Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program that Works

I've heard of this book for years, but just now got around to reading it. Throughout the book, the reader learns the 10 Intuitive Eating guidelines. They are not rigid rules that the reader must follow to lose weight. As a matter of fact, this book is purposefully lacking in nutrition advice or "weight loss" advice because this book isn't about weight loss, but about reconnecting to your body and it's internal cues and signals. It does include one chapter called 'Gentle Nutrition', but that certainly is not the focus. I especially liked the chapter on Intuitive Eating for kids. As a parent of a preschooler, I have tried to give my daughter freedom in her food choices and it is interesting to see her natural self regulation that I recognize only after reading this book. She will leave a whole cookie on her plate because she's full. I still want to eat it because it's there and it tastes good and because my next diet will surely restrict cookies so I better eat as many as I can while I can. This is basically the point of this book. Quit living in diet hell and just listen to your body and trust it's innate knowledge. She can leave the cookie because she's never restricted cookies before so she has no inclination to think that she won't get a cookie the next time she's hungry for one. I on the other hand, have been restricting all kinds of foods via dieting for about 20 years and, according to this book, is why it's a struggle for me to leave the cookie on the plate. I have been trying the concepts proposed in this book as I've been reading it and I'm definitely FEELING better about myself and my food choices. The first few days I found myself eating a lot of "fun food", but I really tried to eat only when hungry. I did eventually start craving other things, especially high water foods since it was summer (watermelon, berries, salads, all kinds of veggies, etc.) Before reading Intuitive Eating, I had been on a low carb diet, restricting even fruit. I couldn't get enough fruit at first, but again after a month or so I naturally started gravitating toward other foods. It's been fun exploring what I truly like to eat. My only hiccup came about a month or so in when I would catch myself eating out of boredom or some other reason than physical hunger and I would berate myself for it just like I would if I broke a diet "rule" so I was obviously still in the diet mentality. Old habits die hard, I guess. So I just started asking myself why I wanted to eat before I did. Most of the time it was not because I was physically hungry, but more so that I was bored, overwhelmed or stressed. Occasionally, I found I was actually tired or thirsty. In fact, I'm surprised at how often I find myself at the fridge/pantry when I'm tired! And sometimes, I still eat when I'm not physically hungry and I'm learning to accept that sometimes I just want to partake in the festivities of a party or eat a cookie because it looks good or continue eating my meal because I can't get enough of how good it tastes. I chock it up to the wonderful privilege of living a happy life. I don't worry about it and move on with my day. Overall, I FEEL so much happier and less anxious about what to eat and that is exquisite!

This book changed my relationship with food completely. When I bought it about 6 months ago, I had just gained a few pounds after some big life stuff happened and just couldn't bring myself to diet it off. So I was binging a lot in preparation for this looming diet I eventually had to start. I'm not hugely overweight but like most women, I don't always feel great about my body and food choices. I was listening to NPR one day and heard a researcher talking about how dieting DOESN'T WORK, and in fact, it makes you wider in the long run. I thought this was interesting and did some research on similar topics- there are a lot of books out there about this idea! I thought this book was the best place to start. Fast forward to today. I don't binge anymore, hardly EVER. I feel very calm about food and my body. I'm not perfect (eating mindfully is hard) or model thin (but get serious). I did the steps in the beginning of just buying and eating the food I craved so badly and it was weird/hard. (You're already feeling fat and then you ate Oreos and chips and so much ice cream?? Yes I did, and then some.) And yes, I did gain some weight during this period, which was very hard to swallow on top of already feeling big. But you will find, if you indulge the cravings, they start to get fewer and quieter until "I'M GOING TO EAT EVERYTHING" becomes "I want 1 bowl of ice cream and I'm going to enjoy it and that's enough." It's subtle, but so powerful. When you don't call these foods "evil" anymore, they aren't so tempting. They're just food. Per the book, I haven't weighed myself since I started on this adventure. But I feel as if I at first I gained a bit, then am slowly losing now since I don't binge anymore. Like how weight gain sneaks up on you over time, weight loss should be the same way. I've focused much more on activity per the book (I started Zumba videos) which I also am not perfectly consistent at but more consistent than I have ever been before with exercise. If exercise is fun, it's so much easier to do. So whenever I get those "diet thoughts" I pop in the video and feel instantly more beautiful and strong when I'm done. No destructive fasting needed. Summary: The book is not a "quick fix" nor is it supposed to be. If you don't like your relationship with food, it will help you. Give up the idea of becoming a supermodel vegan and accept that it's okay to enjoy food for what it is and your body for what it is. Hopefully you will find this as freeing as I did.

I don’t think there are words to adequately describe how thankful I am for this book (and the workbook). I have struggled and battled through disordered eating and exercise since I was 17 years old. At almost 41, I feel THE most free I have ever felt. I grew up in somewhat of a dysfunctional family and food quickly became my comfort, by the time I was entering my senior year of high school I decided to call it quits and “take control” of my life and I began severely restricting calories and “burning off” every calorie I consumed through exercise. That quickly led to a pattern of starvation during the week and binging/purging through the weekend. This lasted for years. At 23, my hubby and I got pregnant and that’s when I knew I had to at least stop the bulimia for the sake of our baby. The binging continued on the weekends, but I didn’t starve or over exercise during my pregnancy. At her birth I gained 50+ pounds and was horribly depressed. I lost the weight but the diet mentality was still solidly ingrained in my mind and pattern of life. And it had control of me from 17 to about 39 years of age. At 39 I began the healing process internally with relationship to food, exercise, people pleasing, etc. I found this book through a 30 day IE course I had taken online. The tools within this book have literally changed my life. It is not easy, it caused some times of intense anxiety and fear as I entered worlds unknown- worlds like listening to my body, experimenting with foods, respecting my body, following my cravings, honoring my hunger, honoring my fullness, learning what hunger felt like, not worrying what others thought, and most importantly - learning to trust myself. Going through this book and workbook, I was shocked at how much my trust was in the diet culture and “science” and how little (no) trust existed within myself and my body. I could write a book for a review on this book. It has been - and is - worth every single uncomfortable challenge, fear, uncertainty that I faced. I have ZERO regrets, it changed my life, in every area, bc the disordered eating and diet culture warped every part of my mind and bled into every part of my life. It was unreal to see it for what it really is. I will never go back. I cannot recommend this book enough.

This was a good book, but since it isn't a diet, I, as a "professional dieter" (according to the book), am a little lost with its simplicity. I'm so used to being told what to eat, how much, and when....that being free to eat whatever, whenever, however much, actually confuses me. What I am saying that there is no diet plan--which is the point. The authors don't want a person to get hung up on "suppose to do's" and feel guilt for eating anything. The book does make a lot of sense. It does wake you up to the cultural dysfunction that is our dieting culture. It does clear up what is really "healthy" eating. However, I need to have a general, representative idea of what kind of menu plan a normal eater would follow with the caveat that each individual is unique and that some will eat more, some will eat less. I confess, thanks to this book, I am no longer keeping a daily journal of all the water, exercise, and foods (either by points, calories, or carbs) that I eat. As for daily weighing myself: gone! I weigh once every 2 to 3 weeks and I can say I don't remember what the number is--this would have been impossible 2 months ago. And I am excited to go grocery shopping with no restraints or guilt on what I buy to eat. The book mentions we need a wide variety of foods to be healthy and by giving us permission to do so, my eating pleasure and satisfaction has totally improved. Now, if only I knew what my body set-point weight was!

If you're looking to have peace with food, to get rid of obsessing about your body size and shape and finally be free from the "Food Police" then buy Intuitive Eating 3rd Edition. There are no "number games" here, there are no food rules or menus, this is like starting from day ONE. "Day one?" you ask, "which day would that be", well, the day you were born! We were all born with the ability to eat Intuitively, but many of us have lost that due to many factors unique to our own lives. Some people have eating disorders, some diet often, others eat for comfort, filling an emotional or mental need with food. No matter where you are right now you can actually just drop everything and go back to eating the way you were intended to eat: Intuitively. I have heard of IE since the late 90's but didn't believe it could be a help for me, but now, I realize I have to give up the "Magical Thinking" that I will some day weight "X" amount, and instead focus on what foods are satisfying, what ways of thinking are most helpful to move forward in freedom and what kinds of things have to let go of to live a fulfilling life. To me, a more fulfilling life would be to stop worrying, obsessing or feeling guilty about weight and food choices. I am at the beginning of the journey, but "success" is not measured by pounds or inches; success is not measured by outside influences at all, but it is measured by our own ability to have peace with food. Some might say that they crave "bad" foods, but Intuitive eaters know all foods are just that, food of some sort, and what they choose to eat today, might not be the food they eat next week, and all together, in the progression of their life, overall they will choose to eat a variety of foods that will feed nourish and Satisfy. As an example, my DH knew I'd been hankering for a hamburger, just now he brought me one for lunch! How sweet! Instead of panicking at the thought, I sat down with a drink, and the DH and ate,stopping a bit to see how things were going (am getting satisfied? how's the burger tasting?) A regular sized burger, with cheese, and I guess, by the time I decided, "I'm fine, done, satisfied" there were a few bites left over, which the Jack Russell terrier in my life gobbled down. Sounds simple, but really a triumph. Guilt free lunch, no "make up exercise" to work it off or food restricting to "counter act" the calories, I'm satisfied, and later, If and when I am hungry, I will have something to eat. If you have an Eating Disorder, there are words of wisdom (a whole chapter) devoted to you, want your kids to grow up with a healthy attitude about food, this is the book: and if you simply want to get rid of the shackles of the Food Police/diets from your own life, Intuitive eating is for you. :o)

I recently ordered this book as a prerequisite to Isabel Foxen Duke's master class. I believe that it is one of the best books that I have ever read about health and wellness. I have been dieting/bingeing/weight-cycling for over 20 years and have finally been able to release all of this and work on accepting and loving myself. Self-care is something that I haven't placed much emphasis on these days, but this book has helped me see that a large component of overall good health is taking the time to listen to my body and honor its needs. I no longer have guilt with food, though I also don't just sit around eating everything that I want. There is an amazing amount of balance when it comes to the intuitive eating practice. I can eat whatever I want, but I focus on what makes me FEEL good, whether it be physically or emotionally. I would caution those who have been dieting for over half of their existence (like me) that it might be tempting to take the guidelines in this book and turn them into rigid rules. Be patient with yourself as you go through this process. This book takes you back to the way that you were DESIGNED to eat. I have a few intuitive eaters in my life and while they are not all thin (body diversity is a real thing) they all tend to eat what they want with no real pull to it. I am experiencing this more and more with each passing day. I can let food go without a struggle and I am also learning to respect my fullness and stop eating when my body has told me that it has had enough. Intuitive eating has also been a portal through which to learn how to trust my body in other ways. I sleep when tired, drink when thirsty (and also attempt to maintain hydration before reaching the point of thirst) move with intention, or just sit with my feelings. I highly recommend this book!

Not what I needed to heal my relationship with food, but good advice and process for those that may need it.

I have been dieting since I was three years old. In fact, at four and weighing in at 100 lbs, I thought I was a dreadfully overweight child and I needed to lose weight. My body image problems started at FOUR YEARS OLD. That is absolutely insane. I have done every diet you can imagine, I've tried diet pills. I even did the ever popular Weight Watchers. Guess what? I gained all the weight back, and then some. I've even developed an eating disorder at this point. Dieting is the devil. Did you know that less than 1% of people doing diets manage to maintain their weight loss 5 years and beyond? Less than 1%. There is a 99% chance that you will fail at diets. Kind of sounds like a setup for failure to me. Intuitive eating has restored my sanity. I don't restrict foods now, I am allowed to eat whatever I want and, because of this, I have no had a binge in the past several weeks since I started this journey. THIS IS NOT A WEIGHT LOSS PLAN. Odds are you will eventually achieve your normal-for-you weight, but it is not through weighing food, counting calories, or points. It is through eating and listening to your hunger signals. What a novel thought, your body knows whats best for it... maybe we should listen to it? If you are sick and tired of the diet merry go round, if you are at your wits end, get this book. And if you need help, there are registered dietitians that have been trained in IE. And in fact, I'm seeing one right now to help in my eating disorder recovery. Personally, for me, the hardest part is putting weight loss on the back burner and accepting my body as it is. But I'm working on it.

A few weeks ago, after I had finally had enough of dieting and continuous restrictive eating followed by bingeing, I bought 2 anti-dieting books. Intuitive Eating was the second one I read and to me, by far the best book on healthy relationship with food. If you are someone who has struggled with that, I can totally recommend this book. The advice in this book is refreshing and liberating. I would go as far as saying, I have found it life-changing. The authors talk about giving up dieting for good and instead re-building a positive and satisfying relationship with food by granting ourselves a permission to eat whatever we like, and follow our bodies' signals for hunger and fullness. As a habitual dieter with a past eating disorder, I cannot explain how liberating it has been to tell myself I can eat any food I fancy. After trying all sorts of diet plans, more or less restrictive, I was developing obsessions with foods I didn't even particularly fancy, but because they were in the 'forbidden' category, I would regularly binge on every time I fell off the diet wagon. I was getting more and more concerned about my inability to stick to 'healthy eating' and compulsive overeating spells. The book explains why diets don't work and diet failures are not a willpower issue, but inevitable result of the destructive mechanism of self-imposed restrictive eating. As soon as I stopped branding food as good or bad and allowed myself to eat whatever I really fancied, I have not experienced any cravings or desire to overeat. In the past 3 weeks I have eaten anything I like, including things I have previously avoided like the plague (like cakes, ice cream and carbs) and something close to miracle has happened. I am able to stop when I am full and leave things on my plate, because I know I can eat again those foods if I really wished so again. The liberation of not having to obsess about what 'permitted foods' I am going to eat on daily basis is truly amazing. Most of all I have eaten freely foods like bread, pasta, pizza and ice cream every day if that's what I fancied at the time and stopped when I have had enough with no guilt or feeling uncomfortably full afterwards. Funnily enough allowing myself to eat 'naughty foods' has not led me to bingeing on those. On the contrary, I still like to eat nutritious foods as part of my diet, it is a lot more about having a good balance of those and the so called 'play foods', as the authors call them. I have started to eat slower and food tastes so much better as I spend more time savouring it. I stop regularly mid-meal to check how full my stomach feels and whether I fancy some more or have had enough. I am still learning about getting in touch with my hunger and fullness, but am trying to be kind and patient with myself in the hope that the more I practice it, the easier I will be able to detect those. As per the book's advice I have not weighed myself in the last few weeks and feel better for it. I am in a normal weight range and don't really need to lose weight, and am starting to realise slowly how much stress I was causing myself by constantly trying to hit some imaginary weight targets. My clothes fit great on me, and because I have not overeaten for this long, my stomach feels flatter than ever. I have loads of energy and an overall sense of well being, probably a result of the increased carb intake. Furthermore, I look forward to exercising and enjoy it a lot more, as I have stopped worrying how it fits with the calories I have consumed or using it as a self-punishment for overeating. Intuitive Eating offers great advice for instilling healthy attitude to food in your children too. My husband and I have started implementing some of the advice with my daughter's eating and we can already see positive changes in her approach to eating. As a mother I am particularly concerned that I need to offer her a good example of healthy eating in the hope that she would never have to deal with food obsession and disordered eating. Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough. Yesterday I threw away my big stash of diet books and could not be happier for the fact I don't have to diet ever again. Now every day feels like a food vacation. There is no need to punish myself anymore or wait for the next Monday in order to be 'good' again. I look forward to cooking meals I have avoided for so long and new meals that I fancy, rather than worry about whether they fit with the good-bad mantra. I would say that some people may not be at a stage in their lives where they could truly commit to the advice in this book. It is all to enticing sometimes to follow a diet with clear-cut advice and time frame, offering promises for quick fix results. This book is the total opposite of a diet book. It offers no plan, no end date or stages to aim for. It is all about re-connecting with our bodies and respecting our innate ability to recognise hunger, fullness and desires for particular foods. It requires a leap of faith to do so, especially if you happen to be a habitual dieter, who has followed someone else's ideas of what and how often and how much you should eat. However, the risk is totally worth it in that as soon as you take your sight of weight loss, and start respecting your body, the inner peace and empowerment will give you a different, much stronger foundation to eat in a healthy and more importantly- satisfying way.

This book has been invaluable to me in my efforts to conquer my binge eating. I’ve already started inplementing the steps to becoming an intuitive eater and I haven’t binged since I started reading it. And I’m only halfway through! I can’t say enough good things about it. It really helps you understand the way you think and the destructive thoughts that lead you to binge, while giving you actionable advice on how to change your thought process. I wish I had discovered this book years ago. For anyone wondering, this is NOT a diet book. It’s quite the opposite. Who would have thought the key to weight loss would be to stop dieting and eat whatever the hell you want? Sounds crazy but it works!

Excelente libro que te cambia el pensamiento sobre la alimentación

Nueva aproximación al problema del sobrepeso. Es importante incidir en los aspectos emocionales. Hay que cuidarse y no restringirse

Utile, chiaro, ben argomentato: davvero un'opera importante per tutti noi e, più nello specifico, per chi ha sofferto di disturbi alimentari o per chi sente di non avere una relazione serena con la propria alimentazione o la propria immagine corporea. ottimo come sempre il servizio spedizioni di Amazon.