How Do I Eat Intuitively If I Am Not Hungry?

Did your family ever go on a roadtrip? Do you remember what your parent said right before you got into the car to leave? I would bet that they said something like, “Everybody go to the bathroom before we leave!” And even if you didn’t have to go, they would want you would try anyway, right? Eating intuitiively can be similar. Sometimes you need to eat even though you aren’t hungry. Hot take.

Reasons why you might eat when you aren’t hungry:

• You will be in a situation where you won’t be able to eat for a few hours (i.e. a meeting, school classes, or a plane ride).

• You have a GI condition like IBS that makes it hard to feel hunger cues but you know that going too long without food will upset your stomach.

• You need to take medications that require eating beforehand.

• You are in eating disorder recovery and are following a meal schedule.

• When you are sick and don’t feel like eating your body still needs fuel to help it heal.

• Your mouth wants to taste something yummy even if your tummy is full.

Honoring your hunger is one of the main ideas of intuitive eating, but many times we think of it as only eating when you are hungry. It is completely ok to eat when you aren’t hungry and in many situations, it is actually a smart idea!

Some people might worry that if they eat when they aren’t hungry that may lead to binging and over eating. So think about this. If you get stuck in a situation where you can’t eat and you get overly hungry, it could lead to eating impulsively and you’ll feel out of control later on.

So plan ahead and don’t be afraid to grab a snack or even a small meal in preparation for these situations. Your body will thank you!

For more nutrition information/to sign up for dietary sessions, you can book a free consultation with our dietitian HERE,