That title seems like quite the oxymoron, doesn’t it? Many perceive intuitive eating as completely go-with-the-flow in moment to moment eating decisions. Doesn’t planning negate that concept? I don’t really know the answer, but I do know that I would say I practice it.

Most of you know how much I believe in intuitive eating. I wrote an entire series reviewing its principles after all. (You can find all those posts under my Top Posts page). At the same time, however, I have to plan out much of what I eat..and when I eat. As a mom coordinating schedules for two others, I have to make time for myself to eat because otherwise I honestly may forget to eat. That’s no fun and only leaves me ravenous and out of touch with my body. Also, we have a pretty tight budget when it comes to groceries; meal planning has to occur.

For this reason, I typically eat the same things each week for breakfast, lunch, and snacks as they are the items planned for in my meals. Dinner is something new every night, but also planned while making my grocery list. My meals this week, for example, look something like this -

Breakfast = oats topped w/ natural peanut butter & fruit, an egg on the side

Snack 1 = a banana and some Cocoa Roast or Cinnamon Roast almonds

Lunch = a sandwich on bakery fresh 9 grain bread w/ turkey, tomato, spinach, mustard, pickles, onion and veggies w/ hummus on the side…some dark chocolate for my sweet tooth

Sometimes I will have leftovers for lunch instead of the above.

Snack 2 = a container of Chobani and an apple before heading to the gym

Dinners = last night we had roasted chicken & carrots, fresh green beans, and whole wheat macaroni & cheese (thanks, Alisha for the care meal! delicious!!!)

Dessert = If I’m craving something, I will have a small somethin’ somethin’ for dessert. You can imagine this happens in some form most nights. 😉

So, how can I call this intuitive eating if I know ahead of time what I plan to eat? In my opinion, there is one basic difference that allows this style of eating to work for me and still be intuitive on a whole. My plans are simply due to lifestyle and not set with the intention of having control over my food. This way I can still practice true intuitive eating with the following adjustments if necessary:

• If I still feel hungry over what I planned to eat, I do not hesitate to have more.
• If I truly don’t feel like eating something, I don’t force it. We do have other options I can make work when I don’t feel like having a planned meal.
• I still focus on eating mindfully and being aware of cravings caused by emotions, stress, fatigue, etc.
• I plan foods and meals I truly enjoy and I know I will want to eat. I don’t plan foods because they are “good” versus “bad” or fit a certain caloric allotment.

So, there you have it. My approach as “planned intuitive eating”. It works for me.

Question of the Day – Do you plan out meals or take things one meal at a time? What ways do you practice eating intuitively?

Also, do you like the occasional “my day of eats” posts to see what I have or do you prefer it more sporadic with showing a snack here, breakfast there, dinner every now and then?

You know the familiar saying that once you learn to ride a bike, you never forget how and it is always easy. Well, some things I thought would be like that…aren’t. This morning for breakfast I was craving a bowl of oats. It has been at least two months since that last happened because cold breakfasts of whole wheat bagels + fruit served me as my go-to meal. I went for what my body asked for and prepared some oats. Errr, tried to. I totally screwed up the first bowl and had to start from scratch. Who forgets how to make oats for goodness sake? I do, apparently. Success finally came in the form of oats + cinnamon + honey pb + banana + coconut.

I’m glad my body went for the oats breakfast. It helped tide me over until lunch, which I needed. In between breakfast and lunch I was out and about nabbing bargains for new toys and fall/winter clothes for Makenzie. I scored 7 shirts, 7 pants, 2 pajamas, 1 Christmas dress, 1 pair of shoes, 11 books, an Elmo guitar, and a puzzle for $60. Now if only shopping like that could happen for me. Just switch out the Elmo guitar and puzzle for a Tofu Xpress and Vitamix.

Even though the oats lasted well, I was a starving Marvin by lunch. Breakfast continued to call my name. Along with tomato. Mmm, tomato. Fresh from my sis-in-law’s garden.

Lunch consisted of a monster breakfast sandwich. A whole wheat sandwich thin topped with laughing cow, 1 egg + 1 egg white scrambled, tomato slice, and crumbled Morningstar Farms sausage. Grapes and baby carrots for the accoutrement.

My stomach began singing “Oh, Happy Day” on the spot. I still managed to remember that just because something tastes amazing doesn’t mean you HAVE to eat it all though. I devoured most of it, but was amply satisfied by this point.

Intuitive eating never gets old. Which brings me to my next intuitive eating discussion. It has been a long time coming, I know. And I think we all know intuitive eating is NOT like riding a bike. We were able to do it growing up, but someone it became difficult and before we knew it we weren’t able to cruise easily through eating and food relationships. A lot of those changes may have something to do with our use of food to cope with emotions.

Many of us have been there. Having some ice cream thanks to the sadness heartbreak brought us. Diving into chocolate after an unbearably stressful day. Gorging on pizza at a party with friends. Celebrating a new job with a huge dinner out on the town. That is not to say any of these things are bad. It is not to say that you can’t do these things if you eat intuitively and have a healthy relationship with food. The difference comes in the control of the situation. 

Can you pause and ask yourself some vital questions before diving in? Can you determine if you are truly hungry and could you choose something to eat more beneficial to your body? Can you recognize you are enjoying food for a celebration, out of boredom, or from anger? It is always best to try to manage emotions in an alternative way, but the truth is we will still turn to food at times and that is okay if we understand the cause and aren’t always turning to food. Be sure to remember that if you do reach for the cookie jar in a time of emotional need, don’t punish yourself. That will only cause a never ending cycle of emotion surrounded by wrappers of Twix, KitKat, and Butterfinger.

• What is your favorite “breakfast for lunch (or dinner)” creation?
• What emotions cause you to reach for food? Boredom, excitement, soothing, frustration, stress, friendship?
• How do you try to cope with emotions instead of food? I love reading a book, getting online to chat with my favorite blog friends, get in a workout, talk to Peter or a friend, and play with Makenzie. Or cry. Because big girls DO cry.