Just imagine: you sit down at the table, your favorite food on your plate – perhaps a fragrant bolognese pasta, a juicy steak, or a piece of chocolate cake. You savor every bite and get up from the table in a good mood, without a sense of guilt or thoughts about how many calories it all contained and what to do with them next.

This may sound like a fantasy, especially for those constantly trying to lose weight – but such an approach can become your reality if you practice intuitive eating.

In this article, let's explore how to improve your relationship with food, regain trust in yourself, and maintain a comfortable weight without diets or stress.

What is Intuitive Eating and Where Did It Come From?

The 1970s and 1980s marked a real boom in the global pursuit of slimness. Glossy magazines published menus with record-low calorie counts, celebrities eagerly shared their weight loss experiences, and artificial sweeteners, low-fat products, and strict prohibitions became fashionable.

However, despite the growing popularity of diet culture, doctors began to notice that rapid weight loss almost always leads to weight regain, and psychologists increasingly saw clients with chronic dissatisfaction with themselves and their bodies.

So, maybe strict restrictions aren't that effective after all?

In response to these doubts, the first scientific studies on mindful eating (conscious eating) emerged.

Dietitians gradually concluded that diets almost always lead to:

• Weight loss for a maximum of 2-3 months;
• Immense stress for the body, which puts it into a "famine mode";
• Along with the lost pounds, a return of guilt, fatigue, and apathy.

In 1995, two Californian dietitians – Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch – published the book Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works, where they first formulated the 10 principles of intuitive eating – from rejecting diet mentality to honoring hunger and fullness signals.

• Participants in intuitive eating programs have fewer episodes of overeating.
• They show improved mental health indicators: less stress, anxiety, and food guilt.
• Weight remains stable for several years.

A few years later, the intuitive eating method began to be used in eating disorder treatment centers, and the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics officially included intuitive eating in the list of effective approaches for health maintenance.

The essence of the approach is to stop living by strict rules that dictate what you "can" and "cannot" eat, and to start listening to your body again.

The body is an incredibly intelligent system. If you learn to understand its signals, it will tell you when to eat, what exactly you need, and in what quantity.

Why Diets Don’t Work (and Why They Can Even Be Dangerous)

You're probably familiar with this feeling. You start a new diet with the firm intention that this time it will definitely work. In the first couple of weeks, weight actually drops. But then a breakdown occurs. Work pressure, an argument with a friend, a disrespectful teenage son or partner – and your hand just reaches for pastries or a smoked sausage sandwich. And then – guilt, disappointment, and endless self-blame for weakness and lack of willpower.

That's it. The diet is over, and with it, the hopes for a new body and a new life.

Why is this so? It's not about your weakness or lack of willpower. It's simply the laws of biology. When the body faces a calorie deficit or a sharp exclusion of entire food groups, it perceives this as a threat of starvation. In response, defensive mechanisms are activated:

• Metabolism slows down to conserve energy (who knows when you'll get enough to eat next time?);
• The level of the hormone ghrelin (responsible for hunger) increases;
• Cravings for comfort foods intensify (especially for sweet and fatty foods as reliable calorie sources).

As a result, you break down, overeat, regain weight, and sometimes even gain more. You're like a seesaw, constantly fluctuating in weight, which exhausts you both physically and emotionally.

Intuitive eating helps you break out of this vicious cycle – because you stop fighting your body and start cooperating with it.

10 Reasons to Try Intuitive Eating

1. Weight stabilizes naturally, without strict restrictions or food deprivation.
2. Excessive overeating disappears – the need to gorge yourself "just in case" fades away.
3. Energy levels increase – food stops draining your strength.
4. Stress levels decrease – there's no constant battle with yourself.
5. Digestion improves, with less bloating and heaviness.
6. Cooking becomes simpler – no need to count every calorie.
7. Self-esteem stabilizes – the feeling of "I'm always breaking the rules" vanishes.
8. Joy from food returns – taste becomes more important than grams and centimeters again.
9. Hormonal balance improves and cycles normalize (partly due to reduced stress hormones).
10. Results are sustained for years, not just a couple of weeks.

10 Key Principles of Intuitive Eating

1. Reject the Diet Mentality as a Way of Life

It all starts with realizing that food is a source of energy and pleasure, not self-torture. Strict diets, even the simplest and "easiest" ones, often lead to overeating and feelings of guilt.

Therefore, the key is to stop judging yourself, your health, and your well-being based on "success" or "failure" with diets, and begin to treat your body with respect and care.

2. Replace Restrictions with Self-Awareness and Flexibility

Instead of rigid lists of allowed and forbidden foods, focus on your feelings and energy levels after eating.

Observing yourself and your reaction to different foods allows you to build a healthier eating system.

3. Get Aware of Hunger and Satiety

No “don’t eat after six” or eat only a certain amount of calories - intuitive eating is not based on general rules, but on the individual reactions of the body.

Learn to notice the first signs of hunger and finish eating when comfortably full, rather than overeating "because it's left on the plate."

4. Support Your Body During Different Phases of Your Menstrual Cycle

The female body is a complex system that requires a special approach during different phases of the hormonal cycle. Taking into account the needs of your biorhythms is an important step in maintaining women's health and longevity.

• Follicular phase: More light and fresh foods, protein, and fiber.
• Ovulation: Plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, and lean protein.
• Luteal phase: Increased craving for carbohydrates; you can add whole complex carbohydrates and magnesium-rich foods to reduce sugar cravings.
• Menstruation: Support yourself with iron-rich foods and warm, nourishing meals.

Try my bot for recommendations on nutrition during different phases of your cycle – just a few clicks, photos of your food, and your personal assistant with individual recommendations will always be at your fingertips.

5. Keep a Food and Emotional Journal

If you've ever tried going on a diet, you're already familiar with this tool – a journal for tracking calories and weighing yourself. The intuitive eating system offers a different approach – tracking your well-being, not just pounds.

Be observant and honest with yourself. Write down what you ate and how you felt after eating (energy, mood, emotional state). This helps you see which foods and situations lead to overeating and drain your energy, and which, conversely, provide you with resources.

Helpful tip: Try to start a Gratitude Journal at the same time, where you can also note your successes in building a healthy lifestyle and a better version of yourself.

6. Give Yourself Permission to Eat Everything

Lifting the ban on forbidden foods is a key step toward success.

When you stop forbidding yourself anything, food ceases to be an emotional trigger and a way to solve psychological problems.

Learn to approach food choices and moderation through awareness, not "willpower."

Try asking yourself each time if you're truly hungry, how you feel, and what you really want right now?

An honest dialogue with yourself restores control over impulsive desires.

7. Focus on Food Quality, Not Calorie Count

Use the healthy plate principle:

• ½ plate — vegetables and greens,
• ¼ — protein (meat, fish, legumes, eggs),
• ¼ — complex carbohydrates (whole grain bread, grains, potatoes).
• Fats — add in moderation, prioritizing quality sources (nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil).

Eating according to the healthy plate principle is a scientifically proven way to not only lose weight but also stabilize it and maintain your health.

Download my bot via this link and activate the "My Nutrition" option – you'll receive all the necessary recommendations for building your healthy diet without calorie counting and strict dietary restrictions.

8. Mindful Enjoyment of Food

Turn eating into a real ritual.

No more hurried sandwiches, breakfasts while checking emails, or dinners while chatting on the phone.

Create an atmosphere where you feel comfortable, put away all gadgets, and concentrate on the taste, color, and smell.

The more pleasure you get from food, the less urge you'll have for automatic snacking.

9. Prioritize Sleep and Rest

Chronic sleep deprivation and stress are a direct path to quick carbohydrates and overeating.

Intuitive eating includes holistic self-care – adequate sleep, quality rest, and physical activity. These alone will be enough to lower your stress levels.

If you feel you can't cope with anxiety, consult a specialist. Or, to start, try taking a test in chat that will help you understand what exactly triggers your anxious states.

Understanding the root cause means partially solving the problem.

Helpful: read an article about foods that reduce anxiety.

10. Gradual, Not Sudden, Changes

Results are always achieved not by sharp jumps, but by regular, systematic actions.

Instead of the goal "start a new life tomorrow," set yourself the goal "start changing habits tomorrow and use them to create the best version of yourself."

It doesn't sound as romantic, but it really works. Form the habits that will become your reliable helpers on the path to health, excellent well-being, and the body of your dreams.

How to Start Today

Here's a list of practical recommendations you can start with today:

1. Allow yourself to eat everything you love.
2. Eat slowly, without distractions.
3. Keep a feelings journal, noting how food affects your mood and energy.
4. Listen to your body before eating: is it hunger or simply emotions?
5. Add vegetables, protein, and healthy fats to every meal.

Intuitive eating is not just another miracle diet to lose 10 kilograms in a week. It's a way of eating and a lifestyle built on harmonious relationships with yourself, based on trust, love, and acceptance of your body.

Enjoy your meal!