Intuitive vs Spontaneous Eating
We have all heard the term 'Intuitive Eating' before, but what does it actually mean and more importantly is it the same as eating spontaneously? Some would argue yes, some no. The meaning of intuitive (based on what one feels to be true even without conscious reasoning; instinctive) and spontaneous (performed or occurring as a result of a sudden impulse or inclination) are different after all, but they definitely overlap and that is where 'intuitive eating' can become a problem.
Intuitive eating is ‘marketed’ as learning how to eat which has nothing to do with diets, meal plans, discipline or willpower and instead puts the focus on internal cues (such as your intuition) like hunger, fullness and satisfaction. We did it as babies (cried when we were hungry and stopped when we were full), so by nature it is inherently programmed within us to do it. It's easy to see why anyone who has struggled with calorie counting or restrictive diets would be attracted by this. But it doesn't come without it's problems.
And that’s that intuitive eating can lead to a spontaneous, unstructured eating pattern which is more likely to include too many hedonic foods higher in fat, sugars, salt and calories at the expense of other nutrient dense foods which would better serve our health and/or body composition. Spontaneous eating means we listen to our emotional brains - the side of us telling us we 'deserve' that or 'need' this and blurs the lines between eating what is truly serving us and what our brains are tricking us that we want.
Take brunches for example - something most of us do most weekends. Intuitive eating would be knowing you are going out for brunch, planning your day, eating around that and then during brunch choosing foods you know will make you feel good and nourished without planning what you are going to eat ahead of time and tracking it after. Spontaneous eating on the other hand would be forgetting to eat, letting yourself get to the point of starving and then picking what you think you 'deserve' to eat because you've been on a big walk, been ‘good’ all week and/or not eaten yet. You chose foods which will not make you feel good and in reality probably eat too much of it - all under the guise you are giving your body what it wants.
Now of course not everyone has a goal to look a certain way or feel a certain way, and in that case eating intuitively or spontaneously is just fine. But if you have any type of body comp goal, leaving anything intuitively to the brain can be a dangerous path. Think about it; do you manage your finances intuitively? Probably not - because if you did more likely than not you would blow it all on a fancy car or clothes. We have plans and structure in place to manage our finances because in general goals are accomplished by having and following a plan - a plan which requires structure, and rules.
And if you are still convinced that intuitive eating is right for you?! Don't let me hold you back. But my one piece of advice - be sure to have a good relationship with food in the first place. Unless you are aware of the thoughts driving your habits and behaviour in the first place, then there is no real possibility for change no matter how much our emotional brains tell us we can.
Happy Eating!