Intuitive Eating - Hmm?
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Some people can lose weight with Intuitive Eating. My sister certainly did. If its enough to get you into a consistent calorie deficit without having to track, more power to you. I wish I was one of those people.
Unfortunately, after giving Intuitive Eating a go (I did it for a year, so I really did give it a chance), I found that it just won't work for me. I HAVE to count calories to lose/maintain weight. I wish I didn't, but I eventually had to face that truth.0 -
From what I understand intuitive eating is more about listening very carefully to what your body is saying to you. I use MFP to keep track of my weight now but I no longer track calories because it was triggering some very dangerous and obsessive tendencies. It mucked up my relationship with food and I was just not feeling healthy. Intuitive eating isn't just "stuff your face with whatever you like", it's "eat to make yourself feel healthy". As has been mentioned, that might not always translate into weight loss but I can testify that I have never felt healthier and people keep saying that my appearance is so much brighter now.
I think it all depends what your ultimate goal is. I just tend to think if you listen closely to your body, eat clean, well and in moderation and exercise then your body will balance itself out0 -
intuitive eating got me to 250 pounds, so i think ill pass on that LOLOLOL
different things work for different people though...
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girlviernes wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »girlviernes wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »It's a fantastic way for most people who need to lose weight to fail.
I mean think about it: eating intuitively is why you're here in the first place.
That's a misunderstanding of what Intuitive Eating is. Intuitive Eating is NOT eating when you aren't hungry. Do you think most people get to be obese, overweight from never eating for non-hunger reasons?
I think most people get obese because they ate too much and didn't know when to stop.
Right, they don't stop when no longer hungry. We ignore hunger/satiety all the time due to social effects, emotions, boredom, distracted eating, scarfing things down, etc.
Yes I think eating mindlessly is opposite of eating intuitively.0 -
It's a skill like any other. You're generally born with it and lose it over time. There are ways to hone the skill.
But if you don't think you can ever relearn it, you can't. Argue for your limitations and they're yours.
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This has worked very well for me in the past. I lost about 30 lbs quite quickly from eating when hungry, and stopping when full. Simple!
The weight went back on after having kids because I adopted the "stuff as much food in as you can before the baby start crying" method of eating. Also, it doesn't work well if you like a glass of wine with your dinner as your intuition (read inhibition) goes out the window. So, at the moment I am tracking calories for a bit, but I plan to go back to intuitive eating when I get to maintenence. I'll still weight myself so I know when if it stops working.0 -
There are lots of people who do "intuitive" eating. Many are overweight and there are also many who are underweight. This is just another approach that someone is trying to SELL.FeelinTheLove wrote: »I have recently been bombarded with messages through various resources (friends, a therapist, emails, etc.) about Intuitive Eating. This is supposed to be one of the solutions for people with eating issues. Has anybody ever tried this? Isn't the whole point of MFP that we couldn't manage the Intuitive Eating and therefore really need to count the calories of what we put in our faces? This concept goes beyond my understanding of how to fix my food issues. Any thoughts?
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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There are lots of people who do "intuitive" eating. Many are overweight and there are also many who are underweight. This is just another approach that someone is trying to SELL.FeelinTheLove wrote: »I have recently been bombarded with messages through various resources (friends, a therapist, emails, etc.) about Intuitive Eating. This is supposed to be one of the solutions for people with eating issues. Has anybody ever tried this? Isn't the whole point of MFP that we couldn't manage the Intuitive Eating and therefore really need to count the calories of what we put in our faces? This concept goes beyond my understanding of how to fix my food issues. Any thoughts?
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
That's my only ssue with it...I think intuitive eating is kind of what we strive for in maintenance without calorie counting but the packaging of it is off putting.
Every instinct is promotional these days.0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »Reading about it, I can say that it wouldn't work for me, MFP does.
This.
My impression is that people into the concept typically seem to think that intuitive eating is more "natural" and absent something screwing us up human beings would naturally just eat what we need to maintain a healthy weight and thus that doing anything more than listening to hunger signals (or eating/not eating for reasons other than hunger) is unnecessary or wrong.
I not only don't think this works for me, but I'm skeptical of the concept. There has rarely been a time when humans (a) had more than enough food easily available, (b) could as easily acquire food without substantial preparation time like now (even for those of us who mostly cook at home it's super easy these days), and (c) did not have social constraints like social eating times and cultural ideas about the proper way to eat to constrain them. Thus, it seems to me that eating in accordance with external cues like meal times or a planned idea of an amount to eat or way of eating is MORE consistent with human history than any kind of "just follow your hunger" intuitive eating.
Plus, I know quite well that my hunger signals don't work that well and are distorted by all kinds of things, but can easily be trained to follow social cues like meal times and amounts. This was so before I was overweight, when I lost and maintained for 5 years, and when I was losing this time (and now that I'm close to goal). I wish that I could rely on hunger and not bother paying attention to the other things, but that's just not how it is, so be it.
Edit to add: I don't think the choices are intuitive eating vs. calorie counting. There are all sorts of ways to externally monitor how much you eat that don't require calorie counting. I enjoy calorie counting currently, but I think not eating between meals and watching portion sizes and simply eating balanced meals -- really what we did societally until quite recently -- is another way of doing that.0 -
girlviernes wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »It's a fantastic way for most people who need to lose weight to fail.
I mean think about it: eating intuitively is why you're here in the first place.
That's a misunderstanding of what Intuitive Eating is. Intuitive Eating is NOT eating when you aren't hungry. Do you think most people get to be obese, overweight from never eating for non-hunger reasons?
I think most people who get to be overweight and obese have a hard time distinguishing between hunger and non-hunger or feel hungry when there's no reason they should other than something looking really tasty.
Or that, at least, is my deal.0 -
lol, yeah. If I relied on just hunger signals, I'd be very overweight by now.
After a lot of experimentation over the years of messing with my calorie goals, macro breakdowns, and meal timing, it seems that unless I'm in a decent surplus, I'm going to be hungry at the end of the day (at least a little bit)--and possibly throughout the day, depending. I can minimize the hunger and make it manageable, but it's always there.
Yeah, that's me.
I'm not exactly sure what "intuitive eating" is, but all I can say is it is not at all intuitive to me how many calories are in what you are eating. If you want to get a great idea how easy it is to mis-estimate how many calories are in things relying on your intuition check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjKPIcI51lU#t=260
It shows two daily allotments of food that look nearly identical. But one contains about twice as many calories as the other.
I need structure. Others may need different things.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »girlviernes wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »It's a fantastic way for most people who need to lose weight to fail.
I mean think about it: eating intuitively is why you're here in the first place.
That's a misunderstanding of what Intuitive Eating is. Intuitive Eating is NOT eating when you aren't hungry. Do you think most people get to be obese, overweight from never eating for non-hunger reasons?
I think most people who get to be overweight and obese have a hard time distinguishing between hunger and non-hunger or feel hungry when there's no reason they should other than something looking really tasty.
Or that, at least, is my deal.
I think what you eat (nutritionally dense) goes a long way to help intuitive eating (the term makes me want to vomit in my mouth though lol). I think with weight loss plus intuitive it would be a case of elimination as a factor - not a good group but food timing ie no snacks, no breakfast as such....break fast.
I have done it. But I didn't know it was a "thing" - just ate to hunger cues and questioned if something was to fill or just for palate which determined how much of that particular thing I ate. Lost weight in the beginning just doing this but the caveat is that I was MO and I easily automated a calorie deficit.
At THIS end it'd require far more ah, determination/focus/patience than calorie counting gives simply because the data is not as comforting/clear. But I guess as always, it depends on your goal.
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lemurcat12 wrote: »girlviernes wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »It's a fantastic way for most people who need to lose weight to fail.
I mean think about it: eating intuitively is why you're here in the first place.
That's a misunderstanding of what Intuitive Eating is. Intuitive Eating is NOT eating when you aren't hungry. Do you think most people get to be obese, overweight from never eating for non-hunger reasons?
I think most people who get to be overweight and obese have a hard time distinguishing between hunger and non-hunger or feel hungry when there's no reason they should other than something looking really tasty.
Or that, at least, is my deal.
I think what you eat (nutritionally dense) goes a long way to help intuitive eating (the term makes me want to vomit in my mouth though lol). I think with weight loss plus intuitive it would be a case of elimination as a factor - not a good group but food timing ie no snacks, no breakfast as such....break fast.
I have done it. But I didn't know it was a "thing" - just ate to hunger cues and questioned if something was to fill or just for palate which determined how much of that particular thing I ate. Lost weight in the beginning just doing this but the caveat is that I was MO and I easily automated a calorie deficit.
At THIS end it'd require far more ah, determination/focus/patience than calorie counting gives simply because the data is not as comforting/clear. But I guess as always, it depends on your goal.
Not sure if you saw my edit to add to the prior post (immediately before the one you quoted), but I actually agree that one can control how much one eats by eliminating snacks, food timing and so on (as well as a focus on portion size and type of food). I just don't think of that as "intuitive eating," since for me it functions basically like what I'm doing now--I eat to meal time and nutritional needs, not hunger.
I lost 60 lbs and maintained it for 5 years (at a maintenance weight of 120-125) doing just that, but for me it was all about eating to plan (not counting calories) and also being really active.
When I got less active (basically sedentary) and convinced myself I could eat whatever, so long as it was high quality/natural food as I then defined it (ugh to me then), that's when I started regaining.
Not the only reason I regained--lots of other stuff went on for me to get as fat as I did, but it was quite obvious that I was never intuitive eating and don't really operate that way.
I was never fat growing up or in my early 20s, but also then I was active and ate to schedule, based on what seemed proper amounts. I never ate whatever I wanted, really, although I also never felt deprived since it wasn't something I ever expected to do until getting all self-indulgent later in life.0 -
Different things work for different people. I have struggled with eating disorders, so I don't think intuitive eating would work for me. I would either under eat or binge, depending on what I have going on in my life.
I think it's important to do what's right for you. This journey isn't about what other people think, it's about you! 0 -
There are lots of people who do "intuitive" eating. Many are overweight and there are also many who are underweight. This is just another approach that someone is trying to SELL.FeelinTheLove wrote: »I have recently been bombarded with messages through various resources (friends, a therapist, emails, etc.) about Intuitive Eating. This is supposed to be one of the solutions for people with eating issues. Has anybody ever tried this? Isn't the whole point of MFP that we couldn't manage the Intuitive Eating and therefore really need to count the calories of what we put in our faces? This concept goes beyond my understanding of how to fix my food issues. Any thoughts?
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
That's my only ssue with it...I think intuitive eating is kind of what we strive for in maintenance without calorie counting but the packaging of it is off putting.
Every instinct is promotional these days.
At my current weight, intuitive eating works for maintaining. If I want to continue to lose (which I do, at least 35 more pounds) to become "not overweight," intuitive eating doesn't work.
Unless, that is, I work out like a fiend, especially running, which also decreases my appetite. Then I under eat.
It would be nice, though, wouldn't it?0 -
herrspoons wrote: »It's a fantastic way for most people who need to lose weight to fail.
I mean think about it: eating intuitively is why you're here in the first place.
I'd guess most of us are here because we ate when not hungry actually.
My main issue with intuitive eating is that it doesn't account for what your calories come from. So I could eat bread every hour and still be hungry and end up eating 4000 calories of bread in a day.
That, and my hunger signals are all over the place depending on what time of the month it is, so if I relied only on my hunger signals I'd probably eat anywhere from 1200 to 4000 calories, pretty much.0 -
Excellent point.lemurcat12 wrote: »
Edit to add: I don't think the choices are intuitive eating vs. calorie counting. There are all sorts of ways to externally monitor how much you eat that don't require calorie counting. I enjoy calorie counting currently, but I think not eating between meals and watching portion sizes and simply eating balanced meals -- really what we did societally until quite recently -- is another way of doing that.Liftng4Lis wrote: »Reading about it, I can say that it wouldn't work for me, MFP does.
When I want to work on intuitive eating, I log my food at the end of the day and see how I did. I don't think I've ever seen anyone else post that they do or have done that here. It seems like the vast majority feel like it's all or nothing-- you either eat 100% right intuitively or you completely ignore your body and let MFP do the food decisions. I don't think that former is what intuitive eating means. You're allowed, encouraged even, to use your knowledge of yourself and nutrition and good portion sizes and your goals. You're allowed to want cake and not choose it.
I'm curious what products people see being sold in this area. I've seen books but that's about it.
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The major reason for my weight was not realizing how many calories were in my favorite foods growing up.
Calorie counting has opened my eyes to that small frozen custard with extra cookie dough is not really a small treat at over 1,200 calories, or opting for a frozen or thin crust pizza over an original crust pizza that I order for delivery can save me up to 50% of my calories on a yummy pizza dinner. Also, it has taught me to sync exercise with food volume/type.
I still eat portions by intuition, but understanding calorie impact has helped me to choose my options more wisely.0 -
Our intuition about eating is what got us into trouble with weight in the first place, right?
Intuitively, we eat too much.
Full. Stop.
Period.0 -
WalkingAlong wrote: »When I want to work on intuitive eating, I log my food at the end of the day and see how I did. I don't think I've ever seen anyone else post that they do or have done that here.
I do that sometimes, and although I more often log as I cook since it's easier (I chop, weigh, and log). I don't use MFP to decide what I eat--I know what I'm generally going to eat at the beginning of the day and although I might have a snack/heavier lunch and so a lighter dinner I don't need MFP to let me to do that, although I sometimes decide to adjust a bit because of it. I think I could guess pretty close what my numbers are if I have a normal day, though--home cooked or a restaurant I use often. But I still don't eat to hunger. My hunger occurs at meal time and is satisfied by a meal, mostly.
I often wonder if I have a blind spot in this area that may actually make dieting easier, since I'm pretty good at dictating how much I think I should eat and finding that my perceived hunger follows unless screwed up emotionally (stress eating blah, blah). It means I can easily eat way more than my hunger would actually demand, but also that I never feel like dinner isn't big enough (especially if I add lots of veggies, granted), and that I'm an extreme example of those idiots who will eat to plate size if I let myself, or to whatever portion is on my plate (except I learned by mental effort--not by desire--not to do that in restaurants and at home to serve up a good serving size and not do seconds ever).You're allowed, encouraged even, to use your knowledge of yourself and nutrition and good portion sizes and your goals. You're allowed to want cake and not choose it.
Hmm, my understanding has always been that it means we naturally will eat only what we are truly hungry for, that the dieting industry, etc., has screwed up our signals but there's some natural way we could return to. I think for some people that's true, but I suspect for many it is not, perhaps even for most (explaining perhaps why there seems to be a natural cap on obesity/overweight even in the current environment--some will be intuitive about it). I also think of it as associated with HAES somewhat with the idea that if people stop freaking about losing weight or dieting they will naturally slim down. My thing is that I think the idea that we naturally controlled our eating (as in ate to hunger) is some idealistic world that never existed.
All I've seen are books, though, and magazine articles, and I admit the last I read was some years ago.0
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