The 10 Pillars of Intuitive Eating

If you read What is Intuitive Eating? you know that it is the opposite of a strict, regulated “diet” of “good” or “bad” foods. Rather, intuitive eating is based on healing guilt and shame around food and respecting your unique physical and emotional needs instead.

So, how should you start if you want to cultivate intuitive eating in your own weight loss journey? Here are 10 pillars or guidelines, originally developed by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, to get you rolling:

• Reject the Diet Mentality: Let go of the illusion of quick, strict weight-loss diets.
• Honor Your Hunger: Listen to your body’s biological signals to feed it.
• Make Peace with Food: Give yourself unconditional permission to eat.
• Challenge the Food Police: Shut down the inner critic that judges what you eat.
• Discover the Satisfaction Factor: Enjoy the experience of eating and find pleasure in meals.
• Feel Your Fullness: Notice the physical cues that indicate you are comfortably satisfied.
• Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness: Find ways to comfort and resolve feelings without turning to food.
• Respect Your Body: Accept your body’s genetic blueprint.
• Movement—Feel the Difference: Focus on how physical activity feels, rather than focusing on calorie burning.
• Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition: Make food choices that honor your well-being and taste buds.