Let’s be honest: your intuitive eating journey can feel a little long and a little daunting. But it doesn’t have to be this way — you can have fun on your intuitive eating with three simple habits. Let’s break down how to shake things up on your intuitive eating journey so it’s something you look forward to every single day. 

Why You Feel Stuck in Intuitive Eating 

It’s easy to lose your momentum on your intuitive eating and, when this happens, it’s easy to get sucked back into diet culture. Why? Because they have similar trajectories.

Think about it: how excited were you to start your intuitive eating journey? Maybe you cleaned out your cabinets, got your new groceries, and made space in your home for this “new” you. That’s the honeymoon phase, and like most honeymoon phases, it doesn’t last forever. Eventually, it gets kind of boring and unsatisfying. 

But the truth is that when intuitive eating gets kind of boring, that can be a good thing — it can be a sign that food isn’t taking up as much of your life. You can be more present without the stress or the drama of dieting and having a gentle relationship with food. It means you have more space for a hobby that brings you joy.

Let’s dive into three simple, actionable habits to spice up your relationship with food without the stress of dieting.

Habit #1: Stop Eating Like It’s Your Last Meal 

When you start bringing back formerly “forbidden” foods, it can subconsciously feel like your last chance to eat this certain food (like a “last supper” mentality”). You’re not restricting yourself when you eat the ice cream or the pizza, but you’re also not listening to your fullness cues. 

If this sounds familiar, it’s because subconsciously in your mind, you still think this food isn’t healthy and that you shouldn’t be eating it, so you need some restrictions with this food. This thought process actually makes it harder to listen to your body and increases your urges and desires to “intuitively” eat that food. But you want more of it because it still feels like a last supper thing — all because there’s still judgment attached to it. 

But when you neutralize your thoughts about this food and ask yourself “What is this breaking down into nutrientally?”, you can honor your hunger and fullness, and discern if it is what you actually want. 

How to do it: 

• Remind yourself: “This food isn’t going away. I can have it anytime I want.” 

• Slow down and check in. Are you eating from panic or actual enjoyment? 

• Practice leaving a bite behind just to prove you can. You have just as much permission to say yes to the food as no.

Habit #2: Challenge the Voice That Says “You Shouldn’t Eat That”

You know what I’m talking about. That little voice that pipes up when you want to eat a hamburger and says, “You should get the salad instead,” or “You shouldn’t be having chips as your snack.” That voice is so judgmental, right? That voice is diet culture talking, not your needs or intuition. 

Instead, be curious when that voice shows up. Is it around carbs? Chocolate? Notice when it starts talking. Then challenge it. Ask why you shouldn’t have the cupcake or the ice cream. 

Then reframe the answer with a more helpful, accurate thought. Instead of “I shouldn’t eat this,” to “I have permission to eat what feels good to me right now.” There’s no shoulds in here, which allows you to step back and ask what does feel good. 

Notice how that food — the one the voice said you shouldn’t have — makes you feel. Be present and pay attention to how your body responds to that burger. When we can think about pairing gentle nutrition with what your body needs, you can eat what sounds good while giving your body what it needs, without shoulds and shouldn’ts. 

Habit #3: Treat Your Body Like a Friend, Not a Project

Your body is not a DIY project that needs to be fixed or a problem that needs to be solved. Let’s shift from “fixing” your body — trying to “whip it into shape” or going on diets to allegedly improve your health — to caring for it. 

Because if you constantly feel like a self-improvement project, you’ll never feel good enough. 

And, let’s face it, diet culture is very invested in you never feeling good enough. The hundreds of billions of dollars per year that diet, wellness, and beauty cultures rake in based on you feeling like you always have to better yourself is wild. 

Instead, shift to body kindness and body acceptance. How? 

• Catch negative body thoughts and replace them with neutral or kind ones. (I dive more into how to do this in the UnChallenge!) 
• Do one thing today that feels good for your body. Maybe a good stretch, some rest, sunshine, or comfy clothes.
• Recognize that your body is always working for you, even on the days you don’t love how it looks. (Write this down somewhere you’ll remember it.) Your body does so much to take care of you, even on the days you’re working against it. You can choose to be respectful to your body, even when you’re frustrated with it. 

Start With Baby Steps 

It’s tempting to implement all of these steps in your life at once, but here’s the truth: that’s just setting yourself up for failure. Instead, focus on one habit each week. Taking small steps like this makes finding your groove with your intuitive eating journey simpler and cuts way down on the possibility of being overwhelmed. 

Most importantly, treat your body with kindness. Body kindness looks different depending on the day and on what you need. Maybe it’s eating that piece of cake because it sounds so satisfying. Maybe it’s skipping that second cup of coffee and listening to your body’s cues for hunger. Maybe it means getting a pair of pants that fit comfortably. Intentionally incorporating these acts of body kindness will help you break free of the grip of diet culture and realizing you are worth caring for. 

Even though it feels counterintuitive to be nice to yourself when you don’t feel like it, it can be a game changer. 

If you need a refresh during your intuitive eating journey, add these habits in. Take it one at a time. Notice how you feel. Take action — this will create clarity and momentum. Be kind to yourself, and remember — you’re worthy just as you are. 

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