07/31/2025
5 Signs You’re Turning Intuitive Eating Into Another Diet (And Why That Might Be Unhelpful)
1. You are “only” eating when you’re hungry: we have seen intuitive eating described and turn into a hunger and fullness diet more times than we can count. If you’ve spent years following rigid rules and strict guidelines, it makes so much sense that your brain tries swapping out old rules of restriction for new ones. For many reasons, eating in the absence of hunger can actually be a very supportive part of healing your relationship with food.
2. You are trying to practice permission, but not eating enough: after years of being told to eat less, it can come as a shock when clients hear from us that they need to eat more. A core principle of intuitive eating is unconditional permission and it is often depicted as the cliche of “just eat the donut!”. We feel there is a crucial step before fully jumping into that principle, which is making sure you are eating enough. It’s normal for unconditional permission to feel scary. After all, these are foods you have not been allowed to eat for so long. That experience may feel even more scary and likely feel more chaotic if your body is also in biological need for nourishment.
3. You are preoccupied with choosing the “right” foods: this is a form of policing your food choices, and placing moral value on foods. If you are placing foods into specific categories such as “good” or “bad”, you are still influenced by diet rules. True intuitive eating embraces all foods, allowing room for every form of nourishment, without labels or restrictions.
4. You are feeling stressed about portions: you may be beginning to connect more with your body’s cues, but still feeling preoccupied with portion sizes, counting, or controlling what and how much you eat. We invite you to instead consider what feels satisfying to you, without getting bogged down by constant calculation. This process can take time, be gentle with yourself, and consider a self-compassion practice.
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