If you’ve spent years — or even decades — trapped in the cycle of dieting, you likely know what it feels like to treat your body like a high-maintenance project. One factor that feeds this cycle is the fact that we’re taught to view our bodies from the outside in.
When we’re on this diet culture hamster wheel [1], we often ask ourselves questions like, “How do I look in these jeans? Is my stomach flat enough? Does this angle make me look ‘healthy’?”
I see this phenomenon every day in my clients, and there’s a name for it: self-objectification. While self-objectification is the silent thief of body peace, you can reclaim that peace by learning how to shift from “watching” your body to actually “inhabiting” it. How? By strengthening a superpower you already possess, even if you haven’t used it in years (or decades). That superpower is interoception.
Before I proceed, I want to offer a few disclaimers: interoceptive awareness is often different in neurodivergent folks, especially those with autism. For more information about this, I recommend occupational therapist Kelly Mahler’s website [2]. Also, for people who have experienced body-based trauma, practicing being “in” their body may not be something they want to do without professional support, because it may not feel safe, and could be triggering.
Understanding the ‘outside-in’ trap: self-objectification
Self-objectification happens when you prioritize your body’s appearance over its actual function and internal experience.You become your own most relentless paparazzi, constantly monitoring your physical “flaws” and adjusting your appearance to meet an external standard.
When you’re in a state of self-objectification, you’re essentially “living in your head.” Signs of self-objectification include using external metrics to decide how to treat yourself, such as:
- The scale: “The number’s up, so I don’t deserve the bagel.”
- The mirror: “I look bloated, so I’ll skip the beach today.”
- The fitness tracker: “I haven’t hit 10,000 steps, so I shouldn’t eat dinner yet.”
The problem? When you’re busy observing your body, you can’t feel your body. This creates a massive disconnect that makes it impossible to eat intuitively, and can also contribute to a disordered relationship with food [3] and your body.
What is interoception?
If self-objectification is the “view from the outside,” interoception is the “view from the inside. Scientifically speaking, interoception is our “eighth sense.” It is the neurological process of sensing the internal state of the body. It’s the feedback loop between your brain and your organs, muscles, and skin.
When you have strong interoceptive awareness, you can accurately perceive:
- Hunger and fullness: The subtle growl or the gentle stretching of the stomach.
- Heart rate: Sensing your heart racing when you’re anxious or slowing down when you’re calm.
- Temperature: Knowing when you are genuinely cold versus just uncomfortable.
- Bladder fullness: The basic signal that it’s time to pee.
- Emotions: Feeling the “tightness” in your chest that signals anger or the “heaviness” that signals sadness.,
For people with a history of dieting, the volume on their interoception is often set on silent mode — because diet culture teaches us to ignore these body signals.
Think about advice you may have heard to drink water when you’re hungry or “push through” the pain during a workout. Over time, your brain decides your internal signals aren’t important, so it starts turning the volume down. That’s why many long-time breakfast skippers no longer feel hungry in the morning, even though their bodies DO need fuel after an overnight fast.
[4]Why interoception is the antidote to objectification
The good news is that you can’t obsess over your cellulite while you’re deeply connected to the rhythm of your breath or the satisfaction of a delicious meal. These two states struggle to coexist.
When you practice strengthening your interoception, you move from body surveillance (watching yourself) to body embodiment (being yourself). This shift is the foundation of the Intuitive Eating framework [5], incidentally.
When you focus on how a food feels in your body (Does it provide energy? Does it settle well?), you naturally move away from the “good vs. bad” moralizing of food. You stop eating to look a certain way and start eating to feel a certain way.
How to reconnect to your body: a step-by-step guide
Rebuilding this connection takes time, especially if you’ve spent years disconnected. Here are some exercises that can help you begin the work of coming home to your body.
1. The “internal weather report.” Several times a day, stop what you are doing. Close your eyes (if it feels safe) and ask: “What is the weather like inside right now?”
- Is there tightness?
- Is there a buzz of energy?
- Is there a hollow feeling in the stomach?
Don’t try to change it. Just name it. Noticing “I feel a heaviness in my shoulders” is a victory for interoception.
2. The hunger discovery scale [6]. Instead of waiting to feel “starving” or “stuffed,” try to find the nuances. Before you eat, check in. On a scale of 1–10, where is your hunger? Middle-of-the-road hunger (a 3 or 4) feels different than a “hangry” 1. Learning to spot the “3” is how you build trust with your body. (Note: 5 is neither hungry nor full, 7 is full, 10 is so full you feel sick.)
3. Mindful movement (not performance movement). Shift your exercise goals. Instead of “How many calories am I burning?” ask yourself, “How do my joints feel right now?” or “Can I feel the air against my skin as I walk?” If a movement feels punishing or painful, interoception gives you the permission to stop.
4. The satisfaction factor. Objectification tells us to eat the lowest-calorie option. Interoception asks: “Is this actually satisfying?” Sometimes, a salad is exactly what your body wants. Other times, your body needs something more filling such as a burger to feel satisfied. Paying attention to the sensory pleasure of food is a powerful way to stay in your body.
The challenges: why is this hard?
Let’s be real: reconnecting to your body isn’t always kittens and unicorns. As I touched on near the beginning of this post, for many, the body has been a place of trauma. It may also have endured chronic pain, or systemic oppression.
If you have spent years hating your body, “feeling” it can be overwhelming. This is why it’s important to go slow. We don’t start with the parts of ourselves we struggle with most — we start with the neutral parts. Can you feel your big toe? Can you feel the breath moving through your nostrils?
(A note on body neutrality: You don’t have to love how your body looks to value how it feels. Interoception allows us to find a “neutral home” where we respect the body’s signals regardless of its shape.)
The freedom of being ‘in’ your body
Imagine a life where your worth isn’t negotiated every morning in front of a mirror. Imagine a life where you eat because you’re hungry, stop because you’re satisfied, and move because it feels good to be alive.
That life isn’t found in a new meal plan or a different workout routine. It is found in the quiet, internal signals that have been there all along, waiting for you to listen.
When you stop looking at yourself as an object to be fixed and start experiencing yourself as a human to be nourished, the world opens up. You aren’t a project. You are a person. And you deserve to be present for your own life.
Take a moment right now. If it feels OK to do so, place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Take a deep breath. Can you feel the movement under your palms? That is interoception. That’s you, coming back.
Disclaimer: All information provided here is of a general nature and is furnished only for educational purposes. This information is not to be taken as medical or other health advice pertaining to an individual’s specific health or medical condition. You agree that the use of this information is at your own risk.
Hi, I’m Carrie Dennett [7], MPH, RDN, a weight-inclusive registered dietitian, nutrition therapist and body image counselor. I offer compassionate, individualized care for adults of all ages, shapes, sizes and genders who want to break free from eating disorders, disordered eating or chronic dieting [8]. If you need to learn how to manage IBS symptoms [9] with food, or improve your nutrition and lifestyle habits [10] to help manage a current health concern or simply support your overall health and well-being, I help people with that, too.
Need 1-on-1 help for your nutrition, eating, or body image concerns? Schedule a free 20-minute Discovery Call [11] to talk about how I can help you and explore if we’re a good fit! I’m in-network with Regence BCBS, FirstChoice Health, Providence of Oregon Health Plan and United Healthcare, and can bill Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield insurances in many states. If I don’t take your insurance, I can help you seek reimbursement on your own. To learn more, explore my insurance and services areas page [12].