FAQs

What is Intuitive Eating?

Intuitive eating is a compassionate and non-judgmental, evidence-based approach to food and exercise that focuses on building awareness and trust in your body’s natural cues.  

When was Intuitive Eating created?

The process of IE was developed by two registered dieticians, Evelyn Trible and Elyse Resch, in 1995 and is based on 10 principles. IE is about listening and responding to your internal signals like hunger, fullness, and satisfaction to guide your food and exercise choices rather than external cues like diet rules, food plans, or societal trends.

The focus is on health-promoting behaviors that honor physical, mental, and emotional well-being. 

What is the difference between diets, dieting and intuitive eating?

Traditional diets rely on external food rules and meal plans to determine what, when, and/or how much to eat with the intention of weight loss. They are usually more formal with names like Paleo, Whole 30, etc., and may have a time limit associated with them.

Dieting, on the other hand, can be more flexible and less formal. It still may incorporate some of the same food rules left over from diets, but more arbitrarily. The goal of dieting is still weight loss or weight maintenance and is often passed off as a “lifestyle” under the guise of pursuing health. 

Intuitive eating is the antithesis of a diet. It’s a compassionate, flexible approach to eating that focuses on listening to and honoring what your body needs. 

What are the principles of Intuitive Eating? 

10 guiding principles of IE work together to increase awareness* of the internal cues coming from the body and decrease barriers** to responding to those cues.



•  Reject the diet mentality.
• Feel your fullness.
•  Honor your hunger.
• Cope with emotions with kindness.
•  Make peace with food.
•  Respect your body.
•  Challenge the food police.
•  Movement-feel the difference.
•  Discover the satisfaction factor.
•  Honor your health with gentle nutrition.

What are the benefits of Intuitive Eating?

Intuitive Eating has been studied extensively (over 220 studies to date) and proven to:

·      Lower triglycerides

·      Higher HDL level (good cholesterol)

·      Lower stress level

·      Lower blood pressure

·      Better coping skills

·      Decreased weight-cycling (yo-yo’ing)

·      Lower rates of emotional eating, disordered eating and eating disorders

·      Higher self-esteem

·      Better body image

·      Higher life satisfaction

What can I expect to experience with Intuitive Eating?

Unlike diets that are easy at first and then get harder, intuitive eating is hard at first and gets easier.

As an intuitive eater, you will:

·      feel more confident in your food choices.

·      enjoy the foods you love without guilt.

·      exercise as a way to celebrate your body.

·      see nutrition as self-care and a way to make you feel good.

·      never have to count, track, or measure your food ever again.

·      enjoy balanced nutrition without having to worry about it all the time.

·      have the time, energy, and mental space for things you care about.

What type of clients do you work with?

I work with adults over the age of 18 who want to redefine their relationship with food and relearn how to love food without guilt or shame. For children and teens, please a therapist who specializes in nutrition for children and adolescents.

Can you help me lose weight?

The goal of my coaching programs is not specific to your weight; my programs are designed to help you define and improve your relationship with food and the emotional connection you have with food.

Weight loss may result, but it is not the objective. Whether someone will lose weight with IE is more a factor of your body’s natural set point – the weight your body is comfortable at and fights to stay at.

It’s important to remember that health comes as a result of behaviors and lifestyle, not the number on the scale. 

Do you work with individuals with eating disorders?

No, I work with people who are seeking to improve their relationship with food. If you have previously or currently have an eating disorder, please consult a therapist who specializes in eating disorders.