Dieting is such an ingrained part of our culture that even when we are actively not dieting it is very common to find we are still struggling with diet thoughts especially in the beginning of our journey towards eating in a more intuitive way. Sometimes they are very obvious, such as "I really need to join weight watchers again," or "I need to track my calories" but often especially as time goes on, these thoughts tend to get a little more subtle. This may look something like "hmm I've had pasta two nights this week for dinner but am still wanting pasta for dinner tonight maybe I should pick something else", or "Maybe I shouldn't eat grains, I think they might be what's aggravating my skin". While perhaps not as flagrantly "diety" as the desire to count calories or give that favorite diet another try, often times these thoughts are coming from our diet rules more so then what our bodies are actually telling us. There's nothing wrong with pasta when it is what our body truly desires and it's likely that concern about how many times I've had pasta this week is coming from my diet rules about how much pasta is "ok" to eat in a week rather then what my body is telling me. It can be REALLY hard to put aside these diet rules and truly hear what are body is wanting and needing in a given moment. Here's a couple things I've found helpful in times like this:

-Take a few deep breathes.

-Ask myself, "what would nourish and satisfy me right now".

-Ask myself, "is this coming from me or from some diet rule I've learned along the way?"

-Once I make my food decision, take a few bites and check in with myself around how much I'm enjoying what I'm eating/if it's satisfying me.

These couple of steps have been a big help for me in recognizing my body's true needs and hopefully it's helpful for you as well!