Intuitive Eating in Sport Series Principle 4: Discover the Satisfaction Factor

Hi everyone! We are back at it with Principle 4 in our Intuitive Eating in Sport series. Principle 4, Discover the Satisfaction Factor. If you are new here, my name is Rebekah De Couvreur. I am a Registered Dietitian in Ottawa, Ontario, specializing in sports nutrition and Intuitive Eating. I came to my career after a tumultuous relationship with food and my body that was worsened by the restrictive and confusing nutrition recommendations in the world of sport.

This principle is one of my favourites to talk about. Why? Because eating is one of life's greatest pleasures and I am still amazed at how many people forget this, thinking that food should be solely for the purpose of fuel. How can this be true when life, culture, and tradition is so wrapped up in the foods we eat? What's Thanksgiving without the turkey dinner? Or what about Christmas without your family's favourite baked goods?

In sport, I find that there are many times in which people choose to eat things they don't necessarily find pleasurable just to meet their needs or keep to a "plan". Boiled chicken, white rice and steamed veg anyone? No thanks.

Why is satisfaction so important? Satisfaction is considered central to Intuitive Eating. The rest of the principles being the spokes on the wheel, revolving around satisfaction. Consider this: can you properly honour your hunger and fullness without heeding to your body's satisfaction from a meal? Seeking satisfaction in your meal means that you will be MORE SATISFIED with your meal/snack and won't be looking for other things to fill that gap. For example: you are eating out and you are really craving the steak dinner but you feel like you SHOULD choose a salad. You order the salad. Now you may find yourself snooping about the fridge or pantry when you get home. Why? Because you didn't get the full satisfaction from your meal.

In order to regain the pleasure in eating, Intuitive Eating suggests we consider the following steps:

1. Think about what you really want to eat: This can be difficult to decipher if diet culture and restrictive rules have their hooks in you. Consider not just what you are craving but how you want to feel after eating as well.

2. Consider what you want with all your senses: What taste are you looking for? What texture? A specific aroma? Something hot or cold? Something light or something hearty filling?

3. Strive to make your eating experience enjoyable: Eat meals when you are noticing hunger (not when you are ravenous or too full). Eat somewhere comfortable and relaxing whenever possible. Consider your emotional state when eating (satisfaction goes down when our mood is poor). Eat with others. Limit distractions.

4. Don't settle: If you love it, savour it. If you don't, don't eat it. Although this is certainly a privledged way to look at food, the overall goal is to eat foods you enjoy and limit the times you eat something "because it's there", "because it was a gift", "because you don't want to waste it".

5. Check in after a few bites - does it still taste good?: The most satisfaction we get comes in the first few bites. After that, our pleasure in the food tends to diminish. Additionally, sometimes foods we thought we were really going to love, that we once held on a pedestal, we take a bite while being more cognisant of pleasure and notice we don't actually enjoy it as much as we thought. For example, I had especially fond memories of consuming big cups of Rolo ice cream with my dad when I was a kid but as an adult, thought this was something I shouldn't have and kept it out of my house. After much healing with my relationship with food, I served up a bowl of this ice cream when visiting my parents. I couldn't finish it! It was so deathly sweet and the texture just didn't seem right! I prefered the ice cream I had purchased in the smaller tubs. They were a bit pricier but so much more satisfying to eat.

   
   

   

   
   

   How can we really apply this principle to sport?

   I encourage athletes to honour their body's in many ways, including their cravings when they have them. If you'd really like a bowl of ice cream, go for the real thing, enjoy it, and move on. Avoid the trap of trying to replace it with something, bringing you on a journey of snacks before you finally end up having the ice cream.

   
   

   Find ways to meet your needs with foods you love. Protein needs tend to be higher for most athletes and I often see athletes drinking protein shakes they don't really like, eating protein bars that taste like chalk or eating bland chicken just to meet their needs. It's almost like they're on autopilot. Add variety, spice, and seek out new recipes and products to ensure you are finding ways to actually enjoy your protein each day.

   
   

   Slow down and savour. In our fast paced society, we tend to rush and gulp down our meals without much thought. By slowing down we give ourselves the chance to really notice how a food tastes and feels in our bodies. Bonus, it aids in digestion too!

   
   

   Intuitive Eating has so much to offer the world of sport. I hope you found this interesting and I look forward to providing you more content on Intuitive Eating in sport next week.

   
   

   If you'd like to learn more about fueling your body for sport and how Intuitive Eating can help you form a positive relationship with food and your body in sport, book your FREE DISCOVERY CALL today!

   
   

   Talk soon!