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Archive for the 'Intuitive Eating' Tag

Managing your weight? Keep it simple!

July 16th, 2008, 2:28 pm by Michelle May, M.D.

While we were in Australia visiting my sister-in-law, I had the opportunity to observe her twin ten month old boys and three year old daughter. Here I am at a restaurant entertaining one of the twins who’d lost interest in eating once he was full:

Dean and Auntie Shell in Australia

The children affirmed my belief that the solution to resolving our weight problems is to go back to eating like we did when we were kids. Here are five things they did consistently:

  1. They only ate when they were hungry. On the occasion when they were eating simply for fun (a taste of mum’s scone), one or two bites was plenty.
  2. They stopped when they were full - even when mum tried to coax them into eating more.
  3. They only ate what they liked - and they liked a surprising variety of foods. How much less food would adults eat if we skipped the so-so stuff?
  4. They used up their energy playing, exploring, and growing. TV was just too boring to hold their attention compared to learning new things.
  5. When they were tired, they slept.

We’re making weight management too hard! It’s time to get back to the basics.

Michelle

Posted in: Healthy Attitudes • Healthy Families • Intuitive Eating • Uncategorized • • • | 4 Comments »

Food Lovers’ Tip: Eat what you want without guilt

July 6th, 2008, 7:03 am by Michelle May, M.D.

While I was in meetings, my family was on their own. My son Tyler who is 17, tall and thin, told me they ate breakfast at the old fashioned Harvey House Diner in historic Union Station before visiting Science City. He ordered a cinnamon roll for $2.99 that turned out to be as big as a plate (“It made a Cinnabon look like an appetizer!”).

Tyler at Union Station in Kansas City

As a person who has maintained his instinctive ability to manage his weight with no effort whatsoever, he ate 3/4 of it and wasn’t hungry again until early afternoon. (To find out whether you are an Instinctive Eater, take this quiz.)

I don’t believe in being overly restrictive or shaming my kids into eating healthy but this did prompt a conversation about what would happen if we ignored our bodies’ nutrition needs for the next three weeks. They were more selective the next couple of mornings but he still says it was the best cinnamon roll he’s ever had!

Effortless Weight Management Tip: Your choices don’t need to be perfect every time to reach and maintain a healthy weight. In fact, people who eat instinctively can eat whatever they want so they’re able to balance eating for enjoyment with eating for nutrition. When they choose a less than healthy food, they don’t eat it all because they’ve “already blown it.” They don’t feel guilty which for most people just leads to more overeating. And they don’t use exercise to punish themselves when they overeat. Instead, they practice intuitive eating: They eat what they want, enjoy it without guilt, and use the fuel for their active lifestyle. When their fuel tank is low, they eat again.

Posted in: Healthy Families • Intuitive Eating • Nutrition for Non-Dieters • Uncategorized • • • • • • • | 4 Comments »

Choosing Food: What Do I Want?

December 21st, 2007, 5:56 pm by Michelle May, M.D.

Yesterday I told you that there are three questions you should ask before you decide what to eat.

The first question, “What do I want?” may come as a surprise because people are often afraid they’ll lose control when they eat what they really want. But what happens when you try to avoid something you’re craving—like those Girl Scout Cookies that were delivered right after you started a low-carb diet?

First, you check the label and confirm that they’re off limits so you put them in the freezer. Two days later they whisper to you from their hiding place, “Pssst. We’re in here!” You manage to resist them, instead munching on some olives, four cubes of cheese, a hunk of leftover meatloaf with a side of celery sticks, two pieces of low-carb toast—and yet you still don’t feel satisfied.

“Hey! We’re in here and we taste great frozen!” You finally give in and have two Thin Mints®. Blew it again! Might as well finish the sleeve—and a bowl of ice cream—and start over tomorrow. Sound familiar?

Deprivation and guilt are two of the most powerful triggers for overeating. Instead, keep in mind that all foods fit into a healthy diet. Thinking about what you really want to eat without judging yourself will keep you from feeling deprived and out of control when you choose to eat certain foods.

You might be worried that if you ask yourself what you’re really hungry for, you’ll always choose foods you “shouldn’t.” At first this might seem true, since cravings tend to get stronger if you’ve tried to ignore them for a long time. But once you let go of the guilt about eating certain foods, you’ll find that you want a variety of foods to feel healthy and satisfied.

Join me for an 8-week Spirit of Women/Am I Hungry? weight management workshop at Banner Desert Medical Center. Send an email to info@amihungry.com or visit http://www.AmIHungry.com.

Posted in: Intuitive Eating • Mindful Eating • Nutrition for Non-Dieters • Uncategorized • • | Post a Comment »

Three questions to ask yourself before you eat

December 20th, 2007, 4:40 pm by Michelle May, M.D.

This time of year (heck, every time of year!), people struggle with “being good” when there are so many “bad foods” to choose from. Ironically, we’re supposed to define ourselves by what we put in our mouths despite the fact that the definition of “good” and “bad” foods changes every few years or so. Many people feel confused and overwhelmed by all the conflicting and often arbitrary messages about what they are “supposed” to eat.

But it is possible to find that balance between eating for health and eating for pleasure. In fact, one of the keys to optimal health and lifelong weight management is to nourish your body and your soul with the foods you eat.

So how do you drown out all the noise and find that balance for yourself? Start by asking yourself three simple questions when you’re hungry: “What do I want?” “What do I need?” “What do I have?”

Over the next few days I’ll explain the significance of each question in detail but for now, practice becoming aware of your thought process around choosing food. If you have specific questions that you would like me to address, email me at info@AmIHungry.com or visit http://www.AmIHungry.com.

Also, if you’re interested in childhood obesity, I’ll be on a Discovery Health Channel special for the next five Sundays. Check http://discoveryhealthcme.discovery.com/ for listings.

Posted in: Intuitive Eating • Mindful Eating • Nutrition for Non-Dieters • Uncategorized • • • | Post a Comment »
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