Intuitive Eating: The Anti-Diet and Health at Every Size Approach to Food, Body, and Movement

What is Intuitive Eating? 

Intuitive Eating (IE) is an evidence based, self-care, and mind-body health approach to food, body, movement. The founders of IE, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch created this weight neutral and inclusive framework as an attempt to guide individuals out of the never ending cycle of dieting and weight loss. The foundation of intuitive eating is interoceptive awareness; the ability to perceive physical sensations that arise from within your body. There are over 90 different studies on Intuitive Eating to date and a validated assessment scale. Intuitive Eating is a very personal and mindful journey, where individuals are able to explore their psychological and physical needs as a direct response to their body's cues, while also honoring their health. IE can provide happiness and satisfaction around food, less stress about food, body acceptance, and just overall freedom! You deserve this. 

What is NOT Intuitive Eating?

Intuitive Eating is not a diet or food plan. You can not "fail" or "blow it" or "ruin" your intuitive eating practice, because it is a journey to self discovery, where you are learning the needs of your mind and body, rather than what society or diet culture tells you your body and mind need. There is nothing to count (calories, weight, macros, amounts, portions). You are the expert of your body, where you are in charge of your needs. Intuitive Eating is a tool to foster empowerment. So much of the media emphasizes weight and food obsession which takes that feeling of empowerment away from us. The purpose of Intuitive Eating does not include intentional weight loss or intentional weight gain. "There is not a single long-term study that shows that weight-loss dieting is sustainable. Study after study, shows that dieting and food restriction for the purpose of weight loss leads to more weight gain. Yes, weight gain (Rothblum 2018). Worse–the focus and preoccupation on weight leads to body dissatisfaction and weight stigma, which negatively impacts health" (O’Hara & Taylor 2018). If you feel stuck, frustrated, hopeless, guilt and shame around food, body, and movement, this is for you! 

The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating

1. Reject the Diet Mentality

2. Honor Your Hunger

3. Make Peace with Food

4. Challenge the Food Police

5. Respect Your Fullness

6. Discover the Satisfaction Factor

7. Honor Your Feelings without Using Food

8. Respect Your Body

9. Movement—Feel the Difference

10. Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition

Fun Facts!

Intuitive Eaters have lower; disordered eating, triglycerides, emotional eating, self silencing, loss of control eating, binge eating, weight bias internalization, blood pressure, body dissatisfaction. 

Intuitive Eaters have higher; self-esteem, well-being, optimism, variety of foods eaten, body appreciation, body acceptance, HDL (good cholesterol), interoceptive awareness, pleasure from eating, proactive emotional coping, unconditional self-regard, life satisfaction.

For more resources on Intuitive Eating, contact Old City Counseling at 215-486-6225 or [email protected] 

Join us virtually at Old City Counseling for a 5 week Intro to Intuitive Eating Program every Wednesday night from 7pm-8pm; October 23-November 20th. Fill out the survey below for more information! 

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