Intuitive eating is a simple idea. It means that you’re open to all types of food. Unlike traditional diets that limit or ban certain foods, intuitive eating requires you to stop looking at foods as “good” or “bad.” Instead, you listen to your body and eat what feels right for you. The term was coined by two dietitians, Evelyn Trebole and Elyse Resch, in their book Intuitive Eating.
Intuitive eating does not mean you just eat whatever you want, anytime you want. Experts say it means tapping into your body’s natural ability to tell you when you’re hungry or satisfied.
When you eat intuitively, you also let go of the idea that you need to lose or gain weight so you can look a certain way. The idea is to help you focus on foods that work best for your overall physical and mental health.
“On its face, intuitive eating seems like it can be a great way of relating to food,” says Dana Hunnes, PhD, a senior dietitian at UCLA Health. “I think in most cases, it is a good way to think about eating. However, there may be instances (few and far between) where it may pose a health risk.”
Find out how to practice intuitive eating, and learn about the possible benefits and risks.
How to Eat Intuitively
Reject diets. Following strict food rules may not help you lose weight over the long run. If the diet doesn’t work or you’re unable to keep up, you may look for a newer, better diet and start all over again. When you limit foods, your body may not get the nutrients it needs to work at its best. And for some people, frequent dieting could lead to an eating disorder.
Eat when you’re hungry. Trust your body and permit yourself to eat when it tells you that you’re hungry. Eat a variety of foods to make sure you get the nutrients you need. Don’t ignore your hunger pangs until they become intense. Instead of choosing foods that make you feel good, you’re likely to eat whatever you can get. You’re also more likely to overeat this way.
Pay attention to fullness. When you eat, pause frequently to check in with your body. Think about how the food tastes and check your hunger levels to see if you need more. And take time to savor the experience of eating. When you feel satisfied and happy, you’ll know you’ve had enough.
Choose foods that make you feel good. Depriving yourself of certain foods can trigger serious cravings and even lead to binge eating. Eating intuitively is about choosing foods that satisfy both your health needs and your taste buds. Moderation is key. One bite of chocolate won’t make you gain weight overnight. But what and how you eat can affect your health over time.
One of the ideas that is part of the intuitive eating philosophy is the “80-20 Pareto Principle.” Simply stated, this means choosing healthy, nonprocessed foods at least 80% of the time and allowing yourself to indulge in less nutritious foods 20% of the time.
Respect your emotions. Eating to satisfy emotions such as anxiety, loneliness, anger, or boredom won’t fix the root cause of these feelings. If you find yourself doing this often, talk to a therapist to sort out your feelings.
What Are the Benefits of Intuitive Eating?
We need more studies on intuitive eating. But some research has found that those who consistently eat intuitively may not lose weight, but they tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) and better mental health.
It may not be for everyone. For some health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, your doctor may ask you to cut back on certain foods to manage your condition. If you plan to try intuitive eating, tell your doctor about it first.
If you’re not sure how to start eating intuitively, see a registered dietitian or a nutritionist to come up with a meal plan that works for you.
Are There Any Risks of Intuitive Eating?
The main risk stems from how this eating style ignores the idea of “good” vs. “bad” foods, Hunnes says. While she agrees with the premise of intuitive eating in spirit, “there truly are some foods out there that we simply should eat less of — specifically, ultraprocessed foods, which are high in calories, sugar, fat, and low in nutrients [and] nutritional value.”
Having fewer boundaries around ultraprocessed foods may lead some people to overeat those items or to make less healthy choices when hungry. It can be easy to let that “20%” creep up or use it to justify a “splurge” choice.
Practicing intuitive eating also doesn’t guarantee that you’ll follow a balanced diet. If you can have your favorite sweet, salty, or fattening foods whenever you want, you may feel less inclined to fill up on nutritious whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. And the more processed or junk foods you eat, the more you may crave them.
“Hopefully, most individuals who intuitively eat are not eating a lot of ultraprocessed foods,” Hunnes says.
Takeaways
With intuitive eating, you no longer look at foods as “good” or “bad.” You listen to your body and eat what feels right for you, focusing on foods that boost your overall physical and mental health. Some of the main concepts of intuitive eating are to:
- Avoid diets.
- Eat when you’re hungry.
- Be mindful of when you feel full.
- Notice when you’re eating to distract yourself from tough emotions.
This approach might not lead to weight loss, but some research suggests that folks who regularly practice intuitive eating may have lower BMIs and better mental health. The main risk of intuitive eating may be overeating unhealthy ultraprocessed foods that are high in calories, sugar, sodium, or fat.
Intuitive Eating FAQs
Can you lose weight while eating intuitively?
“If you are truly listening to your hunger and fullness cues as opposed to eating based on a schedule or based on how much food you are served or portioned, then it seems that you ought to be able to lose weight (if that’s what you’re trying to do) while eating intuitively,” Hunnes says.
Still, “there would come a point in the ‘weight loss journey’ where your body will likely feel hungrier than when you carried a few additional pounds. And if you’re listening to those cues, [you] might not continue to lose weight or may possibly gain some of the weight back. That would imply our bodies also have set points where they feel most comfortable, and if you lose too much weight, your body will react by asking you to eat more.”
Will I gain weight if I start intuitive eating?
That depends on your body’s natural set weight and how you respond to your hunger and fullness signals.
“Again, if you’re truly listening to your hunger and fullness cues, and you are at your ‘set’ weight, it would seem unlikely that you would begin to gain weight. If you are below your ‘set’ weight or are underweight and are listening to your cues, you might begin to gain weight if you are hungrier or eating more to meet those fullness cues,” Hunnes says.
What is the difference between intuitive eating and mindful eating?
“Intuitive eating is more of a lifestyle way of eating, and it removes the notion of good vs. bad foods,” Hunnes says. The strategy is to simply “trust your body to select the foods you want to eat, when you want to eat them, [based on] how hungry and full you are, and when you’ve had enough. It does not assign a moral judgment to the food [you’re] eating.”
“Mindful eating is more of an ‘in-the-moment’ way of thinking about food and eating,” she says. “If you’re eating mindfully, you’re in the moment; you’re only paying attention to what you’re eating and how it is making you feel in that moment. It’s about paying attention,” Hunnes says.
For instance, you might choose to pay attention to:
- How each bite of food looks, tastes, smells, and feels in your body
- The way your body feels after finishing a meal
- The sense of gratitude you might feel for the meal
You can work mindful eating into an intuitive eating practice, Hunnes says.
