What if you could eat all foods without judgment? How would it feel to know you’ll never go on a diet again? Aren’t you just done with trying to lose weight before {insert event/life change/holiday}? Are you looking for a new way to appreciate food and converse with your body about food? How much free time could you enjoy if you didn’t have to spend it thinking, worrying, planning, and regretting food decisions? What would life look like if you ate when you were hungry, stopped eating when you were full, and felt satisfied around meals? What would change about your life if you found freedom with food? 

Enter Intuitive Eating, a science-backed methodology, a personal practice, and a guide to freedom. 

No, it is not a diet. No, it is not an overnight transformation. No, it is not a guarantee for weight loss. But, it is a proven, possible, and practical way to rediscover the relationship you were meant to have with food and your body. To date there have been over 80 studies to support this approach, and it just makes practical sense. 

So, what exactly is Intuitive Eating?

From the book- “Intuitive Eating is a dynamic process – integrating attunement of mind, body, and food.” Tribole, E. and Resch, E. (2012) Intuitive Eating 3^rd Ed NY, NY: St. Martin’s Press.

From my perspective, Intuitive Eating is simply mindful eating, or being present to the sight, smell, taste, and texture of food, and being aware of your hunger and fullness. It is also a practice of becoming a neutral observer, noticing how you feel when you eat, or even think about food, what thoughts come up, and questioning the validity and sources of those thoughts. 

For many of us food comes with rules from parents, past diets, and current influencers, from friends, to doctors, and social media. We get un-asked for diet advice at every turn, friends discussing their bodies and the changes they have made or wish they could make, co-workers suffering on unsustainable diets, Insta models sharing their so-called “secrets” to a “hot bod” (when most of the credit should go to their genetics and socioeconomic status). 

How can we possibly hear our body’s signals when we’re constantly overloaded with that external noise? The answer is we can’t. So, today I invite you to begin choosing to listen IN and quiet the outside voices. You are your best caretaker. Your body is so intelligent. Let go of restrictions to give your body the space to help you eat in the best way to support your overall health. 

As stated by the authors of this concept, Intuitive Eating is a dynamic process, one that can benefit from professional support and the right resources. I, and other Certified Intuitive Eating Counselors, offer individualized support where we can unpack your current relationship to food and your body in a safe space. To learn more about Intuitive Eating at your own pace check out my list of resources here.