With so many different diet trends and fads displayed on social media it can be hard to know what is real or fake. Many diets have you cutting out certain food groups or labeling food as “good” or “bad.” I am not entirely sure where these notions come from, but one thing is for sure – the public tends to listen to it. What we see on the internet or on television often comes from unreliable sources and people who are tying to make money off of this multi billion dollar industry. What is important to remember is that if it seems to good to be true it usually is.
This leads us into the next principle of Intuitive Eating, Honoring your Hunger. Hunger is your body’s physiological response to needing more energy in the form of food. This includes all food groups: protein, carbohydrate and fat. It is important to remember that carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body and the brain. Without it, your body starts to take energy from your muscles, decreasing your muscle mass and slowing your metabolism. Therefore it is important to incorporate carbohydrates at each meal as well as the other food groups.
Without eating a balanced diet, or if we consume too little calories and don’t listen to our hunger cues, we are more likely to overeat later on. Many times individuals will skip meals or decrease their intake throughout the day only to find that they are starving by evening and have no “willpower” so they will overeat. If your body tells you it is hungry, then it is important to listen to prevent this. Overeating at dinner because you didn’t eat enough throughout the day is completely normal and serves as a reminder for us to eat a balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner with snacks in between to nourish our bodies, keep our metabolism working properly and prevent feelings of intense hunger or deprivation.
For more information or for help identifying your hunger levels and eating according to your body’s signals, please feel free to reach out and set up an appointment. Intuitive Eating takes time and I am here to help you begin on your journey to more mindful eating.
Allison Marco is a Registered Dietitian in the DC Metro area licensed to practice in both Maryland and Washington, DC. Allison has extensive counseling experience working with clients with needs ranging from weight loss, weight gain, nutrition therapy for disease states, emotional eating, food allergies, disordered eating and more. Allison is passionate about helping clients achieve their goals through an overall lifestyle approach that is unique to each individual. Her focus is not on weight loss, but creating healthy lifestyle changes through mindful eating, where the additional benefit is achieving a desirable weight. Contact Allison to inquire about nutrition counseling services here at Capital Center for Psychotherapy & Wellness.