Episode 17: Intuitive Eating: What Is It, and Should You Be Doing It?

LISTEN: Apple Podcast | Spotify

When you hear the words ‘intuitive eating’, you may be thinking “is that something I should be doing” or “what does that even mean”? This is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot in the health and fitness space (especially over the last few years). Maybe you’ve considered trying it, but you aren’t exactly sure how it would fit with your journey, and if it would be beneficial. I’m excited to dig more into intuitive eating today, so you can learn more about it, and decide if it’s something you really should be doing.

Many of my ladies (my clients) are traveling this summer, and they ask me (as their coach), "while I'm going on vacation, should I just eat intuitively this week?", or "would you recommend that I eat intuitively when I'm on vacation, or go off track completely and not worry about my macros?" So I hear the word 'intuitively' quite a bit this time of year. What I think my ladies are really asking me and wondering is if they should just trust their gut when they're on vacation and not stick to the exact plan, as far as workouts and macros go.

While my answer is usually yes, because vacations are meant to be enjoyed, there is also a downside. What usually happens is my ladies then come back from vacation, having gained like five pounds. Of course, they're really upset by that, and they weren't quite ready to go off track like that. That's part of the problem when it comes to intuitive eating, because we just don't have clear expectations and a clear outcome of what we want going into it.

In today’s episode, I’m diving into:

• What intuitive eating actually is (a non-dieting approach to changing your eating habits and trusting your body to make food choices that feel good for you, without the judgement and influence of diet culture)
• Why you need to get very clear on what your health and fitness goals are if you are going to start eating intuitively
• The importance of finding a solid middle ground when it comes to following a plan and trusting your body

I personally really like the idea of intuitive eating, trusting your body, and not constantly judging yourself or being influenced by diet culture. Unfortunately, this is still a pretty confusing topic, especially if you're trying to figure out how to follow a non-dieting approach. Freedom around food without the proper guidelines or knowledge is just reckless; I've experienced this with my own journey, and I see it all of the time with the ladies I coach too. I think what we want is to not be so stressed about food; we want to be able to live our life, and not think about food all of the time.

Ultimately, I DO want you to have freedom when it comes to your health and fitness, and not feel like you have to be stuck dieting for the rest of your life. I want you to learn how to fuel your body correctly, so your body and mind will start working together. You shouldn't be doing something just because everyone else is doing it and it sounds 'cool'; you need to make sure it aligns with your goals, your plans, and your life, and be aware of the outcome that happens once you do.

Practicing intuitive eating can definitely be a positive thing; however, I believe you need to put in the time and effort beforehand, and make sure it’s something that makes sense for YOUR health and fitness goals for the long-term.