3 Myths About Intuitive Eating & Weight Loss
If you are reading this and wondering what this intuitive eating thing is all about (is it just another diet trend or the real deal for optimizing health?) you are in the right place! Or, you may have even landed here today because you are asking questions like:
Can I be an intuitive eater and still lose weight?
What if I am afraid intuitive eating will cause weight gain?
Is it wrong to still want to lose weight while trying to eat intuitively?
As a dietitian specialized in intuitive eating guidance, I get these questions all the time, so in this blog post, we are going to tackle the top three myths floating around about intuitive eating and its' connection to weight loss. Together, we will navigate through the intricacies of intuitive eating, separating fact from fiction in your quest for a balanced and sustainable approach to your health.
Understanding intuitive eating
Intuitive eating is not just another diet; it is a philosophy centered around returning to the basics and reconnecting with the body's natural cues, promoting a harmonious relationship with food and fostering a positive mindset towards eating. To delve into the essence of intuitive eating, we have to unravel the principles that uphold this unique approach to nourishment and self care.
Reject the Diet Mentality: The first principle involves identifying and unlearning the harmful, restrictive messages that we have absorbed from diet culture. How many times has dieting led you to feeling like you have 'failed'? Were not able to stick to the rules (because life happens!) or the weight you hoped to lose came back anyway? Perhaps, dieting inevitably has not led to a happier, healthier version of you. Thankfully, with intuitive eating as an alternative, we can unlearn the pervasive dieting mindset and embrace an approach focused on overall well-being rather than remaining captive to the rules around food that sacrifice our mental health and are focused solely on weight loss goals.
Honor Your Hunger: Acknowledging and responding to the body's hunger signals is fundamental and necessary. Intuitive eating recognizes hunger as an innate internal cue, urging us to nourish our bodies in a way that aligns with these genuine, physiological signals. Where counting calories and following standardized serving sizes fail to meet our needs, our biology is primed to tell us exactly what we actually need, when we need it. If you feel like these signals are distant or unrecognizable, that is expected to happen if you have been listening to external rules for a while instead. A dietitian specialized in intuitive eating can help you reconnect with your body's internal wisdom!
Make Peace with Food: Every food has a place with intuitive eating. This principle encourages us to abandon the old narrative of labeling foods as good, bad, healthy, or unhealthy to foster a normalized, peaceful relationship with all types of foods. As you may have experienced, these labels take an emotional toll when feelings of guilt or shame arise out of our eating choices. You will find that you can make more satisfying choices that honor body's needs when you do not assign moral value to the foods you eat.
Challenge the Food Police: Is there a lot of chatter going on in your mind every time you try to make a decision about what or how much to eat? Challenging the internalized food-related judgements and rules is essential to quieting this noise. Intuitive eating promotes self-compassion by confronting and reshaping negative thoughts surrounding food choices, creating space for a more positive and balanced approach.
Discover the Satisfaction Factor: Ideally, eating is a pleasurable experience, and we want to promote this however possible. This principle of intuitive eating underscores the importance of savoring and enjoying food, focusing on the sensory aspects of eating that contribute to ultimate satiety and optimal nourishment. Attaining physical fullness from eating is only part of the process, achieving mental satisfaction from the foods we eat allow our meals to truly 'hit the spot' and allow us to experience satiety, a place where we can actually move on from food and back to other important aspects of life.
Feel Your Fullness: Tuning into the internal cues that signal fullness is a practice of intuitive eaters. By being intentionally mindful during meals, individuals can better recognize when they are comfortably full and satisfied, helping to prevent frequent, uncomfortable episodes of overeating and promote a more regulated eating pattern. Keep in mind, this is not a perfect process! It is normal to become uncomfortably full or not eat enough and feel unsatisfied sometimes. We are interested in collecting data to better understand these circumstances and compassionately support ourselves moving forward.
Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness: The term 'emotional eating' gets thrown around a lot, and it can be a distressing experience for some. We recognize that food is inherently tied to our emotions on some level, and coping with our emotions using food could be the best option available at times. In the practice of intuitive eating, individuals will develop more awareness of their emotions and learn to respond from a place of compassion using a repertoire of coping mechanisms beyond just turning to food.
Respect Your Body: Cultivating a more peaceful relationship with the body can begin by acknowledging the harmful, diet culture messages that make us believe our body is not good enough or worthy as it is. This principe invites individuals to consider how their body is inherently deserving of respect and compassionate care regardless of the unrealistic and toxic pressures society presents.
Movement - Feel the Difference: Intuitive eating looks at the whole picture of well being, even beyond food. Individuals are invited to experiment with moving in ways that bring joy and enhance the way they feel rather than focusing on exercising to change the body, lose weight, etc. By creating an open invitation to explore movement without the critical demands taking over like an overbearing sergeant, we will find that exercise becomes more sustainable, more fun, and ultimately empowering!
Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition: Contrary to popular belief, intuitive eating is not just saying "eat whatever you want whenever you want". We recognize the importance of thoughtful nutrition (without rigid rules!). This principle encourages a flexible and balanced approach to nourishment, prioritizing meeting the body's needs while maintaining holistic health.
Embracing the principles of intuitive eating establishes the groundwork for fostering a mindful and supportive connection with food that transcends conventional dieting norms. Because this teaching pushes up against the typical narrative around weight, health, and how to feed ourselves, it can feel uncomfortable and even radical to take the first step. We invite you to reach out to us today to embark on an intuitive eating journey alongside a trusted professional.
3 myths about losing weight with intuitive eating
Intuitive eating, with its focus on noticing internal cues and fostering a healthy relationship with food through a weight inclusive approach, has gained popularity as an alternative to dieting and weight normative thinking. However, misconceptions surrounding its compatibility with weight loss persist. Let's debunk three common myths to shed light on the realities of intuitive eating.
Myth: Intuitive Eating is Just Another Diet in Disguise
Some skeptics dismiss intuitive eating as merely another fad diet trend, assuming that it imposes rules and restrictive dieting methods similar to conventional weight loss approaches.
Reality: Intuitive eating is a paradigm shift away from diet culture. While diets that focus on losing weight promote rules around foods to cut out, portions to follow, calories to count, or times to eat/not eat, intuitive eating guides individuals to reconnect with their body's innate wisdom and relearn 'how to eat'. We see how children are naturally intuitive as they eat the variety of foods provided to them, enjoy to satisfaction and fullness, and then returning to play without another thought as their bodies use the food to fuel growing, learning, and existing - no rules or calorie limits needed. If this idea seems out of reach, you are not alone. Many adults have become so disconnected from their ability to hear and respond to body cues. Intuitive eating offers the path to follow, and the tools you need are already inside you!
Myth: You Shouldn't Want to Lose Weight with Intuitive Eating
Many people believe that working with a weight inclusive practitioner or intuitive eating counselor means that they need to be ready to let go of their desire to lose weight.
Reality: Because of the weight stigma that is unfortunately very real and alive in our current culture, it makes sense that losing weight and striving to be in a smaller body would feel like the answer to achieve belonging, acceptance, health, and confidence. The thought of relinquishing the quest to lose weight can can feel scary, especially when there is fear of judgement and oppression for being in a body that is not seen as the cultural 'ideal'. That said, we uphold one's body autonomy above all other philosophies in our approach. We will not shame you for continuing to desire or even pursue weight loss. We are here to explore the idea of an alternative approach to wellbeing, one that calls our attention to nourishing ourselves beyond the false beliefs we have internalized from society about weight and health. Even if you are not 100% ready to let go of wanting to lose weight, you are likely reading this because you are curious about intuitive eating - and that is enough!
Myth: Intuitive Eating Means Giving in to All Your Cravings
A common misconception is that intuitive eating gives individuals license to just 'eat whatever they want whenever they want', without much thought. Many people fear that jumping into this would mean eating foods that are perceived as "unhealthy" all the time, without control, causing them to gain past their healthy weight.
Reality: Intuitive eating promotes a balanced and mindful approach to honoring the body's cues and cravings. It encourages individuals to listen and respond to those cravings without judgement - knowing that cravings are there for a reason! Especially after a time of restrictive dieting or not eating enough, it is entirely normal to go through a period where you are eating more than usual or even experiencing ravenous hunger. Evelyn Tribole, co-author of Intuitive Eating, compares this to what would happen if you held your breath, "If you hold your breath for a long time and finally take your first panicked inhale, no one calls it 'loss of control breathing' or 'binge breathing', It is a natural compensatory response to air deprivation. We need that perspective for eating." Because the process of healing from dieting or restrictive eating can be uncomfortable and confusing, working with a trusted clinician like a dietitian specialized in intuitive eating can be really helpful! We can reinforce why certain stages of intuitive eating are necessary and normal.
Basically, intuitive eating challenges the conventional notions about weight loss and dieting. Dispelling these myths allows us to approach food and our relationship with our bodies in a more open and curious way, recognizing how wellbeing can be found without weight loss as the ultimate goal.
Can you lose weight with intuitive eating?
As one of the lingering questions surrounding this intuitive eating journey, we will unpack why intuitive eating does not uphold intentional weight loss as a goal, and how research has found the overall health benefits of intuitive eating to far outweigh the traditional dieting approaches that primarily focus on weight loss as the intention.
Intuitive eating does not prescribe weight loss as a goal (& why evidence has found this to be better for us)
Instead, it focuses on fostering health promoting behaviors and a mindful relationship with food. The emphasis is on breaking free from the constraints of diet culture, where weight loss is often prioritized over mental, physical, or emotional health. A 2014 review of the evidence found that intuitive eating improved psychological health, dietary intake, and eating behaviors with possible improvement (not decline) in physical health markers like blood pressure and cholesterol. More recent research has only reinforced these findings.
Weight loss may or may not occur naturally as a byproduct of intuitive eating
It is impossible to predict how someone's body may respond to intuitive eating. We always say that we do not "put the cart (weight) before the horse (behaviors)". As we focus on supporting lifestyle choices and health behaviors, then body weight will naturally settle where it needs to be as a result. If the goals is just to lose weight, as many of us may have experienced in dieting, then we end up trying behaviors that we simply can't sustain (we didn't fail, biology just won't allow it). This is what leads to weight cycling (losing and then regaining weight) and yo-yo dieting which research has clearly found to have a negative impact on our health.
It is crucial to recognize that the impact of intuitive eating on body weight, shape, or size varies among individuals. Factors such as genetics, environment, and every other social determinant of health contribute largely to how the human body experiences changes. Some individuals may notice their weight stabilize with intuitive eating while others may notice shifts either up or down, and this is entirely natural. If the fear of gaining weight is keeping you from embarking on your intuitive eating journey, we would love to talk through this with you. It is an important skill to learn how to navigate the discomfort of body changes, and we can support you in the midst of this process.
Benefits of intuitive eating that don’t involve weight loss
There is a reason intuitive eating is gaining traction as an evidence-based approach to improving health - the benefits extend far beyond the one-dimensional realm of weight loss. Focused on fostering a positive relationship with food, intuitive eating offers numerous advantages that contribute to overall well-being.
1. Improve Mental Health
Working toward intuitive eating has been linked to enhanced mental health outcomes by promoting self-compassion, mindfulness, and body trust. Leaving behind the rules of diet culture means reduced anxiety and stress related to food and more brain space to engage in other areas of life that promote psychological wellbeing. Many research studies have overwhelmingly found the positive impact of intuitive eating practices on mental health. An eight-year longitudinal study of 1,500 people found that individuals who practice intuitive eating were less likely to experience low self-esteem, depressive symptoms, disordered eating, and body dissatisfaction.
2. Establish Health Promoting Behaviors
Intuitive eating encourages the development of healthy habits that extend beyond food choices. By learning techniques of mindful eating, integrating enjoyable movement, and understanding how to attune to the body's needs, intuitive eating sets the stage for a comprehensive and sustainable approach to personal wellness practices. In a large 2014 review of intuitive eating interventions, intuitive eaters demonstrated improved metabolic fitness through positive changes in eating habits and lifestyle choices.
3. Increase Satisfaction with Eating
If you have ever had a meal that 'hit the spot', you know how good it feels both physically and mentally. You also probably know that it had to do with more than just the food choice itself, it was a combination of the food flavors, textures, the meal environment, the company you were in, etc. True satiety is what allows us to move on from our meal times and not have thoughts of food (hunger!) distracting us from living fully! As part of intuitive eating, you can learn to discern what food choices and combinations would be most physically nourishing and mentally satisfying and how to savor food in a way that maximizes the eating experience. Satisfaction is the core of intuitive eating because through seeking satisfaction with food, individuals can experience the freedom that comes from a truly fulfilling relationship with food.
4. Freedom from Food Guilt
Our diet mentality will often serve guilt and shame as a side dish to our eating choices. Because of the moral value we have become accustomed to placing on different foods ("good foods" vs. "bad foods") this inevitably causes us to feel wrong when we make a "bad" choice. At Rooted Recovery, we believe food does not get to hold this kind of power. We can guide you through the process of deescalating the emotional value of food so you can make informed choices about what, when, and how you are eating from a place of peace and confidence.
5. Empowerment and Autonomy
Choosing to eat intuitively empowers us to trust our bodies and make decisions based on internal cues rather than external rules. This shift toward autonomy, when using our own body signals to determine how to nurture ourselves, can foster a sense of confidence and self-efficacy. Ultimately, with this in place, we can break away from the undermining, unrelenting cycle of dieting and deprivation.
How to incorporate intuitive eating principles into your life
Embarking on the journey of intuitive eating involves a gradual and mindful shift in your approach to food, movement, and your relationship with your body. Here are key strategies to help you begin your intuitive eating journey.
1. Educate Yourself on Intuitive Eating
Begin by familiarizing yourself with the teachings of Intuitive Eating and its' supporting philosophies. By building this alternative perspective, you will create the foundation needed to shed the toxic messages of diet culture. It may feel like a different language at first, and that is totally okay! Resources like the book, "Intuitive Eating", by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch and the podcast, "Food Psych", by Christy Harrison, are great places to begin. You can find more resources for relearning how to approach food, exercise, and body image, here.
2. Practice Self-Compassion
Be kind to yourself throughout this process. Adopting this approach is not an easy undertaking, and it is a life-long journey! Unlike the rigid plans and rules to follow while dieting (where you are either doing something "right" or "wrong"), intuitive eating does not carry this black or white mentality. Expect that there will be setbacks and times where you are unsure of if you are going in the right direction - for this reason, we like to think about Intuitive Eating as an everyday 'experiment'. Your goal is to collect data along the way and make adjustments based on what you find. If practicing self-compassion is challenging for you, consider trying our self-compassion meditation: Embodied Yoga on Demand.
3. Work with an Intuitive Eating Dietitian
Consider seeking guidance from a registered dietitian who specializes in intuitive eating or a certified intuitive eating counselor. A dietitian can provide individualized support, helping you navigate the challenges and nuances of incorporating this approach into your lifestyle. At Rooted Recovery, our experienced dietitians can provide personalized services to assist you every step of the way.
4. Build a Support System
Surround yourself with an uplifting network of individuals (even if it is just 1-2 people) who understand and appreciate the journey you are on. Share your experiences, challenges, and triumphs with the trusted people in your circle (because we all need more encouragement and accountability that can come from this authentic connection)! Because finding someone who is also rejecting diet culture can be hard to come by, you may consider joining an intuitive eating group! If you would like an updated list of intuitive eating groups that are running nationwide, please reach out to us today, and we would be happy to send over our recommendations.
Eating intuitively involves building a new foundation, giving yourself grace, and finding the proper support- both in your community and with a trusted clinician. These steps can set you on a path toward a peaceful and sustainable relationship with food.
Our intuitive eating dietitians can help you cultivate a grounded relationship with food.
Our intuitive eating dietitians are dedicated to helping you cultivate a better relationship with food, movement, and your body. Our range of services, from nutrition counseling to guided meditation, are tailored to walk you through the art of reconnecting with your body while relearning how to nourish yourself in a kind and holistic way. Whether you are seeking support to heal from an eating disorder, disordered eating, chronic dieting, or you are simply desiring a healthier relationship with food, our team is here for you.
If you would like to learn a bit more about what we offer, how intuitive eating could look for you, or you are ready to dive in, we invite you to schedule a free consult call with us. We want to share this with you - it has changed our lives, and we know it can bring something beautiful to you too.