Is Intuitive Eating right for you if you’re really active?

This is a great question and a valid one if you’re pretty active or do an endurance sport. I think people ask me this because they think intuitive eating is just eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full. 

But that contradicts some of the sports nutrition advice to fuel workouts, pre, during, and post when their may not be hunger. 

People also have the impression that IE is to eat whatever you want in any quantity, so if they let themselves “eat intuitively” they’ll never stop eating chips. 

But IE is an invitation to reconnect with the body and its needs, physical and emotional.

That means having a snack or meal outside of hunger to support recovery and performance. 

If you fear you can’t control yourself around certain foods or amounts that’s a sign that either you’re not getting enough overall energy, have food rules, or you may be ignoring an emotional need. 

Or maybe you’ve read that you should be eating a certain number of carbs, protein, and fat to support your training and help muscle recovery so it feels necessary to track macros. 

Despite these sport nutrition guidelines you can still be an intuitive eater while supporting muscle repair and performance. The main focus of IE is nourishing your body as a form of self care. 

If you don’t get fulfillment from tracking macros, knowing the exact numbers is not required to meet your fueling needs or performance goals. Aiming for each meal and snack to have a combination of carbs, protein, and fat will . But also really listening, understanding, and honoring your hunger and fullness cues will help you meet your energy needs as well. 

When you start listening to your body you start to learn from it. If you’re a runner than you know the importance of paying attention to heart rate on a run or taking a recovery day if you’re feeling flat. Intuitive eating a way for you to be fully in touch with your body vs listening to a stranger or random meal plan that knows nothing about you.

You’re the expert of your body, eating intuitively is just a tool to help you feel confident again in your skin.   

So yes, you can definitely eat intuitively while meeting your performance goals! If you want more guidance and tips on how to do that, then stick around here and I’ll show you.