How Does Intuitive Eating Work?

In recent times, the concept of intuitive eating has been gaining traction; this method has been employed in the recovery process of eating disorders for a while. However, it made its way into more widespread focus after the New York Times published an essay by Jessica Knoll, in which the author speaks about the impact of the method on her own outlook on food after dieting for many years. But the philosophy is certainly older than this year. Alissa Rumsey, a dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor who is the proprietor of Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness, insists that “intuitive eating is merely a return to how we naturally ate.”

What Is Intuitive Eating?

The majority of dietary regimes tend to abide by some sort of regulations, such as keeping to a definite number of calories or macronutrients daily (for example, the ketogenic diet), deleting whole classes of foodstuffs (such as the Paleolithic diet), or just eating on certain days of the week or at certain points of the 24-hour period (like different types of intermittent fasting). Many of these plans emphasize weight reduction as a key advantage.

Instinctual eating is a strategy for health and wellness that requires tuning in to your body to determine what to eat in order to nourish yourself, rather than relying on diets or other restrictive methods. The objective should not be to stay with a rigid diet regimen; rather, it is important to heed what your body is saying on a physical, mental, and emotional level at any given time, and decide on what food to eat in concurrence with that. Essentially, if you are experiencing hunger, it is suggested that you take a moment to acknowledge it and then have something to eat.

The purpose of following the principles of intuitive eating is not related to controlling body weight. Rather than following a certain diet plan, intuitive eating aims to support individuals in liberating themselves from the idea of diets, and to foster a healthier outlook in regards to food and how it impacts their lives, as professed by Rumsey. The way that people view food and their bodies varies from person to person, and can evolve over the course of their lives. She explains that it is a continual development of knowledge about your body and being kind and showing admiration for it.

How Does Intuitive Eating Work?

The basic idea is straightforward–eat what you crave, whenever you are hungry–but utilizing the principles of intuitive eating involves following a series of seven major concepts. Rumsey commented that the progression of these rules was carefully arranged, with each one leading up to the succeeding one. That means it’s essential to master each principle in order, one by one:

1. Reject a diet mentality.

Rumsey asserts that in order to practice mindful eating, inaccurate ideas and limitations regarding food must be discarded; thus, the beginning of intuitive eating is to decline any vows or assertions of dieting. She suggests that for the purpose of assisting with your goals, you should discontinue following and stop receiving emails from any social media profiles or email lists regarding dieting.

2. Eat when you’re hungry.

The body sends its own powerful signals about the nourishment that it requires. Individuals can find it difficult to believe these cues because of apprehension or unease.

Not sure you’re in tune with your body’s signals? Cording advises assigning a number on a one-to-ten scale each time you plan to consume food. Accomplishing this will assist you in becoming accustomed to listening to what your body is telling you.

3. Make peace with food.

Nutrition plans are largely determined by instructions on what is acceptable and what is not permissible to eat, which is often conveyed with very strong wording. Rumsey notes that people have difficulty embracing intuitive eating when they are focused on the idea of certain foods as “good” and others as “bad”. She suggests emphasizing food items that are enjoyable and that bring about a sense of well-being.

4. Challenge feelings of guilt around food.

We all have a complicated bond with food, due to the implications it can bring to our health and figure. It’s understandable that our attitude with regard to food is often based on our emotions, including striving for perfection, feeling remorseful, being embarrassed, or being desperate.

The main factor in becoming successful while adopting an intuitive eating style is to exchange your mental boundaries on food with a mentality of choice, keeping an unbiased, unrestricted, and agile outlook. “It’s about self-care rather than self-control,” says Rumsey.

5. Eat to feel satisfied.

Rather than regarding food as a limitation, view it as an enjoyable experience. Cording explains that one should consume a balanced diet, with both nutritious foods and allowing yourself some treats or ‘indulgent’ foods depending on what you feel you need or desire.

You technically have permission to consume whatever you want at any time. Rumsey states that our dining environment has trained us to assume that all sugars are allowed to be consumed with no regard to consequence, when in reality, this does not have to be the case. Rumsey advises to take heed of your inner voice when making a decision about what to eat and to prioritize taking care of yourself and your health. At times it could be macaroni and cheese, and other times it may be a salad with kale and quinoa. Both are perfectly valid choices.

6. Accept your body shape.

The primary objective of intuitive eating does not revolve around attaining weight reduction or reshaping one’s physical frame. Rumsey points out that if an individual holds onto their desire to diet or trying to lose weight, they will have difficulty in discovering the true tranquility which intuitive eating can confer. “Try to show yourself compassion.”

7. Exercise to feel good.

Many people confuse exercise and dieting as the sole means of managing their bodies, which is why “intuitive movement” is one of the 10 essential guidelines of intuitive eating. Inquiring of yourself, “What might be beneficial for my body at this moment?” or “Which physical activity do I feel like engaging in now?” could be beneficial. Rumsey is inquiring as to what kind of workout would be most advantageous for his body at present.

Can You Use Intuitive Eating for Weight Loss?

At first, I must declare that it is totally reasonable if there is still a section in you wishing for weight reduction or perceiving like you ought to shed pounds. You can still put intuitive eating into practice even if part of you would like to shed some pounds (more on this further down).

The purpose of intuitive eating is not to create a strategy for shedding pounds. Earlier versions of the Intuitive Eating book had some sentences related to weight, however the authors have acknowledged their progress and made sure that the concept of Intuitive Eating includes people of all sizes. Eating in an intuitive way lines up perfectly with the idea of Health at Every Size® which states that one’s weight or BMI is not a good way to measure a person’s health or success.

Unfortunately, as intuitive eating gains more and more popularity, diet trends have started to appropriate its ideas. Many programs and resources related to weight loss, physical activity, and wellness may present themselves as helping you to “reset your relationship with food” or telling you to “give up diets” – though really what they are doing is pushing their own specific dieting plan.

Why Intuitive Eating Should Never Focus on Weight Loss

Attempting to manage one’s weight through intuitive eating may pose a difficulty since the aim is focused on an outside measure, which makes it difficult to be in tune with oneself.

The use of weight as a method of assessing your progress is still the main focus, rather than paying attention to the internal cues from your body. This external focus on weight is detrimental to your capacity to listen to and have faith in your physical sensations. The messaging that is sent can be contradictory and create a perplexing atmosphere which can have a detrimental effect on the practice of listening to one’s own body’s needs.

It is important to understand that when you attempt to regulate your weight – even aiming to reach an established number – your body will view this as limitation which triggers the pattern of craving followed by gorging, and thus causes the diet cycle.

My client experienced this first-hand when they chose to see how much they weighed after multiple weeks of engaging in intuitive eating. Before stepping on the scale, she was feeling great. She took note of her physical cues, and consumed items that gave her pleasure without feeling regretful about them. She then stepped on the scales and saw a figure greater than she had hoped for, causing her to doubt her body and overthink her tap into her inner instinctive attitude towards food.

Stepping on the Scale Causes Disconnection From Your Body

The number on the scale tends to have a significant meaning to many people, and is far from being simply a piece of data. It’s something that stirs emotions and establishes the atmosphere for the remainder of the day. Looking at a favorable figure can bring on elation, but encountering an unfavorable one can cause shame and nervousness, and can impact one’s entire demeanor for the day.

Our opinions of ourselves are informed by the number, and this can have an impact on every part of our lives, ranging from nutrition, to clothing choices, to how we communicate with other people. What is shown on the scale – whether it’s a “favorable” or “unfavorable” figure – can prompt excessive eating and episodes of uncontrolled eating. Success on the scale can often be cause for indulging in something special (“I earned this treat since I did so well this week!”) while a lack of progress can trigger a binge (“What’s the point if I didn’t even make any progress?”).

Can You Lose Weight with Intuitive Eating?

It is true that, when someone regularly follows an intuitive eating regimen, they may find that they have lost weight. But not everyone follows this pattern; some individuals remain at the same weight, while others even see an increase in their weight. Many people observe that their body mass fluctuates over the course of time before abruptly stabilizing.

All of this is normal. This is not about executing intuitive eating properly – it is your body just working as it should.

Once you start eating an appropriate amount of food, it is common to experience a seemingly endless appetite. Your body is recovering from limited food intake and it takes a lot of effort to transition out of starvation state. You will likely feel really hungry.

Understand that it is common to gain weight when you implement an intuitive eating regime. Nobody, not me, you, or anyone else, can accurately predict the outcome of your weight when you cease dieting and instead embrace the concept of intuitive eating.

It is not simple, however it is essential to identify methods to be with the uneasiness that accompanies a body that is morphing. A weight-inclusive nutritionist can provide a great deal of assistance in this regard.

Rather than focusing on dieting, concentrate on listening to your internal signals when deciding what to eat. As a result, your weight will settle within the normal range. It should be taken into consideration that it is typical for our weight to shift sporadically and evolve with time, taking into account the scope.

But What If You Still Want to Lose Weight?

It is understandable that there might be part of you that desires to shed some pounds. By taking action, we are promised to be accepted, form connections, maintain good health, and be content. Many of my clients are afraid of other people’s reactions if they stop trying to lose weight, such as being censured, disrespected, dismissed, or even worse.

I don’t criticize anyone who is trying to slim down and live up to our society’s standards for physical appearance. It is perfectly understandable for individuals facing the harsh truths of marginalization – such as women, BIPOC people, and fat individuals – to want to safeguard themselves from discrimination by slimming down.

It’s alright if you still don’t feel certain about disregarding weight loss.

At some stage in your life, you may have found it beneficial to follow a diet and strive to reduce your weight. Maybe it caused you to feel secure, welcomed, or in power.

I will never attempt to dictate what someone should do with their own body. I can urge you to get rid of the incorrect thinking around food consumption and body size that society has instilled in every one of us.

Cutting down on calories could be a helpful method to manage difficult emotions or get through moments in life, however I believe that you’re interested in intuitive eating because, for some reason, you have come to the realization that diets don’t help in the long run.

Constantly trying to slim down can leave you stuck in the routine of dieting or continually flipping between eating very little and gorging. You may remain fixated on food or have a sense of not being able to manage it. This issue is going to remain occupying a large amount of mental energy and time.

Who Can Benefit from Intuitive Eating?

Professionals claim that intuitive eating has the potential to benefit all individuals, regardless of any health problems they may have or if they have any dietary restrictions. Cording asserts that although it may be tougher for some individuals, the fundamentals can be advantageous for everybody.

One of the potential drawbacks of intuitive eating is that a person could revert to a dieting mindset and start to impose rigid regulations when it comes to their meals and eating habits. Rumsey cautions that adhering too closely to the guidelines of attending to your appetite and heeding your sense of satiation can create the same kind of mental cycle that dieting does- a feeling of remorse when you eat beyond satiation or overanalyzing your appetite signals.

It is probable that strict diet plans will still be around for some time. As people become increasingly curious about ways to eat healthily and lead healthier lives, the beliefs and strategies of intuitive eating, such as balance, self-care and self-acceptance, will only grow in popularity. There’s nothing more wellness-y than that.