Intuitive Eating
Anti-dieting: eating whenever and whatever you feel like…Is it too good to be true?
- Written by Shani Kaplan
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It is a movement that is taking the wellness world by storm. And there may be good reason. Estimates from professionals suggest a staggering 80-95% of people who lose weight will regain it. Now that’s not to say that things like intermittent fasting and eliminating refined sugars from your diet can’t do wonders for your long-term health and well-being, but for some of those who are prone to disordered eating patterns and extreme dieting, the mental toll that comes with restrictive dieting can have adverse effects. So, why are so many turning towards this new movement known as ‘intuitive eating’? Well, intuitive eating is actually not a new principle.
It originates back to a book called Feeding the Hungry Heart, written by Geneen Roth in 1982. She wrote about her journey through eating disorders; weight fluctuation; and mental health problems, and regained her health through understanding emotional eating and learning to eat intuitively. But perhaps the most famous pioneers of the movement are Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, who wrote the book Intuitive Eating: a Revolutionary Plan That Works (1995). Their belief is that eating intuitively and trusting your own body is the ideal diet; that it is crucial to distinguish between emotional and physical hunger and hone-in and listen to your hunger and fullness cues.
It is also the belief that diets’ don’t work (for the long term) and that intuitive eating puts you in charge of your own body and its hunger/taste signals rather than the latest diet, trend etc. Whilst intuitive eating can be seen as the ‘anti-diet diet’ and not just another tool to lose weight, most advocates will assure that your body will find its ideal weight naturally in time by eating this way. It doesn't sound nearly as attractive as "lose 5 pounds in 10 days", but is perhaps the most sustainable and balanced approach out there. So, let's first look at the 10 steps of intuitive eating that Tribole and Resch outline in their book.
10 principles of intuitive eating:
#1 Reject the diet mentality- break free from trying every new diet fad and stop listening to diet culture.
#2 Honour your hunger- hunger is a sign that you need to eat. Don't let yourself get to the point of starving where you will likely then binge on every snack in the cupboard.
#3 Make peace with food- forget the idea of what you should and shouldn’t eat and rid of feelings of guilt around foods.
#4 Challenge the food police- food shouldn’t be seen as good or bad. When you hear yourself feeling guilt or shame around foods, say NO to these thoughts.
#5 Respect your fullness- your body also tells you when it is full. Listen for these signs and eat slowly and peacefully so you don't overeat.
#6 Discover your satisfaction factor- make eating a pleasurable experience. Eat foods you enjoy, sit down and enjoy it. If you enjoy your food, (and know it is not off-limits so you can always eat it again) it will take less to satisfy you and feel content.
#7 Honour your feelings without using food- often we use food to deal with painful or uncomfortable emotions such as sadness, loneliness or boredom. Find other ways to deal with these feelings like walking, meditating, calling a friend, doing a class, sometimes even maybe taking a nap!
#8 Respect your body- recognise the ability and capabilities of your body rather than criticising and finding faults.
#9 Movement- shift the goal of losing weight to feeling energised, strong and alive. Find movement you actually enjoy!
#10 Honour your health- gentle nutrition. Don’t forget about the nourishment of food and that it should make you feel good, energetic and ready to tackle the day!
#6 Discover your satisfaction factor- make eating a pleasurable experience. Eat foods you enjoy, sit down and enjoy it. If you enjoy your food, (and know it is not off-limits so you can always eat it again) it will take less to satisfy you and feel content.
#7 Honour your feelings without using food- often we use food to deal with painful or uncomfortable emotions such as sadness, loneliness or boredom. Find other ways to deal with these feelings like walking, meditating, calling a friend, doing a class, sometimes even maybe taking a nap!
#8 Respect your body- recognise the ability and capabilities of your body rather than criticising and finding faults.
#9 Movement- shift the goal of losing weight to feeling energised, strong and alive. Find movement you actually enjoy!
#10 Honour your health- gentle nutrition. Don’t forget about the nourishment of food and that it should make you feel good, energetic and ready to tackle the day!
Your body is more clever than you think.
A recent study of intuitive eating found significant positive changes, especially in relation to waist-to-hip ratio, total cholesterol, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, self-esteem, and quality of life. [1]
If you think back to when you are a child, you have an inbuilt wisdom of when you are hungry and when you are full. You probably have memories of running around with your friends all day and grabbing a quick snack to sustain you so you can stay out even longer. The belief of the intuitive eating movement is that for many, this measure has been lost through years of dieting and following the media to decide for you what the best way of eating is. Comparatively, intuitive eating believes that the answers lay inside us. When you come back from a holiday that is heavily food-focused, many will return home craving nothing but a healthy home-cooked meal. Or perhaps when you’ve had a delicious slice of cake for afternoon tea, your body is telling you that you definitely need something savoury and fresh for that next meal.
Your body is smart. What is important to note is that these principles aren't a hall pass to eat anything and everything in sight, but instead eating mindfully and monitoring hunger and fullness. And at the same time, giving yourself permission to eat all foods in moderation with nothing being off-limits, but eating the foods that make us feel the best- which for the most part, are whole foods. We all know that whole foods give us energy without that feeling of sluggishness. But at the same time, sometimes sharing a slice of cake with a friend brings us the joy we need on a rainy afternoon. It is all about balance.
3 tips to become more intuitive:
#1 know your own hunger-fullness scale
Our individual needs will be different when it comes to caloric intake based on our height/weight/daily activity levels. Before you eat, check-in with yourself and work out what level of hunger you’re at. Try not to eat to the point of feeling stuffed;
remember you can leave food if you are full. If you leave a meal feeling tired and in need of a nap, you’ve probably eaten too much! Take note of this for next time! Remember-
food is fuel.
#2 Ask yourself what it is you want to eat at that moment
By holding no restrictions over what and how you should eat and honouring your cravings, the need to binge or overeat should decrease. There are no feelings of lacking. A few bites may satisfy you rather than feeling guilt at eating something you think you shouldn’t, which often leads to overeating later and resuming a diet “tomorrow”. For instance, if you really tune in, you will notice that most days your taste buds enjoy only a few sweets or a few bites of something rich rather than an entire packet, box or plate.
#3 Practice mindful eating
Be aware of what, why and how you are eating. Being in touch with the enjoyment and pleasure of food. Eat slowly and consciously. This often means eating without distractions and being aware of how certain foods make you feel during and after eating them.
Intuitive eating is an easily adaptable way of eating. It doesn't mean you need to exclude a way of eating that feels right for you (even if it falls under one of the newer "trends"). For example, maybe you love your lower-carb diet, because perhaps when tuning in, you have realised that 80-90% of the time you just prefer how this makes your body feel. Well, that is after all very intuitive!
Or alternatively, maybe you have just never been a person who enjoys eating in the morning, only getting an appetite later in the day. Which then puts you into the category of- unintentionally- intermittent fasting. Again, this is what feels great for you, and so is following the principles of intuitive eating! But if you have tried either of these (or any other types of diets) and they make you feel horrible, cause food obsession, anxiety or disordered patterns, then maybe try the above steps and see how it works for you!
When Intuitive Eating may not be right for you:
1. When you need to gain weight (post eating disorder or illness) and will be on a controlled diet to ensure sufficient caloric intake and food groups are met
2. When you are an athlete and need to meet certain caloric and protein/fat/carb macronutrients.
3. When struggling with obesity and medical intervention is needed for intense caloric restriction
4. Medical restrictions- such as diabetes, coeliac, IBS. However, for some of these, practitioners can help ensure you are eating within those guidelines for your condition whilst still eating intuitively.
Shani Kaplan
Shani Kaplan is a contributing writer for Truth Origins. She combines her knowledge gained from working within the fitness/wellness industry in Sydney and London for the last seven years as a Personal Trainer, and class instructor, with her addiction to research due to her BA in Business Marketing. Shani loves martial arts, resistance training, dance and yoga, nutrition, travel, design, photography, and art.
References
[1] Mensinger JL, Calogero RM, Stranges S, Tylka TL. A weight-neutral versus weight-loss approach for health promotion in women with high BMI : A randomized-controlled trial. Appetite. 2016;105:364-374. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2016.06.006.
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