Intuitive Eating Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means: Scientific vs Popular Definition

I go over how the scientific version of intuitive eating--that's been shown in studies to work for stopping binge eating and causing weight loss--is very different from the popular definition of "intuitive eating". Press "show more" to see the study link(s)!

Intuitive eating books:

[Ladyloubug]

I don’t know about intuitive eating but I have added more carbs like oats and lentils into my diet since watching your videos and I feel so much better! Thank you ❤

[diannemoore]

While listening to you i realized that i naturally used to do intuitive eating and never had a weight problem. But then got injured and life got really stressful and my eating habits changed and weight has been gained. now that you have reminded me i will try to consciously go back to it and i just bet it will make a big difference. Thank you.

[tcfonts]

Some of us "older" folks have a problem leaving food on the plate. We always got the "starving kids in China" line. We often could only leave the table once our plates were cleaned. Because of that, it's very, very hard for us to leave food on the plate even though we're completely full. Many of these studies don't consider the psychological issues that have to be overcome.

[thomastrevisan]

I actually had a lot of success with the “eat what you want whenever you want “ approach - i did go through a phase of eating a bit more hyper palatable foods to start, but since i had full permission to eat them, i didn’t feel much need to over do it. It’s a lot to explain but there is a bit of a woo woo element to intuitive eating - learning what your body is craving through thinking about the sensations of eating (freshness, soft, salty, sweet, crispy) really dictates what food your body chooses. Over time, i lost 20-30 lbs - and i eat mostly from noon to 8 pm and generally small meals or i will eat one larger meal over the course of a few hours. And i have dessert and chips when i want! Usually a bit every week.

[snipe]

When you started listing the external cues i started to realize i do each and every one of those things. I eat when food is presented to me because In afraid ill never be able to enjoy those foods again. I have a long road to recovery

[KYOT]

I love mixing intuitive eating, hclf (lacto-vegetarian) and intermittent fasting for weight loss. I basically go all day without eating and then I eat untill I feel full. Lost 40kg that way

[sandypluss]

This is so interesting. I do feel like the "eat whatever you want, whenever you want" is definitely the message that comes across more frequently.

I have given this a lot of thought since you posted it (and I watched it straight away), and I've realised over the week that it's nearly IMPOSSIBLE to genuinely only eat when hungry when you have a job that requires a lot of meetings/appointments and your life has a general schedule and you can't just reach for an apple when you feel hungry.
I would find this very tricky to follow genuinely and fully.
Think I'll stick to my 3 meals a day and focus on neither over nor undereating, that way I know I can fit my schedule in without appetite awareness messing with what I need to do in life.!

[LaCheshireChat]

I ALWAYS take a Tupperware container with me when I eat at a restaurant. Because I had stomach cancer and now have a Kevlar type container that's my stomach. When it's full, it's full, like a glass. If I eat more, I will always throw up. Luckily, as it's been over 8 years, I eat until just under satiated, knowing that I can have more later, if necessary.

[LindaSavoryPizzo]

I think you're talking about mindful eating. Evelyn Tribole (co-founder of Intuitive Eating) says that the fullness issue is not just based on physical fullness. You should also be psychologically satiated. She compares it to having sex to reproduce (physical fullness). Sex should also be a very pleasurable experience, like eating. The reason why you may not want to eat a bunch of donuts is that you would get a stomach ache. So you practice being in tune with your body while enjoying your food. You should watch some interviews with Evelyn. She's the OG.

[faeries]

Such an amazing video on this toppic. Thank you for making it.
Started to really listen to my body this year and with working out and walking plus looking at my hunger cues it came to body recomposition in significant weight loss. And I manage to keep it this way now. Even if I try to eat more (or the way I have been eating before) my body is phisicaly hurting and does not want to be fed. If we just listened to our body and gave it what it wants.. everything would be easier.

- and the video you made about eating in first part of the day and night time - it was also amazing - i incorporated what I have learned from that video and I feel the difference - better sleep, better mornings - more energy in morning, peace at night - thank you!

[nickseifert]

This is such a timely video. I have been working on instinctual eating for a few months now and it has really eased my mind. I've lost about 15 pounds and feel a lot better about myself. I was stick in a intermittent fasting look for the better part of two years, and it really screwed up my hunger cues always trying to eat by the clock. I think you are right about paring intuitive eating with health promoting foods as the right way to go.

[Codysurfsup]

First off, I love your channel. There is an insane amount of misinformation out there in the nutrition science field, including information from doctors. I love that you cite reputable studies. Secondly, I cannot believe you have to make a video about this. 😂 How do people confuse what intuitive eating is?

[evanhadkins]

The problem is the word 'intuitive' I think. The academic understanding isn't particularly intuitive - more rational response to physical cues.

[adamantix]

Thank you for explaining what scientific intuitive eating actually is, because what you say is so very different than what most people on Youtube and media tell us. It actually involves some restriction. Makes more sense and it's hard work. I guess one must be very in tune with his body to manage this.

[elisenieuwe]

Hee Miche. I eat on psychological hunger. I've noticed when I eat on physiological hunger, I under eat/ eat too late. I'll notice I get tired, headache, weak, cold and then I notice I didn't eat enough. By that time I'm already 'too late' with my eating and feel bad for quite a while. It hinders my performance. I overeat when eating psychological and under eat/ eat way too late when eating physiological. My belly almost never rumbles, even when I under eat. Or does that mean I don't under eat, even if I almost haven't eaten all day?
Do you have tips or know a good source of information to deal with this problem?

[gabriellacassano]

Love for you to do a video on weight loss after 60. I am 68 years old and have been vegan for the last eight years. I seem to struggle with 20 pounds of weight that I’ve been carrying around for over 20 years. Now that I’m fully into menopause, it seems more difficult to maintain let alone lose the 20 pounds. I’m only 5 foot 1”, I walk 6 to 7 days a week and have in the last month started lifting weights in my home using dumbbells three days a week. People say that I need a calorie deficit which means it would involve me counting calories. What are your thoughts on this?

[kateg]

Thank you for this information. It makes so much sense.

[Sammyklynn]

Hi Miche, Maybe you already covered this but I get confused about highly processed foods because aren’t they designed to overcome our hunger cues and actually make us more hungry? I feel like in a world where we all we had access to was lightly processed foods and clean eating then everyone would intuitively eat.

Maybe I’m mixing this up with the old definition?

I have an eight-year-old and from the very beginning I tried not to unteach her natural born connection to her hunger cues, but failed miserably somewhere.

I just feel like there’s too many yummy foods in the world and if it was up to her all she would eat is candy. (I’m not worried about her weight by the way. I would be considered a crunchy mom.)

I feel overwhelmed because I feel like it’s me against billion dollar industries that design foods that do nothing for nourishing little bodies but create addictions and cravings.

So this is why I don’t entirely trust intuitive eating. Does this only work with adults or where am I thinking wrong? Because I really like the idea of being so in tune with your hunger cues you just know what to do but I don’t have the experience to trust that that would work for myself or my child.

I love your content by the way ❤️

[Verdoux]

I don't understand why it's supposedly hard to detect when you're actually hungry. When I'm truly hungry, I feel it in my stomach, but if I'm just craving something, I feel it in my mouth.

[gregbannish]

This concept is so interesting, as are most of your videos. I have been practicing the exact opposite for years, but eager to learn more and try something new for maintenance and long term health. Keto helped me to minimize hunger and allowed me to fast (ADF or OMAD), but i started binge eating after fasting. I wonder whether eating carbs will cause more hunger, whether higher amounts of food will prevent hunger for longer, and whether it is better to eat many small meals or one large meal?