In a world filled with diet trends and food rules, Intuitive Eating is a refreshing approach from traditional “diets” that may be a better fit for some people.
The idea behind it is basically listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues rather than relying on external rules. While there are still certain criteria we recommend trying to meet daily (i.e. protein, fiber, calorie and micronutrient targets), intuitive eating gives more room for variety and leniency, which is often the less common approach than “dieting” in the traditional sense.
Having worked with clients for over 7 years teaching these skills, I can say it takes time to know what range you fall into for these daily criteria. This is where food logging for a period of time can be helpful to reflect on your habits, trends, and history. Much like looking at a budget for your spending or business, it can be hard to make progress if you’re not aware of the cost of what you’re purchasing. The same is true for your “caloric spending” (which I’ll touch on in another blog!)
Back to Intuitive Eating (IE), it is really about building a healthier, more peaceful relationship with food without the guilt, shame, or restriction.
But does it work, and how can it help you reach your health and fitness goals?
Let’s explore how intuitive eating differs from traditional diets, its benefits, and how you can begin incorporating it into your life.
What is Intuitive Eating?
Intuitive Eating is a self-care framework designed by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in the 1990s. It’s based on 10 principles that encourage you to reject the diet mentality, honor your hunger, and respect your body by eating in a way that feels good physically and emotionally.
Unlike diet plans that focus on calorie counting or food restriction, Intuitive Eating emphasizes mindful eating—paying attention to hunger, fullness, and how food makes you feel.
We’ve been using the Hunger Scale for years to help our members and clients practice just this! We teach a scale of 1-10, where 1 is ravenously hungry and 10 is Thanksgiving dinner full. Ideally we stop eating before we’re too full and we eat before we get too hungry. You know that feeling where you could eat literally anything? We want to avoid that, as the choices we make in this state are much less thoughtful.
Think about this: when you get too hungry, you’re more likely to eat anything in sight, right? Then we will eat far past a reasonable fullness, because we go from 1 to 10 very quickly and our bodies can’t signal to our brain fast enough that we are full. Fun Fact: Have you ever noticed towards the end of your meal where you take a deep breath and sigh? It’s actually a physical response that your body has when your hunger hormones are signaling to your brain that it is full. (This is proven in science!)
Does It Work?
Scientific research supports the efficacy of intuitive eating in improving both physical and mental health. Studies have found that individuals who practice intuitive eating tend to have:
- Better Psychological Health: Reduced rates of depression, anxiety, and disordered eating patterns.
- Improved Body Image: A more positive and accepting view of their body, regardless of weight or shape.
- Sustained Weight Maintenance: People who adopt intuitive eating often maintain a healthier body weight without the need for restrictive dieting or yo-yo dieting cycles.
Benefits of Intuitive Eating
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- Freedom from Dieting: Intuitive eating helps you break free from the cycle of dieting, allowing you to enjoy food without feeling like you’re constantly “on” or “off” a diet.
- Improved Relationship with Food: By focusing on how food makes you feel, rather than just the numbers, you develop a healthier relationship with food, which can lead to better overall health outcomes.
- Intune with How Foods Make You Feel: When we listen to these signals, you’ll find which foods make you feel good and which don’t. Over time you’ll choose foods that support better energy and improve how you truly feel.
- More Sustainable: Since there are no strict rules, intuitive eating is much more sustainable over the long term compared to restrictive diets or eating patterns.
- Focus on Long-Term Health: Intuitive eating emphasizes how you feel, not just how you look. This makes it a great option for those who are more concerned with long-term health than short-term weight loss.
How to Begin with Intuitive Eating
- Practice Mindful Eating: Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues. Ask yourself: “Am I eating because I’m hungry, or am I eating because I’m stressed, bored, or emotional?”
- Allow All Foods: Unlike dieting, which demonizes certain foods, intuitive eating encourages you to include a wide variety of foods without labeling them as “good” or “bad.”
- Track Calories Temporarily: While intuitive eating discourages long-term calorie counting, tracking your intake for a short period of time (a week or two) can help you become more aware of your usual portion sizes and daily intake. After this period, you can step away from calorie counting and trust your body’s cues.
- Respect Your Body: One of the key principles of intuitive eating is body respect. This means accepting your body where it is today and focusing on health rather than appearance. While you can still have goals to improve the qualities of your body, it is still special and amazing the way it is NOW!
How Intuitive Eating Differs from Intermittent Fasting
While intermittent fasting is based on structured eating windows, intuitive eating gives you more freedom. Some people might find I.F. (as mentioned in the last blog) too restrictive, especially if they struggle with feelings of deprivation or guilt around food. Intuitive eating, on the other hand, promotes a more relaxed and flexible approach, allowing you to eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full—without the clock dictating your meals.
We at the Transformation Center believe Intuitive Eating offers a sustainable, balanced approach to food that can improve your physical and mental well-being. If you’re tired of dieting or if you feel restricted by more rigid plans, intuitive eating could be the solution you’ve been looking for. By learning to trust your body, you can cultivate a healthier relationship with food and create long-term habits that support both your physical and emotional health.
If you’d like to explore more about how to start intuitive eating or get personalized support on your nutrition journey, feel free to reach out to us at The Transformation Center. We’re here to help you find the best approach that fits your life and goals!
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