Intuitive Eating Myths

Intuitive Eating (IE) is about saying no to diets that have stolen so many great memories and feelings and in doing so taking on the Non-Diet Mentality. The Non-Diet Mentality does not reinforce feelings of success or failure like the diet mentality does, but rather focuses on the learning points at every step along the IE journey. Many people are unsure of Intuitive Eating because it is not a diet, since many times dieting is all we know. 

To help explain the difference, Here is a great summary by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resche in their book, Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works. 

Issue	Dieting Mentality	Non-Diet Mentality
Eating/Food Choices	Do I deserve it? If I eat heavy food, I try to find a way to make up for it. I feel guilty when I eat heavy foods. I usually describe a day of eating as either good or bad. I view food as the enemy.	Am I hungry? Do I want it? Will I be deprived if I don't eat it? Does it taste good? I deserve to enjoy eating without guilt.
Exercise Benefits	I focus primarily on the calories burned. I feel guilty if I miss a designated exercise day.	I focus primarily on how exercise makes me feel, especially the energizing and stress-relieving factors.
Progress is viewed as:	How many pounds did I lose? How do I look? What do other people think of my weight? I have good willpower.	Rather than being concerned with my weight, I trust that my weight will normalize when I am attuned to my internal eating signals. My weight is not my primary goal or an indicator of my progress. I have increased trust with myself and food. I am able to let go of "eating indiscretions." I recognize inner body cues.

So, what does it look like to apply these principles in the real world? An example from my experience is that I used to wake up in the mornings, drink multiple cups of coffee as “breakfast” and completely ignore any hunger cues, because I thought it was important to make myself fast until lunch. Now, I wake up in the mornings and enjoy my cups of coffee with a sustainable breakfast of whatever I am feeling that day. Sometimes, it is a granola bar with honey, banana, and peanut butter toast. Other days, if I have time, I prepare eggs and toast.

Secondarily, I used to workout every day no matter how I was feeling. I felt so guilty if I missed a day of exercise. I can remember texting a friend one time asking for “permission” to miss a workout, which is absolutely crazy! Now, I listen to my body when it comes to exercise. I LOVE tennis and have joined multiple tennis leagues. I use my enjoyment of tennis as a way to thank my body for allowing it to move and play the game I love. I take rest days on my days off because recovery is just as important as game play. I look forward to my nights of tennis because there are no emotions involved except for joy and happiness- as it should be!

Lastly, I used to look at my body in the mirror over and over for validation. I cared so much about what people think of me and my body, and I am still healing and working on that viewpoint. However, I now realize that my weight is not what defines my health. I have learned so much from working in a hospital. Weight fluctuates daily, especially due to fluid status. As long as I feel healthy and am capable, that is all that matters! 

Tribole, E., Resch, E. 2012. Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works. 1st Edition. St. Martins Press.