If you’re tired of the endless cycle of dieting, tracking calories, and feeling constantly at war with your body, you’re not alone. Many of us have been conditioned to believe that diets are the key to health and happiness, but what if I told you there’s a different path? One where you can eat without guilt, trust your body, and find freedom from the constant pressure to shrink yourself.
It’s called intuitive eating, and it’s not about rigid rules or trying to control your body. Instead, it’s about learning to reconnect with your body and trust its natural cues. It’s a journey of healing, and while it’s not always easy, it’s so worth it..
What Exactly is Intuitive Eating?
When you first hear the term intuitive eating, it might sound like it’s all about eating whatever you want, whenever you want. But that’s not quite it. Intuitive eating is about listening to your body’s natural hunger and fullness signals, and making food choices that feel good, both physically and emotionally.
Sure, hunger and fullness are part of it, but intuitive eating actually involves a lot more. It’s a framework made up of 10 principles, which include things like making peace with food, letting go of food rules, choosing satisfying foods, moving your body in ways that feel good, and even practicing self-compassion.
The truth is, intuitive eating isn’t something you can just wing. It’s not enough to simply stop dieting and hope your relationship with food magically improves. You need to rebuild trust with your body, step by step.
How to Rebuild Trust With Your Body Through Intuitive Eating
Rebuilding trust with your body is a process and it starts with intuition. If you’ve been dieting for a long time, or you’ve been influenced by diet culture, you might feel out of touch with your body’s signals. That’s totally normal. To learn more listen to my 3-part podcast series dedicated to teaching you how to strengthen your intuition!
Think about it: as babies, we eat when we’re hungry and stop when we’re full. We didn’t have food rules or judgment back then. Over time, though, societal pressures and dieting have taught us to ignore those signals. We’ve been conditioned to rely on external rules rather than our internal cues.
But here’s the thing: your body knows what it needs. You were born with the ability to listen to it, and the more you practice, the stronger your intuition will get.
Step 1: Listen Without Judgment
One of the first things you’ll want to do is listen to your body without judgment. If you’re feeling hungry, or craving something specific, don’t immediately label it as “good” or “bad.” Just notice it.
For example, if you’re craving chocolate in the afternoon, instead of thinking “I shouldn’t eat that,” ask yourself why. Is it because you’re hungry? Or are you eating out of habit, stress, or emotion? Get curious, not critical.
I had a client once who used to snack multiple times every evening before bed, and she’d feel guilty about it. Every morning, she’d promise to be “good” with food that day to make up for it. But after we started working together, we discovered that her night-time cravings weren’t a “bad habit.” She simply wasn’t eating enough during the day, which left her ravenous at night.
Instead of banning snacks after dinner, we focused on getting her to eat more satisfying meals earlier in the day. And guess what? The evening snacking slowed down naturally because her body was no longer in “starvation mode.”
Curiosity is key here. Instead of criticizing your body’s cues, get curious about what it’s telling you. Over time, your intuition will become clearer, and your relationship with food will feel more natural.
Step 2: Start Small and Experiment
Start experimenting with small intuitive practices. For example, try eating when you’re slightly hungry instead of waiting until you’re ravenous. Pause during your meals to check in with yourself, are you getting full? Or are you still genuinely hungry?
Another great practice is to check in with yourself before eating: Am I physically hungry right now? Or am I eating because I’m bored, stressed, or trying to avoid something?
View this as an experiment—gathering data about how food makes you feel, both physically and emotionally. The more you practice, the more intuitive it becomes, but it will feel intentional at first. This is where you unlearn the rules of diet culture and tune back into what your body wants.
Step 3: Develop a Feedback Loop
Once you’ve made a food choice, reflect on how it made you feel. Did you feel energized, satisfied, or maybe sluggish? How did it affect your mood or energy levels? It’s not about judging yourself, but simply gathering information.
This feedback loop helps you refine your choices over time. The more you practice, the stronger your intuition becomes. It’s like any other skill, practice makes perfect.
Overcoming the Barriers
I know what you’re thinking: What if I mess up? Or worse, what if I can’t control myself around food anymore?
Let me reassure you: this is not about perfection. It’s about progress. The fear of getting it wrong is a big barrier for many people, but you don’t have to be perfect. Intuitive eating is a learning process, not an exam you have to pass. It’s about getting comfortable with the gray areas instead of trying to control every bite.
Diet culture also makes it harder to tune into your body’s wisdom, but you can start quieting the noise. Try a social media detox, curate your feed to focus on body-positive content, and set boundaries in conversations with friends and family who may still be obsessed with dieting. Protect your peace, your journey is about you.
A Little Encouragement
Reconnecting with your intuition takes time, patience, and a whole lot of self-compassion. It’s not a quick fix, but that’s okay! The beauty of intuitive eating is that it’s a lifelong practice that keeps evolving. As you start listening more closely to your body and breaking free from diet culture, you’ll feel more confident in your ability to trust yourself.
Soon enough, you won’t feel the urge to join in on the latest diet craze. You’ll start feeling empowered in your own choices. And the best part? You’ll be able to live full, without constantly worrying about food or your body.
Start Today
If you’re ready to start reconnecting with your body, try practicing one small step today. Check in with your hunger before eating, or journal after a meal about how it made you feel. And when you’re ready for more support, check out Episode 2 of my podcast series Strengthening Your Intuition: Building Trust with Your Body, where I dive even deeper into how to rebuild trust with your body.
Remember, your body is on your side. You can trust it again, one small step at a time..
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Search for Episode #169: Releasing the Grip: Breaking Free from Diet Culture (Part 2)
Looking for more support on your journey to food freedom and body acceptance?
- Join my Facebook group & community “Intuitive Eating Made Easy”
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Check out my course, Non-Diet Academy
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