When I first came across intuitive eating years ago, I was a bit skeptical. The idea of listening to your body and granting unrestricted permission to eat felt so counter to our culture that I couldn’t help but be curious. Over time, through my training as an Intuitive Eating Counselor and now as a therapist, I’ve recognized many of the benefits of this approach, not just for myself, but for my clients as well. But what does intuitive eating actually look like in practice, and how does it relate to eating disorder recovery? Below, I share my perspective as a therapist.
What is intuitive eating?
In its essence, intuitive eating is a way of eating that emphasizes listening to and honoring your body’s internal cues of hunger, fullness, and satisfaction to guide food choices, rather than following external rules or diets. In 1995, when the nation was steeped in the anti-fat diet craze, dieticians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Reisch wrote a book about intuitive eating, establishing ten core principles including rejecting the diet mentality, making peace with food, honoring your hunger, and challenging the food police, among others. Emerging research links intuitive eating to a range of positive physical and mental health outcomes, and recent longitudinal studies suggest it may play a causal role in these benefits.
From a psychotherapy perspective, intuitive eating aligns with many of the core tenants of mental health—making decisions based on what your body and mind need in the moment, rejecting external judgements in favor of your internal wisdom, and supporting autonomy and self-confidence. But it isn’t always easy or even realistic for all people at all stages.
Intuitive Eating Challenges During & After Eating Disorder Treatment
If you’ve ignored your hunger or restricted food for a sustained period of time, you might not hear your body clearly yet. Our bodies are incredibly adaptive, and if we override certain sensations, our body may downregulate those sensations over time.
During eating disorder treatment and in the early stages of recovery, telling someone to just “listen to their body” is oftentimes unhelpful or even dangerous because many people in this stage of recovery simply don’t feel their hunger or fullness. If this is your experience, it doesn’t mean that you won’t ever feel your hunger or fullness again, but initially structure is often needed as you rebuild trust and reconnect to your body. Intuitive eating can be a meaningful goal in recovery, and working with eating disorder–informed dietitians and therapists can help you build a gradual, safe path toward it.
Adaptations to Intuitive Eating
While every recovery plan should be personalized to the individual, below are a few general guidelines in adapting intuitive eating with eating disorders in mind.
Nutrition Rehabilitation First
The first step in moving towards a more intuitive way of eating is nutrition rehabilitation. Again, this is a very personalized process and should be directed by medical professionals, but in general may include medical stabilization, weight restoration, restoring consistent eating patterns, reversing physical effects of restriction, and/or supporting brain recovery. Intuitive eating simply isn’t possible without this phase of recovery. We recommend working with your full support team (therapist, dietician, physician, psychologist, etc.) to determine the best time to begin the next steps.
Focus on Connection to Body (whatever that looks like for you)
Before making any drastic changes to foods or eating patterns, begin by just tuning in to your body. If you haven’t regained your sense of hunger or fullness, begin by paying attention to what it feels like to eat, to taste something that you really like, to experience something that’s crunchy, creamy, chewy. What’s happening in your body? What’s happening in your mind? If you need a little more guidance in this process, you might try a mindful eating meditation guided by your therapist or check out this free mindful eating meditation video.
If connecting to the eating part of you doesn’t feel possible yet, begin with attuning to your breath. What does it feel like to feel your chest rise and fall? What does it feel like to take a deep belly breath? Find the body connection strategy that works for you.
Take it Slow
As much as it is a framework for eating, intuitive eating is also a path towards reconnecting to yourself, learning to respect and eventually trust that you have the internal resources you need to guide your decisions. This can be incredibly empowering, but it also takes time and can be frustrating along the way. Certain aspects of intuitive eating may be triggering to past disordered eating behaviors. Working with an eating disorder therapist through this process can help you navigate these challenges when and if they arise.
This is a process of self-discovery and self-attunement that will continue to evolve over your life. Take it slow and give yourself compassion and grace as you learn a new way of being with yourself.
