What People Get Wrong About Intuitive Eating

Hello. Welcome to our first Editor’s Note. We want to get a little ~personal~ with you about health and wellness in our own lives.

As the weather gets warmer — which, in itself, makes me happier — I’m thinking about daily routines that spark joy. I might try some affirmations and active pauses. Or a breakfast of guava and definitely-not-runny eggs. Maybe I’ll experiment with melatonin for my skin. And you better believe I’m not skipping out on sleep after reading this. If only I could stop scrolling…

— Maria McCallen / Editor / Manhasset, NY

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What People Get Wrong About Intuitive Eating

Intuitive eating (IE) can be a powerful tool for healing your relationship with food. But since IE first became a thing in 1995, the internet has done what it does best: Twist a complex method for eating freely into an oversimplified buzzword that leaves many people confused about how it really works.

The myths and misconceptions

It’s…intuitive.

After a lifetime of choosing zoodles over noodles, recognizing your body’s needs can take months or years.

Certified intuitive eating counselor Colleen Christensen, RD, says to start by noticing your hunger and fullness cues. Not sure what those feel like? Give your body what you think it could use. So if you haven’t eaten in several hours, maybe have a snack, even if you’re not hungry.

It’s all-or-nothing 

The anti-diet movement can make you feel like if you’re not doing it “right,” don’t bother at all. That’s “what can make [intuitive eating] feel like a diet,” Christensen says. But you can ease into it. These experts and books can help.

It’s only about not dieting

Removing the demonization of food is a big — but not the only — part of eating intuitively. “If we're just doing the opposite of what diet culture told us, we're still letting diet culture dictate our choices,” Christensen says.

It's about losing weight...or not wanting to lose it

You might lose, gain, or stay the same weight. But don’t judge yourself for wanting to shed some pounds.

“You can have two thoughts at once: ‘I kind of hope maybe this helps me lose weight, but I also want to just feel free and feel good in my body,’” says Christensen. “What matters is the thought that you let take over.”

Your move

IE takes time, patience, and self-compassion. If it doesn’t feel natural right away, “your version [of IE] might need a little bit more tweaking,” says Christensen. As you find your way…

• Ask what you’d say to your younger self. Whether that’s with feelings of judgment or shame, or about what to eat. If you were 5 years old, what would you need right now? A little treat? Something to fill you up?

• Shift your focus from your weight to how you physically feel. As best as you can. It can help you make food choices that honor your body holistically.

• Update who you follow on social media. Christensen recs Vinny Welsby and Jaimmy Koroma. Also, unfollow anyone who triggers you or claims that certain foods will make you look a certain way.

We asked you to vote on a question you’d like answered. The winner was:

I enjoy being a homebody — what does that say about my mental health?

FEATURED EXPERT:

Grace Lawton, LCSW

Integrative psychotherapist and owner of GML Therapy

“Being a homebody can be both healthy and unhealthy, depending on the ‘why’ behind it,” says Lawton. If you enjoy being home but have strong connections with close family and friends, this can be healthy, she explains. “It can help you stay productive, eat healthier, save money, and embrace self-care.”

But if you’re isolating and staying home due to anxious or depressive symptoms, it can be a sign of a mental health concern, says Lawton. 

PS: Want to get out of your homebody tendencies? Here's our expert's advice.

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