I wish I could go back and tell you three things before you started on your intuitive eating journey. 

These insights center around Principle 3 from the book Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, which emphasizes making peace with food. You can’t eat intuitively without achieving peace with food, and there are a few crucial aspects to this principle that will significantly impact your journey toward freedom and peace with food.

Whether you’re new to intuitive eating or have been on this journey for a while, the lessons I’ll share will help you become a more intuitive eater. You’ll develop a more peaceful and neutral relationship with food, allowing you to better listen to your body and take care of your health.

If You’re Eating the Food but Still Judging or Labeling It, You’ll Stay Stuck

To make peace with food, you must change how you think about and judge food. This is the essence of Principle 3. If you’re letting yourself eat donuts, pizza, and ice cream but feel like it’s too good to be true, you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s crucial to neutralize your judgments about food.

One of my clients in my Intuitive Eating Experience (IEE) program, where we go through the Intuitive Eating Workbook together, had a breakthrough when she realized she had been treating intuitive eating like a free-for-all rather than listening to her body. She started slowing down, asking herself if she was actually hungry, and noticing any judgments about what she “should” or “shouldn’t” be eating.

Eating Whatever You Want, Whenever You Want Isn’t Intuitive Eating, It’s Impulsive Eating

Making peace with food doesn’t mean eating whatever, whenever. Intuitive eating is about listening to your body. Eating impulsively without tuning into your body’s signals isn’t intuitive eating.

One of my clients experienced a significant shift when she started asking herself if she was actually hungry. She realized that intuitive eating is about being mindful and responsive to her body’s needs.

Peace with Food = Freedom to Say Yes AND No to Food

Many people think making peace with food means eating all the foods all the time. It’s essential to learn how to say no to food without falling into diet mentality. There’s a difference between saying “no” to dessert because you’re full and saying no because you feel like you don’t deserve it or worry it will make you gain weight.

Peace with food also means that sometimes you might say yes to dessert even if you’re full because you genuinely want it, and that’s okay. You’re making a conscious decision without judging yourself as “bad” or “unhealthy.” Ideally, this becomes a learning opportunity to better gauge your hunger and fullness cues.

If you have a medical condition, making peace with food involves setting gentle boundaries without labeling foods as healthy or unhealthy. For instance, if you’re allergic to peanuts, you must say no to anything with peanuts, not because they’re bad, but because you’re honoring your body’s needs. The same goes for managing conditions like diabetes—you can make adjustments for your health while still enjoying the foods you love without feeling deprived.

Key Takeaways

1. If you’re eating the food but still judging/labeling it, you’re going to stay stuck.

2. Eating whatever you want, whenever you want isn’t intuitive eating, it’s impulsive eating.

3. Peace with food = freedom to say yes AND no to food.

I’d love to hear from you! DM me on Instagram or Facebook, and let me know which of these resonated with you the most. If you need more support on your intuitive eating journey, take a look at my free masterclass! 

And remember, you are worthy just as you are. 

Tune in each week for a new podcast episode to encourage you on your intuitive eating journey.

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Search for Episode 136: How To Embrace a Healthy Body Image This Summer

Looking for more support on your journey to food freedom and body acceptance?

• Join my Facebook group & community “Intuitive Eating Made Easy”
• Take my FREE quiz “What’s Your Unique Path to Food Freedom?”
• Save $120 on HelloFresh, my fav food delivery service!
• Check out my course, Non-Diet Academy

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