As a runner and triathlete, it’s important to me that I’m aware of the cues my body is giving me so I know when I can push harder or need to back off. I learned this early on when I was running marathons. The more intune with where my heart rate was, how my legs were feeling, the better I could pace myself and make it to the finish line without blowing up.
But I didn’t feel I could trust my body’s cues of hunger, instead I listened to random diet advice from people who knew nothing about me or fueling for marathons.
This resulted in poor recovery, bonking mid run, and becoming anemic. Had I listened to my body’s fueling needs I probably could have been a stronger runner and cyclist.
Many coaches will have their athletes train without their Garmin or heart rate monitor (if you don’t do this you should) so they aren’t completely dependent on it. Understanding and listening to your body’s hunger, fullness, satisfaction, and cravings is critical to being a better athlete as well.
That’s why I’m sharing Intuitive Eating with active women like you, not only can it help improve your performance but it will get you back in touch with your body. So what is Intuitive Eating actually?
It’s not anything new and you were an intuitive eater when you were younger until either adults or diet culture stepped in.
Intuitive eating is being aware of your body cues and honoring them by eating an amount of food and type that is both filling and satisfying. As easy as this sounds, it can also feel confusing and foreign .
The framework was created by two amazing dietitians, Elyse Resche and Eveyln Tribole, back in 1995 and has numerous studies backing it’s effectiveness. There are 10 principles of Intuitive Eating to follow to help you undo the unnecessary food rules you learned from past diets.
The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating:
- Reject the Diet Mentality
- Honor Your Hunger
- Make Peace with food
- Challenge the food police
- Feel your fullness
- Discover the satisfaction factor
- Cope with your emotions without using food
- Respect your body
- Exercise — feel difference
- Honor your health — gentle nutrition
Whether you’re a runner, triathlete, or just generally active, you can adopt these principles regardless of your training goals. In posts to come I’ll be sharing with you how that can be done.
As an athlete do you trust your to tell you what it needs for fuel and nourishment? Let me know in the comments below.
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