of learning about intuitive eating – it really means having no rules about what i should or shouldn’t eat, about when i eat, about what my food looks like in content or quantity in regards to others, it means listening to my body (including exercising – not overdoing it and not being completely stagnant either) . i think it speaks so much to your strength and character and groundedness that you were able to take a break from blogging just to get back into intuitive eating! and its so true that i think a lot of the healthy living community has a tendency to actually put up more rules instead, so i really really admire your approach. so awesome =)
thank you so much for this post, elise. it’s incredibly well articulated. i’m sorry you feel any amount of pressure to create new things for us (your readers)! please know i will read regardless of the number of recipes you post per week or the number of meals you choose to cover in one day. maybe reconsider how you want to blog if you feel it takes up too much of your time? just a suggestion 🙂
nonetheless, i love the message in your words here. intuitive eating is a process i am just starting and it’s definitely not an easy thing practice regularly. it requires a lot of patience and a careful eye. but i also think it’s worth it because i too am so sick of all these food rules so many of us apply in our lives. the body is totally not a robot! and sometimes it can be difficult to just simply trust in its queues. practice make perfect (or at least close to it) right? thanks again, elise!
Such a great honest post, I think I have commented before on how refreshing I felt your blog was in terms of seeing good sized portions of food. In a way its a comfort to know that you experience the same internal and external pressures as a lot of us do when it comes to eating. I’m in a strange place right now as after losing a lot of weight I’m trying to maintain and finding that balance (and actually not losing more weight!) has been very tough. I try and eat as intuitively and mindfully as possible, but that is sometimes tough when you blog and, like me, if you meal plan for budgetting / organisation / to reduce food waste! I guess I’m getting there slowly but surely. Thanks for sharing!
I feel like I’m a combination of intuitive eating and schedulized eating, but I don’t know if that’s because on my blog I don’t document everything I eat. I don’t know. You raise a really interesting point. I love food, but I don’t want to be thinking about it all the time, you know? Most days I just view food as fuel instead of this huge process.
And I hear what you’re saying about creativity with food as a blogger. I eat the same foods 95% of the time, and I’m okay with that.
At the end of the day, I guess intuitive eating to me means asking myself what I want to eat for each meal or snack and how I want that food to make me feel.
Excellent post!!
Intuitive eating is hard for me. I go through moments when I do not think much about food because I am busy doing other work. But sometimes food is all I think about. Truly listening to my body is hard work. I have little voices too. But I just do what I can and respect my body and mind and try to enjoy all the food I do get to eat 🙂
I just wanted to agree with Zoe. I will definitely continue to read regardless of how much food you post. Your blog is inspiring, funny, interesting, and thought provoking at times. I know that we readers only know the blog side of you, but I feel like in a way I know you and I read your blog because I want to know what’s up in the life of Elise. Food stuff is always fun, but that is not the main reason that I read. I’m glad that you took a break to take care of yourself. THAT is healthy.
elise, this is a really great post…and always needed. i really struggle w/ intuitive eating. too many years of the should/nt, can/t, anxiety, guilt, hunger, bloat, full, etc. i’m still a work in progress, but i am certainly well on my way to listening to my body and pushing the evil thoughts out. each day is different, and it takes a lot of effort, but reading others journeys helps me out. a lot.
so thanks 🙂
Thank you for that really insightful post Elise. This is coming at a great time for me because I’m trying to seriously become a more intuitive eater and being a student makes that so difficult sometimes! I really admire your way of looking at food and nutrition, and it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one struggling with listening to my body rather than social cues. Thank you 🙂
This so needed to be said! I appreciate that you always keep it real and acknowledge that while food blogging is great, there is also an intense focus on food. Food should be fun, easy, and a great part of our day, but it shouldn’t be the only thing in our life! I’m so glad that other bloggers feel that way too.
And I love this: “Eat what I want, when I want.”
I think that’s my life motto.
elise,
Thank you SO much for posting this. I think it’s so easy for all of us – bloggers and readers alike – to see other people and assume that they have everything all figured out. I have been working on intuitive eating for over a year. As someone with a history of Eating Disorders, this has been hard for me, and it is refreshing to be reminded that just because I want to eat intuitively, doesnt mean that I will be perfect at it tomorrow. My relationship with food is a work in progress – my diet is balanced, and mostly vegan, and i enjoy food, but i often feel that it consumes too many of my thoughts and i still have anxiety about food that can lead to mini-binges or calorie counting (which can be hard to avoid!). But I’m improving, and it is so meaningful and helpful and reassuring to know that others – especially others who may seem to have it all worked out – still have to consider how much they think about food and still have to put effort into eating intuitively. I love your blog, I have a lot of respect for you, and I thank you for sharing this. You are awesome!
I love that you took a break for yourself. I definitely don’t post all of my meals, because I do not want to feel pressured to change my eating habits for the sake of more interesting reading (or, interesting reading, period!). I have come to realize that my own “intuitive” eating involves a lot of repetition, and I am perfectly happy with that. My body LIKES eating similar things at similar times every day. Especially being an extremely active person (with a fairly regular day-to-day schedule), I have come to identify what foods fuel me well and when it is best to eat them, and what foods satisfy me well after a tough workout or day. I’m not a robot, but I know that, personally, my body treats me best and keeps me happiest when I follow a pretty regular routine, and I’m more than happy to stick to that. I absolutely enjoy my meals, and feeling that I’m eating in the best way for my body- after MUCH trial and error- is the ultimate satisfaction.
Great post, Elise!
Thank you thank you thank you for this post. I’ve taken some time away from blogging recently and felt so…free! Don’t get me wrong, I love blogging, but it can definitely start to feel like a chore and make me too obsessive about food. I was starting to feel guilty, but this post makes me feel like it’s a good thing for me to do.
An inspiration as usual:)
neighb. love that term. and yeah for a break! us bloggers that don’t get paid the big bucks to ramble about ourselves need to have these types of reality checks sometimes.. so 1-glad you did and 2-thanks for the reminder. love ya!
Elise, great on taking some time off blogging this week since that’s what your body/mind/spirit needed it sounds like. Blogs make us so hyperaware of things sometimes…like will this be a good blog meal, or wont it, or blog recipe, or will this make for a nice photo, or will someone give me flack b/c my dessert was not a “healthified” dessert..it goes on and on…and so yes, totally gotcha on all that.
As for I.E. I didnt become one until my mid 20s when I realized that I dont care what other ppl think about my choices; I am the one living with them, my body, and the results of what I put in my mouth. So, now, I try to only put things in my mouth that I want, not b/c someone else tells me I should or shouldnt. For me, that’s I.E. But yes, not always as easy as it sounds.
Great post!
Agreed on blogging, it’s tough sticking to a heavy schedule when it’s not a full time job.
True on being hyper aware, it feel neurotic sometimes.
Intuitive eating is eating when hungry to me, it’s trying to eat slow and just what your body is asking for. And it’s not easy, I’m also not great at listening to my body and sometimes let my blog determine what I eat for content purposes rather than eating what I’m craving since it’s boring.
I just have to chime in with the rest. What a wonderful post!! This is exactly why I don’t blog solely about food. I can’t imagine thinking about it more than I already do. I have never once read your blog and thought “more hummus?? ugh” I love that you eat the same things. Because the truth is… most of us do. Staying true to ourselves and really finding what that means is a daily challenge. Only emphasized when we write about it.
Elise, I couldn’t have said it better myself. I’ve been struggling with this a lot too, recently, especially since the meals I can eat and when I eat them vary so much from day to day (some days I’m at school at 9 AM, some days I’m working until midnight). It’s confusing, and stressful, but I think I’ve internalized a feeling of tabooness in talking about that on the blog. So I commend you for taking the initiative! I’ve had a similar post mulling around in my brain, I just hope I can write it soon 🙂
Love to you!
I know I’m late to the party on this one, but I just have to leave a comment. I feel like you wrote this post especially for me. Intuitive eating does NOT come easy for me…it’s a daily struggle to decide if what I want is actually a want or just a wild craving and even when I’m not at work, I have the hardest time focussing on my meal and slowing down (usually inhaling it in 5 minutes and then feeling super stuffed).
I totally agree that having a food blog DOES put more stress on me…somedays I just have to remind myself why I love it so much. But I will admit that there are days that go by where I just don’t WANT to take pictures of my food. I just want to eat.
Not that I thought you had this fantastic stress-free life, but it’s so good to find someone that struggles with intuitive eating too. It almost seems like everyone in blogworld has no problem “listening to their body”. Finally I don’t feel alone!
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OMG This was SUCH a good post! 🙂 I’m definitely struggling with intuitive eating and blogging about my food/feeling pressure to eat new and exciting things definitely doesn’t always help… Particularly when I feel like I have to do a “what i ate” post and such. Glad to know others feel the same way. 🙂 it’s funny, but sometimes I like when I’m way too busy to even really eat “properly” (I mean, I have meals, but I can’t cook) because then I’m just eating when I want to and not thinking about the delicious food I just kind of crave because I’m thinking about it, or just going out of my way to try to create something novel.
I really need to work on the intuitive part of it though, FAR too much mindless eating in my life right now :/
thanks for this post <3
You’re right, we do need reminders from time to time (or, for me, all the time)! I absolutely loved this: “I’m a person, not a robot, so I have to treat my body like the complex system that it is, and if that means eating breakfast at 7 am one day and 11 am the next, then so be it.” I am working on being more present and mindful, especially with eating. Thank you for this post! 🙂
i think this is exactly what I”ve been trying to figure out for myself lately. I can tell that my diet swung just a bit to far to the eat whatever sugar I want side and I want to get it under control. I keep seeing all these SUGAR free challenges and thinking maybe that’s what I need… then I think I just don’t know that a complete restriction is what i need when I’m training so hard right now either.
great post
i have found those kinds of self-imposed limits only make me want to go against them even more. ive seen the same challenges youre referring to and thats awesome if it works for those individuals, but for me it has the opposite effect. the forbidden fruit always becomes more appealing after i “cant” have it… so yeah, i just remind myself that everyone is different, and while rules may be an effective method for some people, i dont do well with it. no matter what though, being in tune with your body can be hard work, and figuring it all out is no piece of cake. trial and error, right?
Okay, now I am starving. Those pictures are so good looking!!!
What a lovely post. I’m actually not much of an intuitive eater myself–much more of a thinker than a feeler when it comes to food. I don’t mean that I guilt or obsess or count, but I do mean that usually construct meals in my head ahead of time, and I also mean that I’m conscious of health and nutrition science as I eat. For whatever reason, this does not bother me at all. Maybe it’s the fact that I went without eating for so long that now, the care I put into my food is actually loving and welcome–who knows? Maybe it’s just the nutritionist in me, and I don’t mind it because I’m a person who really likes rules and structure.
Whatever the case, as I sometimes tell readers, intuition plays a part in my habits, but it yields to analysis more often than not. And I’m 100% happy with that.
I do think it’s healthy and generous of you to share with us the fact that you’re *not* a rule lover when it comes to food, and you are trying to be more intuitive. That is awesome. And I also like that this blog is, as always, a true reflection of an honest gal.
XOXO
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