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Intuitive Eating: The Anti-DietingApproach to Losing WeightBy Jillian Levy, CHHC

August 6, 2019

Most people are starting to accept the idea that “diets” — the kind

you go on and then off of — don’t work in the long run. In fact, reports

now show that about 90 percent to 95 percent of all diets fail —

which is where intuitive eating comes in.

One of the ironies behind failed diets and yo-yo dieting is that,

ultimately, some fad diets even make you fat.

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https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2014/11/17/no-95-percent-of-people-dont-fail-their-diets

https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2014/11/17/no-95-percent-of-people-dont-fail-their-diets

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Meanwhile, people tend to blame themselves, feeling like a lack of

willpower, no self-control and bad genetics are the reasons they

can’t lose weight and keep it off. Sometimes they blame themselves

so much that they stop eating and enter into a dangerous starvation

mode, rather than adopting a more healthful approach, like mindful

eating.

Along the lines of more healthful approaches to eating comes

“intuitive eating” (IE), an emerging approach to sustainable healthy

eating and body acceptance. Intuitive eaters believe the blame

shouldn’t be put on “dieters” themselves, but instead on the Sawed

process of dieting.

Is intuitive eating evidence-based? Yes, according to dozens of

studies, this approach seems promising and a “realistic alternative to

address overweight and obesity than conventional weight-loss

treatments.”

What Is Intuitive Eating?

What is the deXnition of intuitive eating? There isn’t just one deXnition

of intuitive eating, as different people approach this style of eating in

unique ways.

The term “intuitive eating” was Xrst coined in the 1990s by the authors

of the Intuitive Eating book, Registered Dietitians Evelyn Tribole and

Elyze Resch. They described IE as:

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25726186



… a new way of eating that is ultimately struggle-free and

healthy for your mind and body. It is a process that unleashes

the shackles of dieting (which can only lead to deprivation,

rebellion and rebound weight gain). It means getting back to

your roots — trusting your body and its signals.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, the deXnition

of intuitive eating is: “Trusting your inner body wisdom to make

choices around food that feel good in your body, without judgment

and without inSuence from diet culture.”

Rates of obesity and being overweight continue to climb, yet more

and more people report being on “diets” than ever. It’s Xnally clicked

with some of the public that we need another way to approach

healthier eating.

Many studies have found positive implications for IE, including

protecting against obesity, lowering body mass indexes, leading to

a healthier mindset about food, lowering cortisol levels and

improving body image.

The Basics of IE:

Evelyn Tribole and Elyze Resch call their approach a “180-degree

departure from dieting.” Instead of a strong focus on weight loss,

deprivation, cutting or counting calories and writing off certain foods,

their goal is to teach people how to eat in a way that supports a

healthier relationship with food.

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/blog/what-does-intuitive-eating-mean





In essence, the goal of IE is to practice health on every level — both

physically and mentally.

How do you learn to be intuitive when it comes to making food

choices? One way is to follow the 10 principles of intuitive eating (see

below).

Dietitians and therapists involved in intuitive eating research have

also put together several different general guidelines for IE, which

include:

1. Mostly intrinsic eating (mostly eating based on your inner cues

for fullness and hunger)

2. Sometimes extrinsic eating (at times eating based on your

mood, social situation, time of day or food availability without

feelings of guilt)

3. Anti-dieting (eating that’s not determined by any speciXc diet,

like counting calories or following a risky low-fat diet plan, or

purely just for weight loss)

4. Self-care and body acceptance (regardless of current size)

10 Core Principles

What are the principles of intuitive eating? According to

IntuitiveEating.org, the 10 intuitive eating principles are as follows:

1. Reject the Diet Mentality

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https://www.intuitiveeating.org/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating/



“If you allow even one small hope to linger that a new and better diet

might be lurking around the corner, it will prevent you from being

free to rediscover intuitive eating.”

2. Honor Your Hunger

“Keep your body biologically fed with adequate energy and

carbohydrates. Otherwise you can trigger a primal drive to overeat.”

3. Make Peace with Food

“Call a truce, stop the food Xght! Give yourself unconditional

permission to eat. If you tell yourself that you can’t or shouldn’t have

a particular food, it can lead to intense feelings of deprivation that

build into uncontrollable cravings and, often, bingeing.”

4. Challenge the Food Police

“Scream a loud ‘NO’ to thoughts in your head that declare you’re

‘good’ for eating minimal calories or ‘bad’ because you ate a piece of

chocolate cake.”

5. Respect Your Fullness

“Listen for the body signals that tell you that you are no longer

hungry. Observe the signs that show that you’re comfortably full.”

6. Discover the Satisfaction Factor

“When you eat what you really want, in an environment that is

inviting and conducive, the pleasure you derive will be a powerful

force in helping you feel satisXed and content.”



7. Honor Your Feelings Without Using Food

“Find ways to comfort, nurture, distract and resolve your issues

without using food. Anxiety, loneliness, boredom, anger are emotions

we all experience throughout life. Each has its own trigger, and each

has its own appeasement. Food won’t Xx any of these feelings.”

8. Respect Your Body

“Accept your genetic blueprint … It’s hard to reject the diet mentality if

you are unrealistic and overly critical about your body shape.”

9. Exercise — Feel the Difference

“Shift your focus to how it feels to move your body, rather than the

calorie-burning effect of exercise.”

10. Honor Your Health

“Make food choices that honor your health and tastebuds while

making you feel well. Remember that you don’t have to eat a perfect

diet to be healthy.”

4 BeneXts

1. Lowers Stress and Anxiety Regarding Food Choices

Of course, nutrition and exercise are important pieces of the puzzle

when it comes to living a healthy life, but Xrst and foremost the

priority in terms of IE is to “reject the diet mentality” that causes many



people to feel guilty, chronically stressed and out of touch with their

own bodies.

According to a 2019 article published in Health Psychology Open,

eating intuitively may result in improved well-being, lower stress

levels and lower cortisol output, the primary “stress hormone” that is

tied to weight gain, mood disturbances and trouble sleeping. People

who focus on health before weight tend to experience more pleasant

emotional states in general, according to studies.

Intuitive eaters report feeling upbeat, happy, appreciative, more

socially integrated, effective and resilient. They’re even more likely to

be physically active on a regular basis, perhaps because they value

their bodies more and have more energy.

2. Encourages Flexibility and Eating A Wide Variety of

Foods

Just the opposite of most quick-Xx diet plans, IE proposes a way of

eating that allows for any and all food choices. Essentially nothing is

off limits, and there is no cap on how many calories, fat grams or

carbohydrates can be eaten in a day.

While “anti-dieting” alone doesn’t necessarily help someone lower

health risks and make smart dietary decisions, IE hopes to

encourage healthy eating in a radically new way: reconciling

forbidden food issues, unleashing the common shackles of dieting

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6360478/


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/05/anti-diet-project-intuitive-eating_n_4391023.html



(deprivation, rebellion and rebound weight gain) and helping people

to get back to trusting their body’s own natural signs and

preferences.

This is why a 2019 study found evidence that IR can help adults eat

for physical reasons rather than emotional reasons and to better rely

on hunger and satiety cues.

3. Can Help Improve Health Even Without Weight Loss

Wondering about how “healthy” this way of eating can really be when

it comes to nutrition and weight? One study published in Public

Health Nutrition found that higher intuitive eating scores were tied to

healthier weight management and healthier BMIs and improved

physical health indicators other than BMI (like blood pressure and

cholesterol levels).

This suggests that listening to your body’s signals for determining

what, when and how much to eat is one of the best ways to prevent

weight gain long-term.

How does intuitive eating work for improving health markers like

blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.?

Ohio State University published a large study on over 1,300 women

that focused on several key features of intuitive eating, including:

1. Unconditional permission to eat when hungry and the types of

foods that are desired

2. Eating for physical rather than emotional reasons






3. Reliance on internal hunger and satiety cues to determine when

and how much to eat

The women Xrst completed the intuitive eating scale (IES) to

measure if they self-identiXed as intuitive eaters. Compared to

women scoring low on this scale, intuitive eaters were found to have

higher self-esteem, body acceptance and satisfaction; lower stress

levels about being thin and Xtting cultural ideals; more satisfaction

with life and positive feelings, including optimism and proactive

coping with emotions; better awareness of physical sensations

originating from the body (hunger, fullness, fast heartbeat, heavy

breathing, etc.); and overall healthier body mass indexes.

To sum things up, those practicing IE seem to beneXt from less

stress, inclusion of a variety of foods and self-care.

4. Builds Self-Trust and ConXdence

Since it removes stress, deprivation and mistrust from the weight loss

equation, IE relies on a better mind-body connection. This helps most

people to make good food choices more often than not, to get better

in touch with their body’s signals of hunger versus fullness and to

respect and appreciate their unique body at any size.

The American Psychological Association identiXed an additional

beneXt of intuitive eating: better self-trust and reliance on the body’s

innate hunger and satiety cues. Intuitive eaters primarily rely on their




bodies to tell them when and how much to eat, instead of what food

is in front of them, the time of day, portion sizes being served in

restaurants or what others are eating.

Studies also show that better trust in one’s own body leads to more

self-appreciation (despite size and perceived imperfections), being

more attentive to the body’s basic needs and having a lower risk for

eating disorder symptoms (like bulimia, binge eating disorder or

anorexia) or negative body image.

Does It Work for Weight Loss?

If you’re hoping to Xnd intuitive eating before and after photos

showing drastic weight loss results, you’re probably going to be

disappointed. The connection between intuitive eating and weight

loss is controversial, but many IE experts state that weight loss is not

a primary goal of IE.

Most IE proponents believe that the goal of weight loss shouldn’t take

center stage, but rather it should be “put on the back burner” in order

to focus on general health and feeling well. Some studies have also

found that IE doesn’t lead to weight loss in many cases, especially

compared to strict control of calorie intake.

Here’s the good news: some studies have found that people who eat

intuitively are less likely to yo-yo diet (or lose and gain weight over

and over again, which can damage the metabolism), because they




engage in fewer behaviors that lead to emotional eating or weight

gain. Intuitive eaters may be less likely to eat in the absence of

hunger, eat to soothe stress, eat due to situational or social factors

like peer pressure, to restrict certain food groups and to binge due to

deprivation.

Intuitive eaters feel that a lack of knowledge about general nutrition

isn’t one of the main reasons many adults can’t lose weight — rather

it’s the emotional reasons behind eating that are hardest to

overcome.

Initially, some people are highly skeptical about how any eating plan

that allows for all foods and zero calorie-counting can really help

bring about weight management and better mental health. But

numerous studies show that downright rejecting most “diets” results

in better body acceptance, healthy weight control, less yo-yo dieting,

mostly well-rounded and nutritious food choices and even lower

incidences of eating disorder symptoms.

Intuitive Eating vs. Mindful Eating

Mindful eating describes the process of being aware while eating. It

involves paying attention (on purpose) to your actual eating

experience, without judgment.


https://draxe.com/health/mindful-eating/



Mindful eating is considered by some to be an important part of

intuitive eating, as IE is all about attunement of mind, body and food;

however, IE is a broader philosophy that also touches upon physical

activity and rejecting societal norms.

Can you combine principles of both? If so, what is “mindful intuitive

eating”?

Yes, you can. You do this by listening to your inner body signals that

tell you that you are starting to get hungry, and when you’ve had

enough, to feel satisXed.

Get to know what it feels like to be “comfortably full” without being

overly stuffed. Also, try to eat before you feel “ravenous,” which can

easily lead to overeating before reaching satiety.

Many people Xnd it helpful to slow down when eating, chew food

well, eat undistracted (not emailing, watching TV, driving, etc.) and

to pause in the middle of a meal or snack to take note of how full

they feel

Practice mindful eating and ask yourself if what you’re having is

actually satisfying you, or if you’re simply eating it because it’s there.

One principle that many intuitive eaters love to follow is: “If you don’t

love it, don’t eat it, and if you love it, savor it.”

6 Steps to Become an Intuitive Eater

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Ready to learn how to start intuitive eating? Begin by following these

helpful intuitive eating tips:

1. Acknowledge That Quick-Fix or Fad Diets Don’t Work

It’s tempting to believe there’s a way to lose weight quickly, easily

and permanently by taking drastic measures, eliminating entire food

groups, radically cutting calories or going on a low-carb diet. But in

reality, most people can’t override their body’s natural biology and

cravings for extended periods of time.

Instead of trying diet after diet only to feel like a failure every time

you “fall off the wagon,” stop dieting all together.

Give up the idea that there’s new and better diets lurking around the

corner and return to what has worked for people for centuries: eating

real foods, practicing moderation and moving your body! Aim for

a nutrient-dense diet that supports a healthy body, stable mind and

steady energy levels, all without trying to be “perfect.”

Make food choices that honor your health and satisfy your taste

buds, while also making you feel good. If you’re not exactly sure

which foods work best for you, and which may not, consider using an

intuitive eating workbook to track your reactions to different foods, or

perhaps work with a trained intuitive eating coach.

2. Fuel Yourself with Enough Calories

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https://draxe.com/nutrition/nutrient-dense-foods/



The motivation of simply wanting to lose weight to look better,

especially for a speciXc event, can be temporary and Seeting — but

even more importantly, it causes many people to deprive

themselves of enough calories and rest, which has damaging effects

on the metabolism. Recognize that it’s important to give your body

the calories it needs, otherwise you’re likely to deal with feelings

of chronic fatigue, deprivation and resentment, plus you have the

urge to overeat or binge eat due to biological changes.

3. Avoid “Good/Bad” or “Black/White” Thinking About

Certain Foods

It’s true that some foods are more nutrient-dense than others, but

vowing to 100 percent eliminate certain foods or food groups from

your diet forever can just increase stress and feelings of

preoccupation with “forbidden foods.” Intuitive eaters aim to “make

peace with food, call a truce and stop the food Xght.”

Of course, you want to prioritize eating all types of healthy foods over

highly processed foods, but don’t expect perfection and assume

you’ll never have your favorite comfort foods again.

If you tell yourself you can’t or shouldn’t have a particular food ever

again, it can lead to intense feelings of shame along with

uncontrollable cravings. Experts believe that all-or-nothing thinking

about foods can increase the likelihood for bingeing, because when

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someone Xnally “gives in” to their forbidden food, they are then

tempted to eat very large amounts, to feel like it’s their “last chance”

and then to feel overwhelming guilt.

Remember that it’s what you eat consistently over time that matters

and that “progress, not perfection” is the goal. Try your best not to

view certain foods (or entire food groups like carbohydrates, fats or

animal proteins, for example) as “bad.”

Instead, just aim to have them less often and focus your attention

on adding in more of the things that support your health and make

you feel good.

4. Learn to Eat When You’re Hungry and Stop When Full

“Feeling your fullness” and “honoring your hunger” are two key

principles of intuitive eating. Many people Xnd that when they don’t

categorize any foods as totally off-limits or deprive themselves of

enough calories, they can Xnally start to eat in line with what their

body really needs.

5. Find Ways to Handle Stress and Emotions Without the

Use Of Food

For many people, IE opens the doors to Xnding new ways to destress,

comfort, nurture or distract themselves, and resolve emotional

issues, without overeating or turning to comfort food. We all feel

tough emotions from time to time like frustration, anxiety, loneliness

or boredom, but it’s important to realize that food can’t actually Xx

any of these feelings or solve problems in your life.



Emotional eating might feel good in the moment, but it actually

usually winds up making the initial problem even worse, because

then you have to deal with feelings of shame or discomfort, too.

Wondering how to be happier everyday and to Xnd appropriate

outlets for uncomfortable emotions and stress? Try exercising in a

fun way, meditation or healing prayer, writing a journal, massage

therapy, acupuncture or spending time with people you love.

When it comes to learning how to cope with stress in a healthy

manner, many people can also beneXt from keeping an intuitive

eating journal or using an intuitive eating app for support, such as

YouAte. These are helpful for becoming more aware of unhealthy

habits, of what you’re eating and why and of how you feel before and

after you eat.

For example, you may choose to write down what you ate, how you

felt, how hungry you were, how full you were after and your feelings

regarding different eating experiences. According to a 2019 pilot

study that is investigating the use of smartphone apps for learning IE,

engaging in these types of practices is believed to help “bridge the

gap between intentions to perform a particular behavior and the

actual behavioral change.”

6. Practice Body Acceptance and Be Realistic About Your

Goals

https://youate.com/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5702316/



We all have unique genetic blueprints, and for many people,

reaching their “ideal weight” is unrealistic, unsustainable and possibly

even unhealthy. Just because you’re carrying around a little extra

weight than you’d like to doesn’t necessarily mean you’re unhealthy

and that you need to force yourself to be smaller.

Ask yourself if your goals are realistic. Are you setting the bar too

high? Is your current diet or exercise routine causing more stress and

harm than it’s worth?

Are you accepting of your natural body or constantly Xghting your

genetics and beating yourself up? Respect your body, drop the guilt

as much as you can, and start feeling better about who you are so

you can take better care of yourself long-term.

How Do You Raise an Intuitive Eater?

Principles of intuitive eating can beneXt children and parents alike, as

eating intuitively builds autonomy and self-trust. A highly regarded

specialist in children’s eating named Ellyn Satter even created the

Feeding Dynamics Model (or “division of responsibility in feeding“) in

the early 1980s to help parents raise intuitive eaters.

In this model, the parent or caregiver provides structure by choosing

what food to serve at regular meal and snack times, while the child

decides how much of the foods offered to eat. The goal is to allow

https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/how-to-feed/the-division-of-responsibility-in-feeding/



children to remain sensitive to internal hunger and satiety cues and

to avoid disrupting the child’s ability to self-regulate energy intake

and the amount of food eaten.

According to an article published by Today’s Dietician Magazine:

Allowing kids to eat intuitively gives children a greater sense of

self-esteem, understanding of boundaries [and] connection to

family and caregivers during meals, and typically they will enjoy

a wider variety of foods … while strategies such as encouraging,

bribing or tricking may be well-intentioned, they end up

increasing picky eating and escalating power struggles at the

table.

According to dietitians trained in IE for children, the best thing

parents can do when feeding their children is to not say anything

once the food is in front of the child, but rather to focus on offering

nutritionally complete snacks and meals that provide at least two of

the three macronutrients.

This is said to “help promote stable moods and blood sugar, helping

kids and parents hone in on true hunger and fullness.” Many experts

also recommend eating as a family at the table, without devices or

other distractions.

Risks and Side Effects

https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0318p14.shtml

https://draxe.com/nutrition/macronutrients/



How do you start intuitive eating if you have a history of disordered

eating or a complicated relationship with food? The best thing to do

in this situation is seek out help from an intuitive eating counselor,

who may be a registered dietician, therapist or health coach who

has received an intuitive eating certiXcation.

This is especially important if you’ve struggled with an eating

disorder in the past, as IE tends to bring up a lot of difXcult feelings

and can be hard to navigate on your own during different stages of

recovery from eating disorders. One reason that IE can be tough

during recovery is because hunger/fullness cues tend to be

unreliable for a period of time as the body adjusts.

During early stages of recovery, meal plans are often necessary to

help with weight restoration, re-nourishing the body and establishing

normalized eating patterns, but after some time, IE can become

more of a focus.

It’s recommended that those who struggle with eating-related issues

Xrst read the ofXcial Intuitive Eating book and/or buy the ofXcial

Intuitive Eating Workbook to help themselves learn more. It’s also

recommended they Xnd a therapist or dietitian who truly

understands this work and how it should be implemented during

recovery.

Final Thoughts

What is intuitive eating? One deXnition of intuitive eating (IE) is,

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“trusting your inner body wisdom to make choices around food

that feel good in your body, without judgment and without

inSuence from diet culture.”

Here’s how to practice intuitive eating: follow the 10 principles of

intuitive eating as described by authors of the Intuitive Eating

book, some of which include: reject the diet mentality, honor your

hunger, make peace with food, challenge the food police,

discover the satisfaction factor and honor your feelings without

using food.

Keep in mind that weight loss is not necessarily how you should

judge your intuitive eating results. While weight loss may occur, it

isn’t the primary beneXt or goal. The real beneXts of IE include

lowered stress, more Sexibility, eating a wide variety of foods,

better self-trust, increased conXdence and improved overall

health.

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