Awareness may be even more important than our decisions

A lot of emphasis is placed on the decisions we make in Intuitive Eating. This is good, of course, as before Intuitive Eating, many of us didn't even realize we had decisions to make. We operate on autopilot, feel controlled by something outside ourselves, and yet bash our lack of self-control. The realization that we always have choices is epic.

At the same time, the decision may be overemphasized and the awareness that must precede it underestimated. We cannot make decisions that align with self care without seeing ourselves in real time, noticing what motivates us, understanding where our intentions come from, recognizing the tone of voice with which we speak to ourselves.

A behavior may appear one way to an outside observer, but it is only the individual who knows what's up inside. It is less important whether or not you eat the cookies, for example, than the capacity you have developed to understand the physiologic and psychological contributors to a particular moment. This awareness makes the difference between:

"What's wrong with me? I knew I couldn't keep cookies in the house. This is the last time...[eats entire bag of cookies]"

and

"I'm about to get my period and I went too long without eating. Not to mention I didn't sleep that well last night...[grabs a few cookies and goes to call a friend]"

and

"I just want an effing cooking. Damn, that was good...[eats a few cookies, moves on]"

With Intuitive Eating, our choices are ever-expanding. But the nuances of our awareness grow even more complex, deep, and expansive. Don't underestimate that.