What is Normal Eating? (January, 2015)
To begin 2015, I thought this topic would be a great one to discuss. So many of us have mixed ideas about what is normal eating?
Many of us have been on every diet, others have disordered eating with a variety of food rules, or maybe you are someone who is working on being in recovery from an eating disorder. There is no “formal definition” of normal eating, but I thought I would provide you with some tips that could help guide you on a positive pathway.
Remember that each of us are culturally unique and with habits that we have developed over time. I do believe that it is important to get support from an entire treatment team who specializes in body image issues and or eating disorders. By having this team, it will allow you to be closer to reach your goal of normal eating.
1. Eat when you are hungry.
Clients hear me say this all the time. The challenge is that each person has to go through their own journey to learn how to reconnect to their different levels of hunger. Often times people eat because the clock says it’s a certain time, or they have a social commitment, or because it’s convenient. When someone has anorexia nervosa, that individual has one of their body’s basic needs. By being on a meal plan in the beginning, they can retrain their body to learn how to reconnect to their different levels of hunger.
2. Stop eating when you are full.
I hear clients tell me that they don’t realize they are full until it’s too late. Often times we are raised to clean our plate, or we are fast eaters. We don’t realize the message from the stomach to our brain telling us we are full takes 20-40 minutes to arrive.
3. Sometimes we will under eat.
There are days that we are rushed and don’t get to finish our meal. We bring food with us and don’t always have a chance to eat it. Perhaps we are too full from a previous meal. Whatever the reason is, it is normal to under eat just like it is normal to overeat. Under eating periodically happens and we trust that our body will make up for it at the next meal.
4. Sometimes you will overeat.
We all have circumstances that cause us to overeat. People tend to overeat in the following circumstances: they are sad, bored, anxious or they are multitasking. Sometimes the food tastes great and you just don’t want to stop. The key is to recognize this behavior and not allow it to become an ongoing pattern. It’s important to not judge yourself, because this happens to everyone. The way your body makes up for under eating, your body also makes up for overeating
5. Your eating is flexible.
Being flexible means that we can eat at different times, eat different foods, and of course different things. Learning to not sweat the small stuff is important too. Maybe snack foods become dinner or we pick up take out, and that’s fine too
6. Your don’t know or care about how many calories are in your food.
I always remind clients that our role is to not be a human calculator. People who have normal and healthy relationships with food do not count their calories, protein, carbohydrates and fat. They eat when they are hungry and stop when they are satisfied. Those people would agree that in food pleasure is removed if they constantly compute the nutritional values of their food choices.
7. You spend a limited amount of time thinking about your food.
It is normal to think about what to put on your grocery list, or where you want to make a reservation for dinner, or what new restaurants are out there. Also, people who have healthy relationships with foods have an awareness of what help them feel their best. If they have a medical condition, perhaps they have awareness about that too. If you have thoughts that are beyond what is described, than it might be worthwhile to see a registered dietitian/therapist who specializes in food and body images issues.
8. You eat dessert and don’t feel guilty about it.
I always say to my clients that it is important to address our nutrition first, then to have some type of play food after. Dessert is play food. Let’s face it, how many meals can be salmon, brown rice and brussels sprouts? I am not saying that the play food has to be the most decadent item, but if we deny ourselves and feel guilty, then this can set us up to binge. When we legalize that “forbidden food”, you may find that it’s not a big deal to have it.
I hope you found that these eight tips describing normal eating helps to set you on a positive path!
