How to become an Intuitive Eater

You are tired of dieting and not feeling fully present in life as you obsess over what you eat or how often you exercise. You crave freedom from these thoughts and the constant pressure you put on yourself to shrink your body. Yet, you don’t know how to become an intuitive eater.

Read on to learn about the basics of Intuitive Eating and how to implement it into your life.

Learn what Intuitive Eating Is

Intuitive Eating is a framework designed by two registered dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. It is meant to help guide people out of dieting and toward a deeper connection with their body’s inner signals.

Using Intuitive Eating, people can relearn their hunger and fullness cues, make peace with all foods and cultivate body respect. There are ten guiding principles to work through as people begin Intuitive Eating:

1. Reject the Diet Mentality
2. Honor Your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food
4. Challenge the Food Police
5. Discover the Satisfaction Factor
6. Feel Your Fullness
7. Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness
8. Respect Your Body
9. Movement-Feel the Difference
10. Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition

These do not need to be tackled in any certain order or in a specific time frame. However, keep in mind that Gentle Nutrition is often addressed last after working on other foundational principles.

As you learn how to become an intuitive eater, you will need patience and grace with yourself without rushing the process. Remember, Intuitive Eating is a lifelong journey!

Read the Book

The book Intuitive Eating is such an important tool to use as you embark on your journey to becoming an intuitive eater; I always recommend it.

This resource is written by Resch and Tribole, and is a great guide to learn their intentions and how they envision Intuitive Eating playing out in everyday life. This book made such a difference in my Intuitive Eating journey and helped me better understand Intuitive Eating as a whole.

Use the Workbook

The Intuitive Eating Workbook works well as a companion to the book. There are many activities and extra reading you can do to learn more. Some people go through the Workbook while reading the book, and others do so after. It’s all up to you!

Have an Open Mind

Rejecting diet culture and its lies requires having an open mind. You need to be willing to learn about and apply new ideas and resist falling back into the diet trap. Trust that your body can tell you what it needs when it comes to nourishment, just as it can tell you other information, like when it is too warm or it needs rest.

Keeping an open mind, especially when doubting or struggling with the Intuitive Eating process, will help you challenge and move past false thoughts and claims that come up.

Find a Community

There are so many communities out there made up of intuitive eaters. If you search on social media you will find a ton, including this one!

Connecting with other people who have been or are currently in your shoes is so powerful in keeping you inspired to continue your journey. You can ask questions, give advice and find support when things get tough. Who knows, you might make lifelong friends too!

Find a Coach

There are so many mentors and coaches out there who specialize in Intuitive Eating. I happen to be one of them! You can learn a ton about Intuitive Eating from books, podcasts and social media. However, actually implementing all that information into your life can be tough.

Finding an expert can help lessen the burden of tackling Intuitive Eating on your own. A coach can also provide you with tips and tricks that can make all the difference in your journey. Hiring a coach to help me start my Intuitive Eating journey is one of the best decisions I’ve made, so I am strong believer in the power of coaching!

Next Steps

If you are interested in working with me as you start Intuitive Eating, or if you have already started but realize you need help, click here to learn more about my program!

If you would like to learn more about Intuitive Eating, click here to get on my email list and stay updated on what’s happening at Intuitively Nourished RD!

About Kourtney

I am a non-diet registered dietitian on a mission to spread the truth about dieting and the harm it does to our bodies physically, mentally and emotionally. It is my goal to show women that there is a fantastic life outside of dieting if they’re willing to step out of their comfort zone and start living!