Tag Archive for: Intuitive Eating myths

Common Misconceptions about Intuitive Eating

For those new to Intuitive Eating or have just recently discovered it, there are usually a ton of ideas floating around in your head about this eating philosophy such as:

 

  • “This whole thing seems too good to be true!”
  • “Something has to be wrong with this philosophy”
  • “There is NO WAY this whole thing actually works!” 

Although this philosophy and idea around eating may SOUND too good to be true—there is actually nothing wrong with Intuitive Eating!

In spite of this, there are many myths and misconceptions floating around about Intuitive Eating, and the methods behind it, that often deter people from taking the steps to becoming an intuitive eater.

Let’s take a look at some of the common misconceptions associated with Intuitive Eating.

Misconception #1: “If Intuitive Eating is all about eating whatever and whenever you want… doesn’t that mean I’ll be eating all the time?

 

When many people hear about Intuitive Eating, the thought of “eating whatever and whenever they want” is frightening because they feel they will be out of control or only eat “junk” foods if they allow it into their eating regimen.

The key misconception here is that while there are no foods “off limits” with Intuitive Eating, it doesn’t mean eating all the time. Intuitive Eating is not the “see it, want it, eat it diet.”

 

Through the principles and teachings of Intuitive Eating, you will learn to ask yourself questions before choosing to eat. Those questions relate to whether you are physically hungry in this moment, if you’re experiencing emotional hunger, how you felt the last time you ate this food and so on.

 

Misconception #2: “It seems like Intuitive Eating is just another diet!”

 

Intuitive Eating is not another diet plan or rule book to follow. However, many people turn it into a diet. This is generally because they haven’t fully rejected the diet mentality, and that mindset is distorting the messages and principles of Intuitive Eating.

 

Furthermore, if someone is promoting Intuitive Eating as a way to lose weight, then that is NOT Intuitive Eating. It is unethical to promise weight loss through Intuitive Eating. Intuitive Eating focuses on bettering one’s relationship food.

 

Counting or tracking anything is NOT Intuitive Eating. It is a diet!

 

Misconception #3: “Intuitive Eating doesn’t care about nutrition.”

 

Principle ten of Intuitive Eating is “Honor your health though gentle nutrition.”

 

This principle focuses on nutrition in a gentle fashion and combines having a healthy relationship with food and a healthy balance of food.

Intuitive Eating is a process of attuning your mind, body, and food.

 

Gentle nutrition is the integration of your inner attunement (thoughts, feelings, beliefs, hunger-fullness cues) with the external environment.

Intuitive Eating is often criticized because it encourages people to eat what they want, which the naysayers believe will lead to poor nutrition choices and weight gain. However, research shows the opposite. Attuning to feelings of hunger and fullness before, during, and after a meal, as well as considering satisfaction, is associated with improved nutrient intake and eating a wider variety of food.

 

Misconception #4: “Intuitive eating is just about eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re full.”

 

Intuitive Eating is SO MUCH more than hunger and fullness.

Intuitive Eating emphasizes:

  • Challenging diet culture and the diet mentality
  • Granting yourself unconditional permission to eat
  • Discovering the feeling of satisfaction
  • Learning to challenge the food police
  • Recognizing and honoring feelings without using food
  • Honoring gentle nutrition
  • And so much more!

 

Join me to learn more: Monday March 14, 2022 > Free Webinar

3 Steps to Eating for Healthy Living: The Intuitive Eating Blueprint

Register HERE. (replay available)

 

 

 

Busting through 5 Common Myths about Intuitive Eating

By now, the concept of Intuitive Eating is not new. More and more people are hearing about it, but quite a few really don’t know what it’s all about. There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about Intuitive Eating and today, I’d like to bust through some of them.

 

5 Myths about Intuitive Eating

1. Intuitive Eating will help you lose weight if you eat when hungry and stop when full.

Not necessarily! Intuitive Eating is NOT a weight loss program. Unfortunately, some of the Intuitive Eating language had been co-opted by diet culture and is being used to sell weight loss programs! Ideas such as eat when hungry and stop when full, or eat mindfully is framed in a way to promise weight loss.

Intuitive eating is a self-care eating framework to help you heal your relationship with food, mind and body. Focusing on weight loss interferes with mending this relationship. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to ignore those messages of diet culture and using Intuitive Eating for weight loss if you truly want to find true peace with food.

2. The main focus of Intuitive eating is on instinct and your gut.

False! I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “trust your gut”. And I do believe in trusting your gut instinct in many things, including eating. But Intuitive Eating isn’t ONLY about trusting your instinct. Intuitive Eating also interconnects emotion and cognition.

For example, if you want to eat ice cream but you have thoughts swirling around in your mind that is shaming you for wanting this ice cream, this is a product of diet culture. What you want to do is challenge these distorted thoughts while honoring your desire to eat the ice cream.

Thanks to diet culture, there are a boatload of cognitive distortions running rampant in your mind. Part of the Intuitive Eating work I help my clients with is to learn how to reframe these irrational thoughts into more rational, realistic thoughts and beliefs.

3. Intuitive eating means you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want.

Not at all. I always tell people that Intuitive Eating is NOT instant gratification. See it, want it, eat it! Nope! One of the principles of Intuitive Eating that often gets misconstrued is—”giving yourself unconditional permission to eat”. People often assume this concept means to eat anything and everything at any time. However, this is far from the truth!

When you first start the Intuitive Eating journey, this concept of “unconditional permission to eat” can often cause you to have intense cravings and feel “out of control”. But this is quite expected as you’ve been depriving yourself of these foods for so long.

Intuitive Eating encourages you to stop and ask yourself questions before choosing and eating a food. “Am I hungry? Tired? How did this food make me feel last time I ate it”, etc.

This is far from see it, want it, eat it.

4. Weight gain is expected with Intuitive eating.

False! No one knows what your body will do once you give up dieting and embrace Intuitive Eating. Only your body knows this!

Some people gain some weight (generally if they came in to this process at a weight below their set point and/or with an eating disorder); some people lose weight, and some people stabilize their weight, meaning they are no longer weight cycling.

Weight is not a factor in Intuitive Eating. While I know this might be hard for some people to accept, it is important to come to terms with it. It’s impossible to create a healthy, neutral relationship with food AND focus on weight loss. The goal and focus are COMPLETELY opposite.

5. There is no structure to eating with Intuitive Eating.

No way! The truth is there is structure, but that structure is determined by your inner wisdom NOT by dieting.

With traditional dieting there is a “rigid structure”. Someone, or something is telling you what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat. Follow this structure, and you will lose weight (their promise – but as we know, that’s a false promise because the results are short-lived).

While there is no rule book with Intuitive Eating in regards to when, what and how much to eat, it is important to consistently nourish yourself as part of your self-care. For people new to the Intuitive Eating journey, putting a nourishing flexible plan in place might be needed to ensure you are meeting your body’s basic needs. Note the key work there – flexible!  This flexible structure will allow the natural rhythm of your body to shine through, and you will find your “natural structure” for eating will form.

Want to learn about more Intuitive Eating myths? Join me today at 12:15 pm EST for a Facebook Live training where I will unveil even more myths. And, you will have an opportunity to ask me anything about Intuitive Eating! Join me HERE.