Intuitive Eating: I Don’t Know Where to Start

It’s Intuitive Eating Wednesday when I answer your questions and troubleshoot your challenges around intuitive eating and emotional eating.

This week’s Intuitive Eating Wednesday Question comes from Sandy, and it is:

“Bonnie, I have decided not to start a diet in the New Year! And while I’m excited about this, I just don’t know where to begin my intuitive eating journey. I have the original Intuitive Eating book, which I’ve read twice, but I just feel overwhelmed. Can you help me?”

Yes, of course, thank you Sandy for writing in to me.

As I started to put together some steps for Sandy, I thought about you.

Are you in the same place as Sandy?

Have you historically started a new diet or “healthy way of life” (a.k.a. diet) every January 1^st?

Have you decided that this year it will be different….no more dieting, but you don’t know where to start your intuitive eating journey?

First, let me congratulate you for making the commitment to yourself to not diet in 2018! That is huge! I realize that it might have been a difficult decision with all the diet ads and marketing of the ‘right’ way to eat and exercise to shrink or sculpt your body (into something that is not sustainable anyway)!

Second, I feel your overwhelm. There is so much information on the internet about how “to do” intuitive eating, but often these suggestions contradict one another.

Most of my clients that finally reach out to me for help have already dabbled in intuitive eating. That dabbling can look like a few things:

1. They’ve read the book Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elsye Resch.
2. They’ve taken an online course in intuitive eating.
3. They’ve been receiving support in the myriad of free private Facebook groups that offer intuitive eating support (by the way, if you’re not a member of my group yet, click here).

So the question is, with all this ‘dabbling’, why are you still feeling overwhelmed and questioning “where do I start”?

I believe the answer lies in the following reasons:

1. You’ve read the intuitive eating book, but are having trouble implementing the principles because while reading the book helps you become familiar with intuitive eating, for most people (I’m not saying all people, but most people), they need more structure and coaching to help implement the principles into their daily life. Is this you too?

2. You’ve taken an online course but admittedly didn’t show up for yourself by taking appropriate action. Or, the course lacked the private coaching that you really need to take this to the next level. Or, the course was marketed as an intuitive eating course, but in fact once you got into it, it was really dieting.

3. You’re a member of a number of free Facebook groups but you aren’t receiving individualized coaching by certified intuitive eating counselors in these settings, nor should they be giving you coaching for free. This would be a disservice to you and to their clients who have invested in themselves. The free groups can only take you so far.

So what’s your next ‘first’ step?

Grab your freebie here: 5 Steps to a Body You Love Without Dieting. This will give you the step-by-step approach I take my clients through.

Then, if you want me to walk you through this step-by-step journey, contact me here.