Is intuitive eating the best new healthy habit for you in 2023?
If, as the research says, “there is little support for the notion that diets lead to lasting weight loss or health benefits,” how are we supposed to build a healthy body? The answer: intuitive eating. However, intuitive eating might not be the answer for everyone as it requires a significant shift in mindset from thin = healthy to understanding that diverse body shapes can be healthy and valuable. In this article, you’ll learn all about intuitive eating and you can decide if it’s right for you.
What is intuitive eating?
Intuitive eating is a non-diet eating style pioneered by nutritionists Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in the 1990s. In comparison to traditional dieting, intuitive eating is a kinder, more compassionate approach to eating designed to help participants make peace with food and rediscover the pleasures of eating.
The protocol takes a holistic view of health, recognising the harm that weight stigma places on folks both physically and mentally. It also helps participants unravel the conditioning around weight, health, and diet culture. Rather than prescribing what people should eat, intuitive eating teaches us to trust our bodies, find satisfaction with our food choices and incorporate gentle movement and nutrition into our lifestyles.
What is it not?
Firstly, the word “intuitive” can be misleading. The protocol is not a woo-woo, airy-fairy idea. Intuitive eating is rooted in science with well over 100 peer-reviewed studies available to validate the premise.
Secondly, it is not another diet. There is no prescribed way of eating, no calories to count, and no targets to meet. Rather it is a program designed to help the participant (re)learn to trust their body around food so that they can feel satisfied, energised, and remove the obsession with food that diet culture often fosters.
Unfortunately, the words “intuitive eating” have been co-opted by diet culture and it’s common to see diets and restrictive meal plans using the phrase. If you see a meal plan with the words “intuitive eating”, run! It is just another diet in disguise.
Finally, it is not “glorifying obesity” or an excuse to just eat junk all day. Intuitive eating is part of the Health at Every Size movement which teaches us that all bodies are valuable and can be healthy in their own way. It is not glorifying obesity as it doesn’t glorify any particular body shape or size. Further, when we learn to trust our bodies, monitor our internal signals, and find true satisfaction with food, we find that a diet of only junk food is not satisfying or sustainable.
Who is intuitive eating for?
Intuitive eating is for everyone. We are all born intuitive eaters. As babies, we cry when we are hungry, and we stop feeding when we are full. But as we grow up we are conditioned to believe that thin is the same as healthy and that some foods are good and some are bad. Unfortunately, once we have been on any kind of restrictive eating plan, from being denied food as a child to trying a 12-week body transformation program as a teen or adult, we lose natural intuitive eating instincts and they have to be relearned.
Intuitive eating is especially good for anyone who wants to rid themselves of chronic dieting. I became interested in the protocol when I just couldn’t face going on another “cleanse” even though I wanted to feel healthier and more energised. It’s also great for anyone who is tired of the restriction and shame of trying another diet and who wants to start treating themselves with compassion and kindness.
The protocol is especially effective to support eating disorders or disordered eating treatment. If you fit into this category I would recommend finding a certified intuitive eating counsellor or dietician to help.
The only downside to intuitive eating is that it can be elitist. It encourages participants to eat whatever they want in quantities that feel good in their bodies. If you have financial or time constraints, this might not be possible all the time. If you fall into this camp, I would still recommend learning about intuitive eating and taking the compassion from the protocol into your situation.
How to practice intuitive eating
I highly recommend reading the revised Intuitive Eating text by the original creators, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. It is a wonderful resource and a great place to start. Consider personalised coaching or dietician support. Since intuitive eating is such a massive shift from the norm, finding a group of like-minded people is essential. A group program or membership is ideal.
Then it’s a matter of mastering the 10 principles of intuitive eating through lots of trial and error plus a huge dose of compassion. I first started my own intuitive eating journey back in 2019 but can say it's taken me almost 3 years to become a true intuitive eater as I had years of conditioning to unlearn (as most of us do!) Now my weight has stabilised, I enjoy eating and I no longer carry food shame or anxiety with me 24/7.
Now you’ve learned all about intuitive eating and the positive benefits it can have on your physical and mental health, it’s time to decide if it’s for you. If you can feel a resounding “Yes” in your body, consider some private coaching with me. Click here to learn more.
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