Does Intuitive Eating Work For Everybody?

Intuitive eating is a non-diet approach to healthy eating habits, mainly through getting in tune with your internal cues. You learn to recognize your hunger and fullness cues while also being able to eat food that satisfies you.

It sounds like an ideal program to follow - not being restricted yet achieving healthier well-being. Many swear that it’s the only thing that has worked for them in changing their unhealthy eating habits.

However, perhaps you are reading this article to find out why this approach isn’t working for you. Is it not effective? Is it not right for you? Not necessarily. So why isn’t it working for you?

Here are a few possible reasons.

It Doesn’t Work Because You Think It’s An All-You-Can-Eat Buffet

While intuitive eating allows you to eat any food you want, it doesn’t mean you should eat everything you like and overindulge. If you’re eating just about anything you crave, of course, it would be bad for your health, so intuitive eating is definitely not going to work for you.

Intuitive eating goes beyond allowing you to eat any food that can satisfy you. It follows five principles to guide your eating behaviors and food choices mentally, emotionally, and physically.

These principles include:

• Not following diet rules, they are a thing of the past.

• Respecting your body.

• Enjoying your food and removing guilt from eating certain foods.

• Exercising because you have fun doing it.

• Coping with your emotions in healthy ways.

It Doesn’t Work Because You Are Focused On Losing Weight

if you expect to lose weight through this practice. It’s not a weight loss diet program, so shedding some pounds shouldn’t be your goal nor an indication of whether intuitive eating works.

Instead, intuitive eating teaches you to accept that all bodies are different. They come in different shapes and sizes. When you start practicing intuitive eating, you may lose weight, gain weight, or stay the same. Over time, your body will adjust to its set weight - the right shape and size based on your body’s needs.

It Doesn’t Work Because You Haven’t Found Your Hunger and Fullness Cues

You might have been dieting for so long that you have lost touch with your internal hunger and fullness signals. You can’t bring them back instantly. It takes time. Like most things worth having, results from intuitive eating don’t happen overnight.

If you’ve been doing it for a few weeks, you probably won’t notice much difference, but it’s too early for you to say that intuitive eating isn’t working for you. You may not experience results for three months to a year, especially if you have been dieting chronically. It is important to be patient and stick to the ten principles of intuitive eating, not just a couple that you like.

It Doesn’t Work For You Because You Still Restrict Yourself In Some Ways

One of the key principles of intuitive eating is healing your relationship with food. That means allowing yourself to eat foods that you believed to be banned from your diet forever but always loved eating them.

If you are still holding on to any diet rules, intuitive eating will not work for you. You need to reset your mindset and let go of the restrictions. Otherwise, not being able to eat some food that you crave could result in binge eating or overeating, which are unhealthy eating habits.

When you allow yourself to enjoy the food that you like, over time they will lose that “special” label to you and you will be able to regulate your food intake.

In Summary

Intuitive eating is basically the opposite of dieting. The main goals are to help you get in touch with your internal cues, feed yourself adequately, and improve your health and wellness holistically.

However, it may not be for everyone, especially if your goal is to reduce weight. You might also feel that it’s not working for you if you still haven’t found your hunger and fullness cues. That can happen, particularly if you’ve been dieting chronically for a long time, but don’t give up hope!

Have patience and know that intuitive eating works in helping you improve your eating habits and behaviors. Also, remember the principles of intuitive eating and stick to them!