Comfort Diet

During the past 7 years I learned to eat 'intuitively' or 'normally' (according to which book I read). However, I disliked obeying so many 'rules' for normal eating or 'guidelines' for intuitive eating. I actually liked the simplicity of obeying my body cues for hunger and satisfaction (or fullness). I preferred eating foods that felt good in my body, especially after learning I had celiac disease and food alleriges which caused extreme discomfort after eating certain foods. Nevertheless, I resisted obeying rules like 'focus on the food while eating', 'eat sitting down', 'eat in a calm environment', etc. Some of those 'rules' came from ThinWithin 'guidelines for conscious eating'. Other suggestions came from 'normal eating' gurus like Karen Koenig and Geneen Roth.

Rather than memorize and obey a checklist of eating behavior rules, I preferred a simpler, more physical approach. Above all I wanted to eat only when hungry, foods that felt good in my body and stop eating when I felt satisfied to resist feeling uncomfortably full. I didn't believe I needed to follow a list of rules about specifically where I ate and what I did while I ate in order to honor my body cues of hunger (or not) and physical comfort.

Evemtually I decided that I only needed to consider physical comfort. I followed a 'comfort diet'. I preferred to eat when I was moderately (or comfortably) hungry to avoid discomfort of extreme hunger and avoid discomfort of indigestion when I ate before I was hungry. I preferred to eat foods that didn't cause allergic reactions or other painful symptoms (reflux, cramping intestinal pain, etc.) in order to avoid gut discomfort. I preferred to stop when I felt satisfied or comfortable to avoid the discomfort from being overly full. When I did occasionally eat past 'comfortable', I interpretted that 'overly full' feeling to mean 'stop eating this instant' or 'not another bit', because more food would just make me feel worse, not better.

Obviously, my 'comfort eating' approach revolves around PHYSICAL comfort (or discomfort) sensations, rather than emotional comfort (or discomfort). I know that no amount of eating or not eating can resolve emotional issues. Actually I prefer to not eat when I'm emotionally upset. However, I also won't let myself get too uncomfortably hungry, when I'm coping with negative feelings.

I recently realized that my 'comfort diet' perspective can help me avoid weight and/or body image related eating behavior. When I returned home from my vacation, I weighed exactly the same 'ideal' amount as when I left. However, I decided to weigh again after a week and noticed that I lost 2 more pounds. Maybe that weight loss came from dehydration from vancomycin related diarrhea or from eating less roughage. Whatever the source of weight loss, I panicked (I don't need to lose weight) and overate for the next few days. I ate more high protein, healthy fat foods, like sardines, which are a great source of vitamin D, but I still overate to the point of physical discomfort.

Then I realized that I cared more about physical comfort than I cared about the number on the scale. I haven't weighed to see whether I gained back those 2 pounds, but I won't let myself overeat again to the point of discomfort. Overeating just doesn't feel good. I've had enough digestive pain from food allergies, CD and bacterial infections (like c-diff). I certainly don't need to cause more digestive pain by overeating.

Maybe I should weigh again to reassure myself that I regained those 2 pounds. However, I will just trust that my body will return to whatever weight is healthy for me as I eat when I'm comfortably hungry, foods that feel comfortable in my body and stop eating when I'm comfortably satisfied. Why complicate that 'comfort approach' with external measurements (like weight)? My internal body sensations are more accurate and reliable than any number on the scale.