Losing weight usually means putting it back on later. Senior Dietitian Victoria Taylor presents 'intuitive eating' - an approach that could help you break the cycle.
For many of us, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can be a lifetime struggle. Research tells us that of those who lose weight, only about one in five will maintain this. Most people regain a third of their lost weight in the first year, and the rest over the following three to five years.
Intuitive eating aims to break the cycle of constant dieting by reconnecting with the body’s natural signals of hunger, fullness and satisfaction
This matters because mostadults in the UK are overweight or obese. It’s problem that we need to address to protect our long-term health, including reducing our risk of heart and circulatory disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
The number of diets – many of them fads – continues to grow, but so do rates of obesity.
In the last couple of years, the diet mentality has come under some criticism, coupled with a new movement towards body positivity, mindfulness and ‘self care’. As a result, intuitive eating has received more attention. This approach aims to break the cycle of constant dieting by reconnecting with the body’s natural signals of hunger, fullness and satisfaction.
What is intuitive eating?
Intuitive eating aims to offer a non-diet approach that still takes healthy eating into account. It was developed in the 90s by two American dietitians based on their experiences of working with overweight people, and the growing popularity of the non-diet movement.
They aimed to encourage body acceptance, but also take the health risks of being overweight or eating unhealthily into account. This is important as, while no-one should be upset or ashamed about their bodies, we also know from BHF research that being obese increases your risk of heart and circulatory disease.
Does intuitive eating work?
Since the programme was developed, studies have been carried out to look at its effects. Much of this research focuses on the psychological benefits, and intuitive eating has performed well against restrictive dieting. But studies looking at the food choices of intuitive eaters have also found that they are more likely to consume a wider variety of foods. This is good because it means consuming a wider range of nutrients.
Intuitive eating won’t come with recipes, meal plans or strict instructions, so it might seem daunting to begin with
Although weight loss is not the focus of intuitive eating, a recent review of about 25 studies also showed that people following this approach generally weigh less than those following restrictive diets. This is promising, but it’s still not conclusive, as the studies are generally small and focus on specific groups of people – so we don’t know whether they’d apply to everyone.
If you want to try intuitive eating, be aware that it won’t come with recipes, meal plans or strict instructions, so it might seem daunting to begin with, especially if you’re used to following restrictive diets. It’s a process of re-learning yourrelationship with food, so it will take time.
For it to work, it’s important to embrace all 10 principles. This can mean there is some trial and error as you not only start to eat what you want, but also recognise hunger and fullness and begin to understand how to make the right choices for your body.
Whether you try intuitive eating or not, it’s worth remembering its first principle. Long-term health means a long-term approach to healthy eating, not short-term diets.
FAQs
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, intuitive eating is about trusting your body to make food choices that feel good for you, without judging yourself or the influence of diet culture.
What is the concept of intuitive eating? ›
It means that you make peace with all types of food. Unlike traditional diets that restrict or ban certain foods, intuitive eating requires you to stop looking at food as “good” or “bad.” Instead, you listen to your body and eat what feels right for you.
What is intuitive eating quizlet? ›
Intuitive eating is listening to your body and trusting your body signals when you are hungry, when you are full, and your body's taste preferences.
What are the disadvantages of intuitive eating? ›
One disadvantage is that intuitive eating can be confusing at the beginning as it does not come with specific recipes, diet plans, or strict instructions. Therefore, it is important to recognize your hunger and satiety, as well as to know which food is good for your health.
Who does intuitive eating not work for? ›
Intuitive eating is not for everyone all of the time. In fact, if you have an eating disorder, disordered eating, or a long history of dieting, it's easy to take intuitive eating and manipulate it into something it's not.
What are the rules for intuitive eating? ›
10 principles of intuitive eating
- Reject the diet mentality. Stop dieting. ...
- Recognise your hunger. ...
- Make peace with food. ...
- Challenge the 'food police' ...
- Feel your fullness. ...
- Discover the satisfaction factor. ...
- Cope with your feelings without using food. ...
- Respect your body.
Intuitive eaters choose foods based on hunger, fullness and enjoyment instead of long-held food rules, restrictions or other external factors. They trust their bodies to tell them when to eat, what to eat and exactly how much. It's a non-judgment approach that removes guilt and shame around eating.
What is the end goal of intuitive eating? ›
It encourages a practice to develop trust with your body, which in turn can heal your relationship with food, mind, and body. This approach takes the focus off of weight and instead promotes a safe space to explore and honor physical and mental health without the scale.
What is an intuitive answer? ›
Hogarth (2010) suggests “the essence of intuition or intuitive responses is that they are reached with little apparent effort, and typically without conscious awareness. They involve little or no conscious deliberation.”
How is intuitive eating different from normal eating? ›
Intuitive eating involves using your body's internal cues — like hunger, fullness, and emotion — to help guide your food choices. It rejects the diet mentality and accepts all foods as acceptable options. Mindful eating involves being aware of what you're sensing, feeling, and thinking as you eat.
Intuitive eating focuses on honoring your hunger and rejecting diet mentality. It helps you develop a healthier relationship with your body and food to improve your overall well-being. Although following your hunger cues sounds simple, it can take practice to break free from dieting and emotional eating.
Do people gain weight with intuitive eating? ›
While the set point theory means that intuitive eating can help you find a comfortable weight, it's true that some people gain weight with intuitive eating.
Have people lost weight with intuitive eating? ›
Although weight loss is not the focus of intuitive eating, a recent review of about 25 studies also showed that people following this approach generally weigh less than those following restrictive diets.
Why is intuitive eating so hard? ›
Stress or excitement can make intuitive eating harder than it sounds. Stress significantly impacts the gut, making you nauseous, giving you butterflies, leaving you feeling numb or bloated, or resulting in a feeling of “emotional fullness.” All these make it hard to know what's going on with hunger or fullness.
How long does it take for intuitive eating to work? ›
The typical time it takes for clients to remove food fears, “all or none” thinking with food, and/or restricted mentality to truly experience food freedom and body trust varies based on the person's dieting and body image history. It can be anywhere from 3 months to a year.
What hunger level is intuitive eating? ›
The hunger and fullness scale is a tool used in the intuitive eating framework to reconnect us with your body's internal cues. It is an easy-to-use scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is ravenous and irritable and 10 is painfully full and over stuffed. The scale is used as a tool to identify how hungry or full you are.
What is the 1st principle of intuitive eating? ›
The first principle is “Reject the Diet Mentality,” and while this principle is fundamental to becoming an intuitive eater (which is why it's the first principle), it looks different depending on your dieting history.
What happens when you start intuitive eating? ›
Research shows that intuitive eaters have more body appreciation, body satisfaction, better body image, and better self esteem than dieters. To fully embrace intuitive eating, you'll want to explore your relationship to your body as well as beliefs about body ideals, weight, and thinness.
