“I can’t control myself around carbs, so I can’t eat them at all,” my client says, her brow furrowed and her eyes wide.

It reminded me of those days in middle school when we were expected to climb that coarse rope in gym class. I tried hiding behind my classmates and taking extra-long bathroom breaks. I would even beg my parents to write me a note to excuse me from class that day.

It didn’t work.

In the same way, avoiding fear foods — those foods we don’t feel in control around — doesn’t work long-term.

Which is why I shared with my client the 10 principles of Intuitive Eating. These guidelines strengthen the mind-body connection that supports both physical and emotional health.

If you are new to the idea of trusting your body and honoring its signals through Intuitive Eating, you are not alone.

Aren’t exactly sure what Intuitive Eating is about? Great! Allow me to explain by answering some of the most common questions I receive.

Description of Intuitive Eating. Image shows woman selecting food.

1. What is Intuitive Eating?

The concept of Intuitive Eating was created by two dietitians (Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch) in 1995. The 10 principles of Intuitive Eating help us reconnect our mind and body by learning to trust and respond to the inner body signals to meet both physical and emotional needs.

2. Will I lose weight with Intuitive Eating?

One of three things will happen when you fully and completely embrace the Intuitive Eating journey: you will either lose weight, gain weight, or stay the same size. OR you may do all three in no particular order. No one (and I mean no one) can predict what your body will do.

3. Will you give me a list of foods to eat or avoid?

Nope! This is not a diet or a food plan. You will not count calories, net carbs, macros, serving sizes, or any other arbitrary measurement with Intuitive Eating.

4. If I can eat anything while following the principles of Intuitive Eating, I’m afraid I will never stop eating?!?

Giving yourself full permission to eat ANYTHING is an important principle to wrap your head around, as lingering thoughts of restriction or conditional permission will not help you embrace what this principle really offers.

Once we give ourselves permission to eat whatever food(s) were once off-limits, they lose some of their appeal. We are then able to explore our taste for these foods, along with how they make our body feel from a place of curiosity instead of guilt and shame.

You can ask yourself, “Is this food still enjoyable when I know I can eat as much of it as it want, whenever I want? Will I be satisfied with less, knowing I can come back and have more at any point?”

Permission is a powerful tool in healing your relationship with food!

5. How will I know if I’m doing this Intuitive Eating thing “right”?

One of my favorite parts of Intuitive Eating is that there IS no right or wrong way to do it!

There is no “blowing it” or failing when it comes to Intuitive Eating. This is an every day journey to nurture your own personal mind-body connection, and all the information your body tells you along the way is valuable.

6. How is Intuitive Eating healthy when I can eat as much junk food as I want?

The principles of Intuitive Eating are there to increase your body awareness (also known as interoceptive awareness) so you can make informed decisions to support your overall health.

Some of the principles help you hone the skill of recognizing and acting on inner body cues (like hunger and fullness), while others allow you to remove external roadblocks (like diets) that get in the way of those inner body cues.

Once we learn how to listen to our bodies and the messages it provides by meeting those physical and emotional needs, we explore the final principle of Intuitive Eating which honors health with gentle nutrition.

We begin to recognize and choose the types of foods that make our bodies feel well while still honoring taste and pleasure.

In all honesty, your journey with Intuitive Eating will not look like a straight line. It will look a bit wiggly, squiggly, and perhaps a bit like a Jackson Pollack painting. Essentially, it may look a bit of a mess. But trust me, the journey through the mess is so worth the peace you can find.

Six Things You Need to Know About Intuitive Eating