Discovering Pleasure and Satisfaction

As Evelyn Tribole, one of the authors of Intuitive Eating, says “In our fury to be thin and healthy, we often overlook one of the most basic gifts of existence – the pleasure and satisfaction that can be found in the eating experience…Diet culture diminishes our quality of life in many ways, and decreased satisfaction in eating is one of them. Eating foods you enjoy and that feels good is a way to connect with your body more deeply.”

First of all, what are pleasure and satisfaction?
Pleasure and satisfaction invoke a sense of enjoyment. They’re associated with feelings of joy, happiness, contentment and fulfilment.

Finding pleasure and satisfaction in eating is an exploration. It involves connecting with yourself and with food, and discovering what you truly enjoy. It helps you find a way of eating that tastes and feels good in your body, mind and soul. It involves meeting your physical and emotional wants and needs. I often think of pleasure and satisfaction as being “soul nourishing”.

Why might I not feel pleasure or satisfaction with food?
Importantly, satisfaction is not  the same as fullness. You can be physically full, but not satisfied. You might still be thinking about food, feeling like food, having a craving or desire to eat.

Not feeling pleasure or satisfaction might be because there’s something lacking in what you’re eating (e.g. it might be bland in taste, not contain enough of a certain macronutrient, or be too small of a serve). It might be because it’s tied up in diet mentality (e.g. eating what you think you ‘should’ eat to be healthy or lose weight and denying yourself of what you actually feel like, or eating what you do feel like and feeling guilty afterwards because you don’t deem it to be ‘healthy’). It might also be because of the environment you’re in (e.g. you’re rushing and eating on the run, distracted at your work desk, or at a stressful family dinner).

So, how do I find pleasure and satisfaction in eating?
Here are some ways you might like to explore pleasure and satisfaction in eating. Different things will work for different people. Try a few and see what resonates for you.

1. Ask yourself, what do I really feel like? See what answers intuitively pop up for you, without overthinking it. Jot your answers down. You might be surprised by what comes up! (You might also notice diet messages here – like “oh but I shouldn’t eat that” or “but that’s unhealthy”. Try to put these aside and keep tuning into what you truly feel like).

2. Now consider all the sensory aspects of food – taste, texture, smell, appearance, temperature. What appeals the most? Write these down. Here are some prompts to help:

• What tastes sound appealing to you? E.g. sweet, savoury, salty, spicy, sour, tart, bitter, rich, buttery, bland, mild, pickled, fermented, acidic, caramelised, fresh, nutty, roasted, tangy, toasty

• What textures appealing to you? (texture might involve the feeling of the food in your mouth or in your hands. It might even involve what it feels like when you’re using utensils – e.g. how it feels when you stick a fork in it or cut a knife through it). E.g. smooth, crunchy, soft, hard, moist, dry, chewy, crispy, creamy, gooey, flaky, crumbly, mushy, sticky, greasy, heavy, light, lumpy, liquidy, wet, chunky, thick, thin, airy, doughy, fluffy, tender

• What smells appealing to you? E.g. sweet, savoury, rich, bland, buttery, spicy, herby, oily, citrusy, smoky, cheesy, garlicky, coffee, fruity, freshly baked bread, chocolatey, vanilla, meaty

• What do I like my food to look like? E.g. particular colours, shapes, sizes, textures, served ‘rustic’, served like fine dining, on particular servingware, with particular utensils, on one big bowl/plate, in lots of little pieces/dishes

• What temperatures appealing to you? E.g. steaming hot, hot, warm, moderate, cool, cold, icy cold

• Do I like eating with my hands?

• Do I like one big bowl or plate of food? Or lots of different little foods?

• Do I like cooked or raw foods?

 
3. Now think about the environments in which you eat. What are most appealing and feel good? E.g. at home, in public, indoors, outdoors, alone, with others (and who they are), somewhere quiet, somewhere busy and bustling. Write these down too.

4. Now think back to time of your favourite memories with food. What did you eat? Who were you with? What were you doing? Where were you? What were the other circumstances around your eating? E.g. as a kid at a family dinner eating your favourite meal cooked by your mum, with friends at a fancy restaurant, in the sunshine at a picnic, a quiet meal by yourself, etc. Jot these down too.

By now, you probably have a big list with all sorts of ideas that may invoke pleasure and satisfaction with food! Explore and experiment with them all. While doing this, really try to tap into the moment and savour it. Observe how you feel during and afterwards. Do you feel a sense of pleasure and satisfaction? What does it actually feel like for you and where in your body can you feel it? (I personally often describe it as a “smiling tummy” or “smiling body” that’s accompanied by feelings of warmth, ease and relaxation).

After some time exploring and seeing what really brings you pleasure and satisfaction, see how you can incorporate more of this into your regular routine. Keep exploring and experimenting. And enjoy the process!

As a side, but important, note: if you have a history with dieting or a troubled relationship with food, it might be hard for you to discover what foods are truly pleasurable and satisfying for you. This is completely understandable and okay. Be patient and gentle with yourself, and know that help is always available. If you’d like some support, please feel free to reach out to me here.