Nutrition Tips and Tricks: What Is Intuitive Eating?

For many people, the process of trying to lose weight feels less like making progress toward a goal and more like an endless (and frustrating) cycle. You try a new diet, and perhaps lose a few pounds. Soon, the restrictions on your food intake lead to constant feelings of hunger and cravings. Perhaps you decide to ease your restrictions, allow yourself a "cheat" day, or become frustrated when your weight loss seems to plateau. Before you know it, you're knee-deep in potato chips and you're consumed with feelings of shame and guilt. You recommit to your diet—and the cycle starts all over again. 

If this scenario sounds familiar, intuitive eating might be for you. Intuitive eating isn't a diet; rather, it's an approach to eating and wellness that many nutritionists and dietitians are hailing as the antidote to diet culture. Here, we'll review exactly what intuitive eating is, its benefits (and drawbacks), and how you can get started. 

Intuitive Eating: The Basics

Unlike many fad diets and popular weight-loss methods, intuitive eating has been around for a while. The idea started with two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, in 1995. 

The intuitive eating model isn't about losing weight. It's closely aligned with the Health at Every Size movement, which encourages people to accept their bodies and pursue health regardless of what they weigh. Intuitive eating principles eschew dietary restrictions and emphasize awareness of bodily cues and mindful eating. In the intuitive eating framework, there are no forbidden foods; rather, individuals are encouraged to eat foods that make them feel good and contribute to their health whenever they feel hungry. 

Crucially, intuitive eating philosophy also underscores the importance of taking pleasure in eating and movement, respecting and accepting your body as it is, and repairing your relationship with food.

The Benefits of Intuitive Eating 

Research on the benefits of intuitive eating is still emerging; however, many experts believe intuitive eating to have significant benefits for the physical and mental health of the people who practice it. These include:

• lower body mass index (BMI)
• lower incidence of eating disorders
• higher self-esteem and better body-image
• lower levels of depression
• better cholesterol levels
• improved metabolism

It's important to mention that intuitive eating may not be the right fit for everyone. For example, for people with health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or chronic kidney disease, taking a completely unrestricted approach to food can be detrimental rather than beneficial for your health. Make sure to talk to a doctor or nutritionist about any underlying conditions you may have before starting your intuitive eating journey. 

Intuitive Eating Tips: Getting Started

If you've become accustomed to the diet cycle, the simplicity of intuitive eating might take some getting used to. To get started, consider using these guidelines, which are based on the 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating:

• Walk Away From Diet Culture
  Let go of your need to lose weight, and focus on accepting your body as it is. It may help to do some research on how diet culture can be harmful.
  
• Honor Your Hunger
  By stopping yourself from eating when you're hungry, you're ironically making yourself more likely to overeat later. On the other hand, if you pay attention to your body's natural hunger signals and feed yourself when you're hungry, you enable yourself to eat consciously and mindfully.
  
• No Food Is Off Limits
  Similar to ignoring hunger, restricting foods or ignoring cravings make you more likely to overeat.
  
• Get Rid of Your Inner Food Police
  The food police is the internalization of diet culture values. On the other hand, non-judgment is one of the central tenets of intuitive eating. Cultivate an awareness of your self-talk around food, and try to let go of any ideas about certain foods being good or bad, or feelings of guilt about what you eat.
  
• Seek Satisfaction
  Eating should be a pleasurable experience. Slowing down and focusing on the satisfaction that eating provides will help you stay in touch with your body's signals and feel content. Take your time eating foods that you enjoy. If possible, try to sit down and eat in a comfortable environment where you can focus on your meal.
  
• Feel Your Fullness
  In the same way that you are teaching yourself to become attuned to hunger signals, try to attune yourself to your body's fullness signals. Eat slowly, and try to stop when you're comfortably full.
  
• Treat Your Emotions With Kindness
  Emotions like stress, anger, sadness, or boredom are frequent triggers for overeating. Learn to notice your emotions when they come up, and remind yourself that eating won't solve your discomfort. Practice dealing with negative feelings by turning to stress management or mindfulness techniques, rather than trying to distract yourself with food.
  
• Respect Your Body
  Try to free yourself of the idea that thin is good and fat is bad. Genetics and other factors play a big part in a person's ability to lose weight, and beating yourself up over your perceived inability to hit a number on a scale is both futile and unkind. Practice body acceptance or positivity by focusing on all the things your body does for you, and consider learning more about the Health at Every Size movement.
  
• Move With Intention
  In diet culture, exercise is commonly thought of simply as a means of torching calories. Instead of suffering through an exercise session just to burn fat, focus on moving your body in ways that energize you and make you feel good. Consider trying out a new type of activity, like yoga, dance classes, or anything else that sounds fun.
  
• Focus on Health and Gentle Nutrition
  The food you eat should make you feel good while also nourishing your body. Try to avoid perfectionist thinking—one slice of cake isn't going to make you unhealthy. Instead, strive for balance in your food choices. Nutrition is about the cumulative effects of choices over time. 

If you're ready to break the diet cycle and cultivate a new relationship with food and movement, we can help! The trainers at Siegel JCC offer personalized nutrition coaching as well as fitness training. The J is a vibrant, inclusive community center with offerings for members of all ages, backgrounds, and faiths. Members enjoy access to our well-equipped fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools, and group exercise classes, while children and teens benefit from a variety of programs from preschool and early childhood care to after-school care and summer camp. Whatever you're looking for, we've got something for you. Contact us today to discuss joining with a membership, or consider donating to support our programs!