Today is all about Intuitive Eating Principle 8 – Respect Your Body.
In case you missed it:
- What is Intuitive Eating?
- Intuitive Eating Principle 1: Reject the Diet Mentality
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 1
- Intuitive Eating Principle 2: Honor Your Hunger
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 2
- Intuitive Eating Principle 3: Make Peace with Food
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 3
- Intuitive Eating Principle 4: Challenge the Food Police
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 4
- Intuitive Eating Principle 5: Feel Your Fullness
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 5
- Intuitive Eating Principle 6: Discover the Satisfaction Factor
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 6
- Intuitive Eating Principle 7: Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 7
Intuitive Eating Principle 8 – Respect Your Body
The snapshot of Intuitive Eating Principle 8 – Respect Your Body is: “Accept your genetic blueprint. Just as a person with a shoe size of eight would not expect to realistically squeeze into a size six, it is equally futile (and uncomfortable) to have the same expectation about body size. But mostly, respect your body, so you can feel better about who you are. It’s hard to reject the diet mentality if you are unrealistic and overly critical about your body shape.”
The authors state, “As long as you are at war with your body it will be difficult to be at peace with yourself and food.” Oh so true! How can you respect and care for the body you are in right now? All bodies deserve respect and care! I know this is difficult in today’s society that praises certain ideals of beauty for both males and females. But are those “ideals” realistic and attainable? For most people, the answer is no.
Even if 20 people ate the exact same thing each day and exercised in the exact same way, they would still have different body shapes and sizes. Bodies are meant to be different! It would be pretty boring if everyone was the exact same, right?
Oftentimes people feel they need to wait until they lose X amount of weight or (insert other goal) before they can truly go for their goals and dreams. What are you delaying or not giving to yourself because of how you feel about your body? How can you pursue those goals and desires while also treating your current body with respect and care?
Respecting your body means treating it with dignity and meeting its basic needs, such as you would for a pet, a child, or another loved one. Adequate food and nutrition, movement that feels good, wearing comfortable clothes that fit your current body, and being kind to yourself are all components of respecting yourself and the body you are in today.
INTUITIVE EATING SUPPORT GROUP FOR WOMEN
If you have been following along on this Intuitive Eating journey with me or hearing about Intuitive Eating elsewhere and wanting to learn more, or you’ve been doing some learning on your own and are ready to have the support of others on the journey with you, I have the perfect resource for you:
A 12–week small group coaching experience to help you heal your relationship with food and your body, ditch dieting for good, get back to trusting yourself around food AND enjoying the foods you actually like!
Group will be held live via online video >> Thursdays at 6:00pm CST (recordings will be sent out if you are unable to attend live). The group runs once per quarter. FULL DETAILS HERE.
REMINDER
This blog and Instagram series I am doing is not meant to be a replacement for reading the Intuitive Eating book or working through the Intuitive Eating Workbook. Rather it’s to provide an overview of the Intuitive Eating concept and principles to bring more awareness to the fact that there is an alternative to dieting and restricting.
For More Intuitive Eating Resources
Download my FREE Guide – 5 Steps to Stop Obsessing About Food and Your Body
Individual Nutrition Coaching – if you’re looking for more individualized support, check out my options for working together one on one.
Intuitive Eating Support Group for Women – if you’re interested in learning more about Intuitive Eating in a supportive, small group environment, this is the group for you!
