Eating When the Body Is Ready
Do you eat when your body signals you to eat, or do you eat when time signals you to eat? I eat when my body signals me to eat, but this only began after a lifetime of eating when I was told to eat (after being given permission).
I grew up in a family that had scheduled meals. During weekdays, my family would wait for my father to return home from work to eat dinner together. The table was set, food was ready, and each person sat in their assigned seat. (My father was a kind man and I loved eating dinner with him.)
Scheduled meals were also outside my immediate family. Eating lunch at school was based on a schedule. Gatherings for holidays and other events were scheduled. When going out to eat, eating depended on the wait to sit at a table and to have food ordered, cooked, and delivered.
As an adult, I continued the pattern of having my eating scheduled. I loved taking my children to restaurants, so there was a lot of scheduling of where to go and often a lot of waiting before getting food. As a teacher, the school schedule still dictated when it was okay to eat and when not to eat.
Eating based on an external schedule contributed to my disconnection from my body.
Some years ago, I took control of my schedule. When I left my classroom teaching job, I gained flexibility with my time, and I began to notice how much my eating had been shaped by the clock rather than my body.
How do I eat now if I have no schedule? I eat when the body is ready to eat. I stop whatever I am doing, or I don’t start another task, and I eat. I listen to the signals of my body, especially the mind. My mind gives me cues when it wants food. Some pressure in my head or specific thoughts let me know my mind is asking for nourishment, especially protein.
Every morning, I pack meals that will provide enough nourishment for the day. This way, no matter where I am, when I am ready to eat, I can eat. I don’t have to wait for food. I don’t have to wait for a specific time. I am aware that my body can desire food at different times and in different amounts. I’m always ready by having packed meals.
I realize many people still eat based on a dictated schedule because of jobs, family, and external obligations and situations. I recognize pausing my actions to eat is a freedom I have. Intentionally eating nourishing food when the body is ready is a choice I make, and I am willing to use my resources (time and energy) to be prepared.
Even if you can’t always act immediately and feed yourself when you are hungry, you can still be aware of the signals your body gives you. You can prepare nourishing meals ahead. You can eat nourishing food at your scheduled times. And you can begin to notice the difference between eating because your body is asking for food and eating out of habit.
I enjoy the flow of life more when I live within the natural rhythm of myself rather than living with external dictates and commands. Feeding myself based on my body’s natural cycle is one way to do this.
Welcome to the meal.
Stacy 🌺
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I share my experiences and my perspective. Eating and healing look different for everyone. If you are struggling with food or your relationship with your body, please find support. You don’t have to do this alone.