Can You Lose Weight With Intuitive Eating?

Updated by Heather Smith, RN, BSN

Intuitive eating (IE) is a practice that encourages people to approach food with an awareness of their physical needs (hunger and satiety).

The theory is used to help people break free from the diet mentality and avoid restrictive eating habits.

Research overwhelmingly suggests that dieting doesn't work for long-term weight management and can even be detrimental to mental and physical health.

Diets and diet culture inherently promote ignoring the body's biological signals for hunger in favor of restriction. 

On the other hand, IE is based on the opposite premise, where honoring your body's needs for nourishment and pleasure can help you make healthier food choices over time.

Weight loss is not the ultimate goal of IE—in fact, discussing weight isn't even a part of intuitive eating. 

Weight loss can be possible with intuitive eating, but it likely depends on the individual, and the evidence is mixed as to whether it's effective for everyone. 

Here's what you should know about intuitive eating and weight loss.

{{splash}}

What Is Intuitive Eating?

IE is an approach that focuses on trusting the body's internal signals and responding to those cues.

Registered dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch initially proposed it in the mid-1990s, and they developed the concept into a comprehensive theory. 

Today, IE is backed by many research studies and is considered an evidence-based approach to improving one's relationship with food.

The framework behind IE includes ten principles highlighting the importance of honoring hunger and fullness, eating with pleasure and satisfaction, challenging diet-culture messages, self-compassion, and body acceptance.

The ultimate goal of IE is to help reconnect with signals for hunger and satiety.

It's not a diet (although you may see the term "intuitive dieting" incorrectly used online), and it doesn't dictate what you should eat. 

Instead, it's about learning to trust what the body needs rather than listening to external messaging about weight or the "right" way to eat.

Can You Lose Weight With Intuitive Eating?

Each person's experience with IE can be different, meaning the answer to whether weight loss is possible depends on the individual.

IE is not designed to be a method to lose weight and removes discussion about body size or external cues like numbers on a scale or calories in food. Instead, it focuses on intrinsic cues like hunger signals and self-acceptance.

There are times when IE could help someone eat in a way that aligns with a body weight that is healthier for them. Still, the true framework of IE is to remove weight loss as an outcome.

A recent review of scientific literature examining IE among higher education students suggests that more research is needed to understand the relationship between IE and weight management.

Another study examined how IE affected postpartum women with gestational diabetes.

Researchers found that, at one year postpartum, women who followed IE principles had better-quality diets, lower body fat, and better insulin sensitivity than women who did not follow IE. 

A five-year study on young adults transitioning from their mid-twenties to early thirties found that IE may be linked to lower rates of being overweight and unhealthy weight management habits but recommends further research. 

Benefits Of Intuitive Eating

By encouraging individuals to listen to their body’s hunger and fullness cues, IE can positively affect a person’s psychological well-being, diet quality, and overall health. 

Psychological

Psychological health is a primary benefit of IE. 

A 2021 meta-analysis examining 97 studies on IE found significant positive associations between IE and multiple psychological health outcomes, including improved body image, self-esteem, and overall well-being. 

IE is also linked to lower levels of depression, better body acceptance, higher self-esteem, and less unhealthy weight management behaviors (skipping meals, fasting, taking diet pills, vomiting, and binge eating). 

Diet Quality

Intuitive eating could also improve diet quality, although studies are mixed. 

One study examining diet intake and intuitive eating found that intuitive eating led to a higher intake of vegetables and calcium. 

Another study found that college students who followed IE principles ate less fast food and chips. 

Postpartum women with gestational diabetes were also found to eat more fruit, fiber, and dairy when following IE.

However, a more recent review concluded little evidence exists to support improvements in diet quality, so more research is needed.

Physical

More research is needed on the effects of IE on overall well-being. 

Several studies suggest that IE may have health benefits, such as healthy cholesterol levels and reduced insulin resistance. 

However, another study revealed no link between better blood pressure and improved fasting glucose in the IE group. 

Intuitive Eating vs Dieting

Intuitive eating is not the same as dieting.

Dieting promotes a restrictive eating pattern with rigid rules and focuses on weight loss or body size as the primary goal. 

Intuitive eating removes attachment to body weight and all that comes from dieting.

Instead, it focuses on building a trusting relationship with food, honoring hunger and fullness cues, and being mindful of how foods make you feel.

{{local}}

Tips For Eating Intuitively For Weight Loss

If intuitive eating is appealing to you, but weight loss is still a goal, it may be time to ask yourself why. 

If your reason relates to a health concern, consider whether other approaches could support your overall health and wellness goals.

Unlearning years of dieting and replacing it with intuitive eating can take time and often professional support.

Weight loss isn’t traditionally part of intuitive eating, but if you have the desire to live a healthier, happier life free from food guilt and shame, consider the following tips to get started:

Reject The Diet Mentality

Let go of any restrictive dietary rules, such as certain foods being “good” or “bad,” and instead focus on nourishing yourself and paying attention to how food affects your body. 

Assess Your Current Relationship With Food

Think about your feelings associated with eating: guilt, shame, joy. 

Do you rigidly follow food rules or struggle to differentiate between emotional eating and physical hunger? 

These thoughts may point to a need to shift how you approach eating and food.

Identify True Hunger

When you desire to eat, take the time to determine if you’re feeling physical hunger, such as your stomach growling or low energy, or if you want to eat for emotional or habitual reasons. 

Learn to eat when you feel true hunger, rather than for emotional needs or simply because it’s “time to eat.”

Respect Being Full

When eating, evaluate when your body feels full.

Learn to stop eating at signs of satiety rather than continuing to eat until you finish all the food on your plate. 

Eat For Nourishment and Pleasure

Choose foods that nourish your body and also bring you joy.

Take the time to arrange a peaceful environment where you can focus on the sensory aspects of your food, such as how the food looks, smells, and tastes. 

Practice Self-Compassion

Be kind to yourself as you learn to eat intuitively.

The journey to IE takes time and patience as you discover how to listen to and follow your body’s cues.

Honor Your Body

Your body has a unique genetic blueprint. Learn to love and honor your body, and don’t try to make it into something you are not. 

Instead, choose foods that nourish your body’s needs and promote wellness. 

Cope With Your Emotions

Emotions such as anxiety, stress, and depression are often associated with overeating.

Learn healthy ways of coping with emotions, such as journaling, talking with a friend or professional, or engaging in a hobby.

{{splash}}

Takeaway

IE is an evidence-based approach to eating that focuses on honoring hunger, fullness, and food preferences. 

If weight loss is your goal, intuitive eating may not be the right fit for you, although it could support positive health changes. 

IE teaches you to listen to what your body needs when it comes to food choices, and frees you to fully enjoy food without guilt and shame.

To follow IE principles, learn to eat when you’re physically hungry, stop eating when you’re full, choose foods that nourish your body,  and learn healthy coping mechanisms to manage your emotions.

Work with a Dietitian 

A dietitian can help you build a weight loss plan that incorporates intuitive eating. 

Find a dietitian who accepts insurance through Nourish.