If you workout, follow health and wellness blogs, or any fitness professional you have probably heard them talk about Intuitive Eating.

You see that phrase and may ask, “What is Intuitive Eating?”

That phrase is used a lot lately. It is used so much it is very pop culture-ie. **For the video visit Texoma Specialty Counseling on Facebook.

When I was in the fitness world I was obsessed with diets. I would spend all my free time researching healthy meals and what to eat, what not to eat. I would search pinterest and the inter webs for workouts. I wanted abs and a thigh gap, and because I did not have those things I thought I could just work out harder and eat better.

Maybe that is you. Or maybe you are not happy with your life situation. You are single or not in a very happy relationship. Work is ho-hum. You are not happy with your body. You feel fat or wish you had a smaller butt and thighs so you work out hard, but it isn’t really fun. It isn’t really your thing, because working out can kinda suck. So then you diet and do well for a couple weeks, or more, and then you binge and get off your diet. Nothing. Ever. Changes.

We are programmed to listen to these rules about society that we should look a certain way.

We need a certain BMI or we need a certain dress size. Or we need to be a certain weight. And when we are not we feel ashamed. We feel not good enough, unhappy even.

A lot of the things I see about intuitive eating suggest eating 80/20 and focus on working out and dieting lifestyle.

But intuitive eating is really about acceptance.

It is about learning to accept yourself and your body as it. It is learning to embrace your strengths and improving some areas of your life. You do not have to diet to be healthy and fit. You do not have strain yourself in the gym or yoga or running or whatever to be fit and healthy. Intuitive eating is learning to be happy and healthy just as you are. So you are probably reading this and thinking well what if I am fat, I can never be happy if I am fat. Intuitive eating is how you learn to listen to your body to feed yourself foods that nourish and nurture your body. You can literally eat Oreos and be OK. You can also learn to eat foods that your body needs to be healthy and OK. Intuitive eating is not a model or a lifestyle. It is living your life and trusting your ability to take care of yourself and be OK. Check it out.

If you are interested in Intuitive eating visit The Recovery Academy for more resources.