Normal Eating. Agree or Disagree?

@Lounmoun I think she poses so many different situations illustrating the same idea to show people that normal eating looks differently at different times and in different circumstances. I agree with some of what you’re saying, but what I hear throughout your definition are instructions for how to eat to maintain a certain weight or to lose weight, which seems to require pretty constant awareness of how many calories you’re eating. I think the idea Satter puts out is that it is possible for most people to eat without this awareness and be ok. Just like you say people can trust their bodies and that they don’t need to detox, Satter seems to believe we can trust our bodies to tell us how much food to eat, as long as we have some self-awareness.

@aeloine Really good points. I do think most people can learn though, even if they struggled or didn’t have options as a child. I think it involves trial and error and allowing yourself to eat without parameters, even accepting you might gain weight as you practice and try to learn to trust your body or accepting you might waste food in the pursuit of figuring it all out. It’s not easy, and it’s not comfortable, especially after a lifetime of doing things one way. I think it can be learned though. I wasn’t raised to pay attention to how I feel about food. I started exhibiting disordered eating behaviors and thoughts at a very young age, but now, 20+ years later, I’m learning a different way. I never thought food and weight would stop consuming my thoughts as much as they used to, but it’s happening now. It’s a beautiful thing.

@kimny72 I think if eating is a go-to, constant coping mechanism for boredom or sadness, it could be an issue, but Satter is basically saying it’s normal to eat sometimes for reasons other than hunger. I don’t think emotional eating in and of itself is a bad thing. If it’s something a person is unhappy with, maybe there needs to be some work around either the underlying issue or the coping mechanism. More and more, though, I’m learning restriction, actual and mental, is often what leads to bingeing, so removing any restrictions is a good place to start to address chronic bingeing. It’s scary and may result in weight gain at first, but it allows your body to learn the food will always be available, which reduces the intense need to eat everything because you won’t be able to eat it later.

@shaumom To the first point, your phrasing takes responsibility away from people. Often people make choices about what to “put in front of them,” so there is agency involved. Yes, we’re affected by our environment, but we still make choices. Also, it seems Satter doesn’t necessarily believe in portion control in the sense that there’s a correct portion everyone should be eating. The idea is to come to a place where you are in tune with and accept what satisfies you. Regarding the third point, I think there are definitely ways we developed that no longer benefit us in the current environment but that we’re able to overcome without constant thought and effort. I’ve said it already, but I believe the idea behind Satter’s definition is that this normal eating happen once a person is in tune with his/her body and can take cues from it, which is something that takes practice. Once it happens though, it’s not something that requires a ton of energy.

@lemurcat I think you make really good points here. It’s not all about eating whatever you want as much as you want all the time because that’s not life. Circumstances shape everything we do. @aeloine Satter says “In short, normal eating is flexible. It varies in response to your hunger, your schedule, your proximity to food and your feelings.” That means it’s not all about physical cues all the time. I think it become abnormal if you’re still hungry or feeling unsatisfied but are unwilling to eat more because you’ve set a hard limit.

@rheddmobile Of course there are circumstances in which one must consider more carefully what one eats. Everyone doesn’t have the luxury of eating without giving it a lot of thought whether it’s due to diabetes or allergies or whatever it might be that requires diligence around food choices. Neither, however, does everyone’s health deteriorate because they follow the normal eating principles set out by Satter.

@Kimblesnbits13 I agree. I think it’s nearly impossible to live in a culture that values being thin and now being fit-looking as much as ours does and not be affected by it.

@Gisel2015 I think the final statement is a summary of all the other statements, such that agreeing to that implies agreement with the others. People aren’t always going to be able to eat until they’re satisfied, hence her later point about how it’s sometimes undereating, and people aren’t always going to stop when they’re satisfied, hence her later point about it being overeating. Enjoyable food? Food you enjoy. I’m curious. Do you think people should stop eating before they’ve had enough?

@janejellyroll What I hear, though, is you do have an internal limitation in the sense that you have a desire to not gain weight. Fear of or desire to avoid weight gain can often translate into fear of or restriction around food, which are both possible precursors of eating large quantities of the foods we’ve deemed inappropriate or unhealthy.

@HoneyBadger155 I guess I feel it’s implied because how will one know if s/he is satisfied if s/he’s not paying attention? She also mentions how food varies in response to hunger.