Hungry or already full?

Expert explains how you can intuitively eat healthier and lose weight at the same time

Created: 12/27/2022, 2:15 p.m

By: Juliane Gutmann

If you listen to your needs and only eat when you are hungry, you will get a better feeling for your own body.

But intuitive eating isn't for everyone.

Do you only eat when you're hungry?

Then you count among the intuitive eaters who listen to your gut feeling.

But can this approach be healthier than a usual three-meal daily routine?

The answer depends on a person's individual needs.

A regulated eating routine can make a lot of sense.

For example, when meals together with colleagues, friends and family are considered essential.

Or in the case of an eating disorder, then the concept of "intuitive eating" must be discouraged.

If you are healthy, want to lose a few pounds and want to change your eating habits for the better, intuitive nutrition is worth a try.

This is the opinion of the clinical psychologist and health psychologist Cornelia Fiechtl.

Do you only eat when your stomach is growling?

Then you are an intuitive eater.

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Intuitive Eating: Learn when you're hungry or just craving something sweet

Those who eat intuitively learn to perceive the body's signals.

As a result, many develop a better body awareness and counting calories takes a back seat.

The principle is simple: you eat when you're hungry and put the plate aside when you're full - even if half of the main course is still on the plate.

The concept of “Intuitive Eating” was developed in 1995 by nutritionists Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.

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“You learn to feel from your stomach: am I hungry or not?

When am I usually hungry?

How hungry is it and what does my body need right now – something sweet, salty, warm or cold?” Health psychologist Cornelia Fiechtl is quoted as saying by Business Insider.

According to Fiechtl, one challenge is to distinguish between hunger, appetite and ravenous hunger.

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Favor healthy foods – and avoid stressful eating

If you eat intuitively, you can basically eat anything.

But you should always pay attention to a balanced diet, recommend nutritionists.

This includes the fact that stimulants such as sweets and fast food are rarely eaten.

On the other hand, whole grain products, vegetables and legumes are considered healthy and harmless.

Although "intuitive eating" is not considered a slimming diet, cravings can occur here too.

"Here it is important to find out the causes and prevent them," says health psychologist Cornelia Fiechtl, according to Business Insider.

Because there are often emotional reasons behind cravings, such as stress.

It is better to counteract this with relaxation exercises such as breathing techniques, says Fiechtl.