How to Stop Entitlement Eating and Start Intuitive Eating

Entitlement Eating

I am on a journey to become my best self and for me this has included improving my mental and physical health through yoga, meditation, and intuitive eating. While discovering more on these topics, I recently came across a term called Entitlement Eating.

I thought, “what the heck is that?”

Well, I did some research.

Entitlement Eating is a rebellious form of eating where you have decided to give up on dieting culture and instead enter a “Rebellious Binge” of eating the foods you once claimed off limits.

I have fallen into this trap before. As I have been working on my mindset and relationship with foods, I have immediately gone from a restrictive mindset to overindulgence; even when I wasn’t hunger or didn’t want the food but ate it because I could.

This was of course counterintuitive to my efforts to be more intuitive with how I feel about food and rather just a revenge mindset.

I wanted to expand on the research I found around Entitlement Eating and share that I have found this concept to expand into time-of-day eating.

Let me explain…

Not only was I in the mindset of “I should eat this for (enter whatever justification I was giving myself) but also, I found I was eating breakfast, lunch and dinner because I can, but not because I was hungry.

Just a couple days ago, I ate a large lunch because I had an early breakfast and no snack to hold me over. Now, to think of it, I should have packed my breakfast to eat at work because I wasn’t hungry in the morning either and could have waited some to not feel so hungry by lunch time… but I digress.

I got to a point where I was so hungry at lunch, I overindulged to the point of feeling stuffed and almost in pain. When dinner time came around, I wasn’t hungry, but I ate because “well, it was dinner time.”

When I had this reflection, it was mind blowing to me. Why would I eat if I’m not hungry? I ate because I could. I ate because that is the social norm to eat three meals a day even if I wasn’t hungry. I ate because that’s how I am programmed.

I am breaking that and reprogramming my mindset to signal my hunger cues and not fall into the social norms of eating when not hungry but doing so because we can.

This is a stage to intuitive eating.

It is natural to want the things we have deemed “bad” for so long. Foods that we once saw off limits are now accessible. This can cause us to overindulge to the point of feeling bad and lead us into entering diet culture again, especially if weight loss is a goal.

Approach to help entitlement eating

Meditation

I have been using meditation to help strengthen my mind-body connection and to check in with my physical hunger verses emotional or societal hunger.

Through meditation I am rewiring my brain to think about food in a different way. I am rewriting my norms.

For example, the way I analyze my decisions is based on my feeling in that moment. I stop to ask myself: am I hungry or do I need something else? What will support my body best and make me feel great? I take note of how I feel after eating a double cheeseburger verse a salad.

Of course, both options will make me feel different, but neither one of them is good nor bad- it is just food.

However, when it comes time to eat, I remember those feelings and reach for the food that is going to support my need at that time.

This deep level of thinking and connection has developed through meditation. Being able to bring my mind and body together.

In doing so, this has allowed me to have moments of reflection, as I did with eating dinner because it was dinner time while I wasn’t hungry and improve and adjust based on that reflection.

Journaling

Remembering how you feel after every meal can be tough, especially while being busy and having a hundred other thoughts throughout the day.

This is where journaling comes in. Quickly jot down what you ate, how much you ate, the scene (if you were distracted by the TV or work or with friends, etc,) and how you felt afterwards.

Just like note taking in school, writing things down solidifies the concept, and for intuitive eating this is true as well. This way of thinking and the process for restructuring your thoughts will take repetition to get there.

Evaluating Food

I think a huge misconception with intuitive eating is that it is a free for all… but let me clarify.

With intuitive eating you can have the donut or whatever it is you are wanting but first think to yourself and reflect as to why you want it. Maybe you are hungry and really want that donut as a treat or maybe you’re stressed out about something and not hungry at all but are looking for something to make you feel better.

The food you eat should make you feel good. For instance, if a high-carb breakfast is what your body needs because you are an athlete, then that makes sense. Fuel your body based on what intuitively feels good and your personal needs.

This looks different for everyone. But a goal with intuitive eating should still be fueling your body with what feels good and taking care of your body so you can live your happiest life and feel your best; and not result in overindulgence followed by diet thinking.

Ultimately decide what works best for you and your body by listening in and utilizing a holistic approach to nutrition, that not only nurtures your body but supports your overall well-being.

Changing Ideas

This concept stems from the prior approaches but in that to change how you think about food and how much to eat or not to eat, etc. you must first do the work of the prior approaches, like meditation and journaling.

Once you start to change the way you think about food and repair your relationship with food, we can accept that we are not following social norms and that it’s okay.

For example, as a child we are often told to finish all our food because there are starving kids or that it would be rude not to eat or follow the three meals a day and snack guidelines, but as intuitive eaters we are not following these ideologies. We are choosing to listen to our bodies instead and make decisions based on that and not what we “should” be doing from societies standpoint.

Drink Water Before Meal

One thing I find is I’m often thirsty not hungry. So, I decided to drink a glass of water before eating my meal.

To me this is not diet culture, this is making sure I am hydrated and drinking enough water, but also tuning in to what my body needs. If I find that I am still hungry, I eat. If I was thirsty, well, now I know and don’t overindulge.

Remember this is all about learning and enjoying the journey! One we can do together! <3

The information provided on this blog is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you read on this blog. The blog’s content is based on personal experiences and research, but it may not apply to your individual health needs. The author and the blog take no responsibility for any potential health issues or adverse effects arising from the use of the information provided.