Follow your ”gut”?
When I had my first child many people told me to ‘’just follow my gut’’. Though it was well-meaning advice, it did not help me one bit. I was the youngest of four kids, and have never really babysat nor been around babies in general and this baby had colic. I had no point of reference and had to rely on books, some older mothers, and a dear nursing sister that assured me that it really was okay for my colicky child (and my sanity) to have a dummy! As I grew with my baby, gaining experience through trial and error, reading books, applying advice and letting some go, I developed more of a point of reference. That ‘gut-feeling’ grew thanks to experience and exposure. 
When it comes to intuitive eating, I find that somehow people have a similar (but false) expectation as was set for me as a new mother-that it just involves following your gut, or your intuition. This would certainly be possible if someone grew up in an ideal food context where they were allowed and taught (by example) to honour their body’s signals and respond to their needs appropriately. Such an upbringing would have allowed for the ample collection of healthy and appropriate associations and memories. Basically a great point of reference to develop that ‘gut’ feeling. However, most of us did not quite grow up that way. It is also very likely that somewhere on our food and body journey, external messages from others, comparison, and our culture became too loud and took us away from our bodies and how to respond to it.
Getting it, but not getting it…
Many people feel guilty because they ‘get it’ cognitively but can’t seem to fully ‘get it’ practically and feel like a failure because of it. I was not a bad mother when I held that screaming baby in my arms, I was just an inexperienced (and overwhelmed) one. There was so much to learn. Similarly, you are not a failure for struggling to find a new way with regards to food and your body. Most people I work with have decades of disconnect to their bodies and relating to food. Added to that is the fact that they still live in the midst of a culture that promotes unrealistic body ideals, diets and quick fix solutions.
My point is, skewed food and body associations is like a familiar footpath-you could almost go there in your sleep. No wonder it feels like unfamiliar territory when you do NOT take that route. Struggling forward with curiosity instead of having unrealistic ideas of how quickly you will ‘get’ it will free up space to actually move forward. Any skilled craftsmen or musician will tell you it takes time and experimenting to acquire a skill-to bake that perfect loaf of sourdough bread, to play that instrument really well and intuitively. Keep on practicing and, in doing so, sharpening your intuition and ability to listen and respond to your body.
