Episode 102: Discussing Intuitive Eating- a self-care model of eating, with Dietitian Katie Hake

“She began to measure herself in contentment and laughter rather than inches and pounds”.

If you have read my book DNP you know that reflects my feelings about helping you become the best version of yourself. I love it when I can share with you, other professionals with similar mindsets who can give you their takeaway on those principles. 

Katie Hake is a fellow dietitian and trainer whose principals align closely with mine.   Working as a trainer and presenter for a major fitness company she travelled the country doing presentations.   In order to fit the “accepted look” for a fitness trainer, she was constantly overtraining and under-fueling, using her job as a disguise for disordered eating habits and an unhealthy relationship with food.  She began to burn out and couldn’t figure out why she couldn’t do it since she knew what she needed to do.  She was coaching her clients but couldn’t practice what she preached.  She realized that she needed to stop fighting her body if she wanted longevity in her career and her life. 

Katie embraced the idea of intuitive eating.  It is a self-care model of eating, focusing on habits, behaviors and beliefs vs weight itself. The idea came to Evelyn Tribole, RD and Elyse Resch, RDN in the 1990’s when they recognized that there was a disconnect with people who knew what they should be doing but weren’t doing it.   The developed a framework of 10 principals to help people make that connection.

 You can find more details at www.intuitiveeating.org

1. Reject the Diet Mentality

2. Honor Your Hunger

3. Make Peace with Food

4. Challenge the Food Police

5. Discover the Satisfaction Factor

6. Feel Your Fullness

7. Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness

8. Respect Your Body

9. Movement—Feel the Difference

10. Honor Your Health—Gentle Nutrition

“Essentially, Intuitive Eating is a personal process of honoring health by listening and responding to the direct messages of the body in order to meet your physical and psychological needs.”   Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S. https://www.intuitiveeating.org/what-is-intuitive-eating-tribole/

It also helps to recognize that crossover exists in our lives.  Fitness, nutrition and relationships are interconnected, and our goals can live in the grey zone between them.  Getting exercise can be playing at the park with our kids.  It may not be how we planned to work out today but if we accept the fact that we are still getting exercise we can relieve some of the stress we put on ourselves.  It can help us to be more present in the moment. 

Give yourself grace. Know that meeting your goals may look different than you expected or may not happen at all. But there is a fine line between grace and excuses.  Chal