I’ve tried everything to lose weight, why is Intuitive Eating different?
Intuitive eating is a “natural” way of eating. In fact, everyone knew how to eat intuitively as a baby. You ate when you were hungry, and stopped when you were full. You ate only for physical hunger, not emotions or environmental influences. As you got older, other factors influenced your eating until you were no longer in touch with your own physical hunger. The fact is if you eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full, your body will eventually return to its natural body weight. No dieting, no deprivation, no beating yourself up. You can eat this way the rest of your life, lose and maintain your weight, and consistently be satisfied, physically and emotionally. There is no diet that can promise that!

When can I expect to see results?
The answer to this question is not an easy one. Every intuitive eater’s experience is different. It depends on how many diets you have been on, your body’s own chemistry, and many other physical and emotional issues. Some people can begin to see results right away, but the average is three months. Sometimes it can take up to a year or more. The bottom line is this: Are you willing to learn to eat intuitively, take care of yourself, and wait maybe up to a year for weight loss, in order to keep it off for the rest of your life? What other options do you have? Another diet and subsequent weight gain?

What about exercise?
Exercise is essential for anyone wanting to improve health, gain fitness or lose weight. As an exercise physiologist, I believe strongly in the benefits of exercise. However, after over ten years of working with hundreds of personal training clients, I have found that at least 80% of the time, clients do not reach their goals because of their eating habits. This is regardless of how well the client has been sticking to an exercise program and how intense that program has been. During the Intuitive Eating process, we will address exercise, but only after a solid foundation has been built for overcoming emotional overeating. At that time, exercise will reinforce and enhance the tools and skills you have learned.

Do I have to buy any special food or supplements?
You will never be asked to buy any specific food or supplements. Intuitive eating is not a diet, it is relearning the way you knew to eat as a baby. This is a way you can eat for the rest of your life, and all foods are allowed because you can eat this way in any situation, anywhere and any time. You can eat out and enjoy yourself, no more dreading a party or business lunch because of the food, even enjoy the wonderful foods around at the holidays and not gain the usual 10 pounds!

But I never feel hungry, how will I know when to eat?
Many people feel that they are never hungry. But this is a result of losing touch with your body and it’s hunger cues. This isn’t your fault! You knew real hunger as an infant, and you screamed when you needed to eat. You also stopped eating when you were full. Gradually, we unlearn physical hunger and start taking cues from our parents (don’t eat that, you’ll spoil your dinner), time of day (lunch time, etc.) or other environmental influences (remember how you had to finish your dinner because of all the “starving children in China”?). As you learn true hunger and fullness and eat only when you are hungry, your body will return to its natural weight. Many Intuitive eaters say they never ate breakfast because they weren’t hungry. By skipping breakfast you are missing out on a metabolism boost that can burn more calories! Now they are hungry for breakfast, burning more calories and back in touch with their bodies.

You say I can eat anything I want, shouldn’t I be eating only healthy, nutritious foods?
This is a great question. While it is ideal to eat certain foods that provide good nutrition, if you only allow yourself to eat these foods, you are entering deprivation. Chances are you will start to crave the other foods that are off limits. Get ready for a binge if this happens. In Intuitive Eating, all foods are allowed, from skinless chicken to chocolate cake. At first, you may eat a lot of the foods that you have stayed away from for so long. Eventually, as you get back in touch with your body you will naturally start to crave those foods that honor your body. You will eventually find the right balance  so you can enjoy your food and nourish your body.

Can’t you just tell me what to eat?
If it were that easy, diets would work! Only you can determine what your body needs at any time. It may not seem like it now, but when you reestablish that connection with your body, it will tell you what it wants. Diet programs that tell you what to eat (and what not to eat) set you up for feeling deprived and result in overeating. Sometimes your body may actually want chocolate, or some other formerly forbidden food! Intuitive eaters are able to respond to this need, enjoy it without guilt, and move on with their day feeling satisfied.

My schedule is so crazy, I don’t think I can always eat when I’m hungry. Could this still work for me?
Absolutely yes! Intuitive Eating is a way of life, and it should fit your lifestyle. You will learn how to adapt the intuitive eating principles into your personal schedule and life. Intuitive eating can work for anyone, anywhere including those who eat out all the time, who eat on the run (including in the car), women with families, and anyone else who wants to finally end the diet deprivation backlash cycle.

I hate writing down what I eat! Do I have to keep a food diary?
Most chronic dieters have kept a food diary at some point. It is understandable if you are resistant to this process again. The food diary in Intuitive Eating is different. You are using it to learn physical hunger and fullness and to document what and when you eat so your coach can help you through this process. The good news is you will only use a food diary for a short period of time. Our goal is to get you to the point that you do not need to keep a diary because you will automatically be eating in response to physical hunger, and spending the time and energy tracking is no longer necessary.