The 10 Biggest Misconceptions About Intuitive Eating
I recently posted a series of intuitive eating polls on my Instagram story, and the responses surprised me.
Many of them reflected deep misunderstandings about what intuitive eating really is, so I want to clear the record.
Let’s dive into the 10 biggest misconceptions about intuitive eating, and what intuitive eating is really about…
1. It just means you eat whatever you want.
Intuition is not the same as impulse.
While intuitive eating includes food freedom, it also includes deeply listening to your body’s nutritional cravings.
As you practice intuitive eating, you learn to distinguish between deep intuition and surface level impulse.
For example, you might see a tray of brownies and impulsively want one, but then you take a moment to tune in, and you realize that your body doesn’t actually want a brownie at that moment.
This might be the case if you had a sweet treat recently, among many other factors.
On the other hand, in the same exact situation a brownie could be what you want on that deeper intuitive level, and what fits into your unique nutritional needs over the course of a week – not just a day.
The magic happens in the pause.
In the tuning in. In the breathing deep.
In the honoring how you want to feel now, in three hours, and tomorrow – versus only in the present moment.
Not because you want to control your body or “be good,” but because you want to feel fully alive and engaged in your life.
It’s not the end of the world to follow impulses from time to time, but they become easier to identify and less desirable as you give yourself true, long-term food freedom.
That brownie is no longer the forbidden fruit – it’s an option any time your body has the true desire and overall bandwidth to genuinely enjoy it.
2. It’s unhealthy.
Your body needs nutrients to function.
If you’ve been on a steady diet of processed foods, you’re not going to crave vegetables right away.
That’s why the first step for some of my intuitive eating clients is a gentle food-based reset, to help re-establish their connection with their intuition.
Foods like white sugar and flour can be chemically addictive, and interfere with your intuition.
Once you’ve reset your body with plenty of fresh, nutrient-dense foods, you’ll most likely begin to crave the foods that work best for your body.
Your power foods will be unique to you, and they’re a big part of your intuitive eating journey. They’re like a warm hug at the end of the day – the foods you know nourish your body and soul.
Gentle nutrition is a core principle of intuitive eating, and if someone isn’t craving nutritious foods, I might guide them to create an anchor, which acts as a training wheel.
For example, including vegetables a couple of times per day, with total flexibility around that anchor.
It all depends on where you’re at in your journey.
Ultimately, through intuitive eating you can get the greatest diversity of nutrients because you have total freedom to listen to your body, rather than running on autopilot, eating the same foods on repeat.
When you’re in alignment, you crave a lush variety of foods.
One study even showed that intuitive eaters consume more fruits and veggies overall.
3. You’ll gain weight.
While I respect genuine physical goals – wanting to feel lighter in your body because you know in your soul that you don’t feel like yourself – it’s so important to decentralize weight.
It’s not that it can’t be part of the picture, but we don’t want it to be the whole picture. Life is so much richer and more exciting than a number on the scale.
I used to be obsessed with my weight, now it feels like a relatively boring topic.
That said, releasing weight is a goal many people have, and I respect that.
Perhaps you have digestive issues that are weighing you down, or some other chronic issue that’s leading you to hold onto extra weight, beyond your natural frame.
A lot of people are afraid that intuitive eating will make them gain weight, but science shows that dieting is actually what leads to weight gain, in the majority of cases.
Around 95% of dieters regain the weight they lost, plus more.
Not only that, many of them develop physical and/or mental health issues.
The primary goal of intuitive eating is to heal your relationship with food and your body, so you can be free, enjoy food, enjoy your body, and enjoy your life.
Through intuitive eating, most people reach a healthy set point with their weight.
Many do lose weight, after breaking the diet cycle and getting their metabolism back.
This can happen quite quickly, or if you’ve been dieting for a while, it may take some time.
With intuitive eating, you let your body lead.
If your body wants to release weight, it will.
4. You’ll never be able to lose weight.
A lot of people are scared they’re going to lose control over food and their bodies if they start intuitive eating.
This was definitely a fear of mine when I let go of disordered behavior and fully immersed myself in intuitive eating.
The truth is that you might overeat when you first begin intuitive eating, but that phase is essential.
Without that free rein with food, you’ll continue to view certain foods as the forbidden fruit, and continue cycles of “good” and “bad,” “on” and “off.”
After eating lots of everything for a while, it becomes boring, because you know you can have whatever you want, whenever you want.
The pressure is off and you can just listen to your body. There is no scarcity, and no need to stockpile food in your precious body.
This is how I completely stopped overeating, after being an overeater for years.
In that process of deep listening and allowing, you often release any weight your body doesn’t need.
One study reported lower body mass index and less disordered food behavior in intuitive eaters.
Many of my clients have lost weight through intuitive eating.
You can check out testimonials here.
5. It doesn’t mean anything – it’s just normal eating.
If we were all in our natural, primal state, before the avalanche of diet culture hit us, then yes, absolutely, intuitive eating would just be normal eating.
But most “normal eaters” these days are not actually intuitive eaters.
They’re eating based on messaging they’ve picked up around “good” and “bad” foods, bouncing back and forth between “good girl” eating and “bad girl” eating.
Whether you realize it or not, and whether you consciously identify as a dieter or not, it’s very likely that subconscious programming is playing at least some role in your food choices.
Intuitive eating is about stripping that programming away and getting back to your primal knowing of the foods your body needs to thrive.
Intuitive eating is very, very intentional.
We meditate. We move our bodies. We get in touch with all of our senses.
We journal out how we feel before and after meals, and many more tools, depending on the client.
The majority of people are not doing this – so no, intuitive eating is not modern “normal eating.”
6. It means you’ve given up on nutrition.
Nutrition is not just a part of my personal approach to intuitive eating, which I developed before discovering Intuitive Eating – written by two registered dietitians.
All intuitive eating includes gentle, realistic nutrition.
That means if your body isn’t genuinely craving vegetables, you might include them anyway at times, until your body readjusts to its natural state of craving them.
You may also include supplements that your body is asking for, or that make sense based on your current symptoms.
Intuitive eating is not about rejecting health and nutrition, or completely abandoning logic when it comes to food.
It’s about centralizing your intuition, while referencing your intellect.
It’s about zooming out and looking at how food affects you on a physical, mental, and emotional level, then taking steps to love and respect your body, rather than shame and control it.
7. It means you’ve given up on feeling good in your body.
Quite the opposite.
Intuitive eating is about developing a deep reverence for your body, and for how you feel.
I used to only feel good if I was mostly eating protein and vegetables.
Then I would binge on peanut butter, cookies, crackers, and everything else in my family’s lazy susan. These were full-on tunnel vision binges.
Bouncing back and forth between these two extremes is what causes deep discomfort in your body and mind.
Intuitive eating may feel uncomfortable and scary at first, like a loss of control – it did for me – but ultimately it’s an act of deep dedication to your long-term physical and mental health.
It’s learning your body like an instrument – how to care for yourself on every level, and how to feel good in your body without restricting your food.
Striking that golden balance of flow with food, and reverence for your body.
It’s about finally pulling yourself out of food and body obsession, so you can reclaim your energy from overanalysis and fully live your life.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend my life thinking about what I’ve eaten, what I’m “allowed” to eat for the rest of the day, or what my weight is going to be tomorrow.
For me, and for my clients, intuitive eating is a pass to freedom, and a pass to a truly rich life.
8. There’s no point to it – just eat “clean” or have a “cheat day.”
Any approach that labels certain foods as good or bad can create tension in the body and mind.
Tension makes us want to “break free” and just eat the cake – or drink the bottle of wine.
This is not sustainable.
Yo-yoing is what causes the most discomfort, and can lead to physical and mental health challenges.
Do you want to plan your life around cheat days? I don’t.
9. There’s no science behind it. The only way to be healthy is to count your macros. Calories in, calories out.
Counting calories and macros fails to address the nervous system.
When your nervous system is relaxed, you’re better able to digest your food.
When you’re stressed – even if it’s low-grade stress – blood and nutrients move away from your digestive system and to your muscles, in preparation for fight or flight.
When your body is in this stressed state, digestion is considered non-essential, and your body holds on to fat for survival.
Digestion is metabolism, so if you’re only paying attention to calories and macros, you fail to see the big picture.
This is why a lot of people who eat “super clean” can’t seem to release weight – they’re in the stress response.
If you don’t consider yourself to be a stressed person, remember that even low-grade stress can have this effect.
Multiple intuitive eating studies reflect weight maintenance, weight loss, less psychological stress, and improved physical health factors like blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
10. It’s just a cover for dieting.
A lot of people use intuitive eating as a cover for dieting, but in those cases they’re not really practicing intuitive eating.
If someone considers themselves an intuitive eater but claims to only crave fish and veggies all the time, there may be some disordered behavior going on.
Intuitive eating is a very convenient cover for restrictive eating, because you don’t have to have an allergy to avoid a food – you can just say your body isn’t asking for it.
At this point, you know that intuitive eating includes total food freedom, along with respect for nutrition, and reverence for your body’s unique needs.
In its true form, it’s not a diet by any stretch – it’s the opposite.
Intuitive eating is very well-defined and very well-researched.
Much more defined and researched than I ever imagined when I first set out on my intuitive journey.
When I made the decision to fully commit to intuitive eating, all I knew was that I could not possibly be on a diet for the rest of my life, and I could not continue with extreme food behaviors.
I also knew that my body had the answers.
I knew I could trust myself and I could develop deep and genuine health through intuitive eating, if I could get over the initial fear of letting go of control.
When I landed on Intuitive Eating, the book, I was blown away and delighted to learn how established this approach is.
Since committing to intuitive eating, doctors have asked me if I’m an Olympic athlete, because of my resting heart rate.
One specialist, who I was a bit nervous to see after an accident, told me I’ll live for as long as I’m meant to – zero health issues.
People constantly compliment me on my energy, on my freedom and the lifestyle I’ve created in the South Caribbean, on my glow, my skin, my hair, and my body.
I’m healthier and happier now than I’ve ever been.
Intuitive eating gave me my life back, and took me to levels I never would’ve imagined.
Do you consider yourself an intuitive eater?
After reading this article, do you want to try it?
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
Much love,
Lula
