Imagine you were only allowed to eat your favorite food for every meal. How do you think you’d feel after a week? Would you be bored of that food? Would you crave something else?
In my sophomore year of college, I studied abroad in Italy for a month. You can tell how long ago this was because of the belt/dress combo.
I took full advantage of the authentic, delicious food and happily ate pizza, pasta, bread, and gelato multiple times a day.
At the time, I probably wasn’t eating these types of food as freely at home on Long Island because they were "bad/ unhealthy/ junk" etc. Italy stripped away every arbitrary food rule I had previously made up in my head. I was eating in ways I never would have allowed myself and enjoyed every second. But then, about two weeks in, I found myself craving plain… grilled… chicken. This felt bizarre - this boring protein I had made myself eat so many times because it was the “healthiest option,” turned into a delicacy.
The plain, Americanized grilled chicken I was craving was nowhere to be found. I didn’t know it was possible to find myself craving grilled chicken. It probably wasn’t when I was forcing myself to eat it.
When we found a restaurant known for its fresh cuts of meat and poultry, I got my grilled chicken and it felt like a luxury. Again, bizarre.
Removing food rules, diets, calorie counters and point trackers can be terrifying. You may be convinced you could never pursue intuitive eating because you’d eat all of your favorite foods and nothing else. You might worry you’ll never eat a vegetable again. Trust that although it may take a bit, your body will be able to tell you what it needs and you will be able to listen.
If you can give yourself permission to eat all foods, you give your body space to tell you what it needs. You will eat a vegetable again, promise.
Do you want to learn how to tune into your body's needs? Contact Jaeger Nutrition today to learn more.