ANSWER

In order to answer your question, we’d first have to define what it means for it to “work.” Generally, when people ask me if the Intuitive Eating approach works, they’re asking one of two questions.

The first is whether they will lose weight with Intuitive Eating. The answer to that question is that Intuitive Eating is not about weight loss. It is specifically about removing the focus of weight loss as the be all and end all of our lives.

And so, if your question is whether Intuitive Eating will eventually lead to weight loss, while the technical answer may be yes, because a big part of this approach is about listening to our own cues and differentiating between physical and other hunger, taking on the approach with this goal usually doesn’t lend itself to positive results.

Then there is the second kind of question: Can everyone learn to listen to their hunger and fullness cues even after years of ignoring them? Can everyone benefit from being kind to their body and doing what works for them? The answer to that is a resounding yes, with very few exceptions (for example, individuals with an active eating disorder, who are usually too far removed from bodily cues like hunger and fullness).

Everyone else, which is most of society, can certainly benefit from Intuitive Eating, assuming they are ready to work on getting rid of the fantasy of weight loss, really embracing their genetic blueprint, and working on the other principles such as hunger/fullness/satisfaction and making peace with food.

Have questions about the Intuitive Eating approach? Send them to info@wellspringmagazine.com and Gila will be glad to answer them in this space.

Gila Glassberg is a Master's level registered dietitian and a certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. As a teenager, she was faced with constant diet talk, body shaming, and obsessive guilt around food, but now that she has found food freedom through the process of Intuitive Eating, she's eager to share its wisdom with others. Gila works privately with clients and she also presents workshops. The name of her podcast is Get INTUIT with Gila, and she writes blog entries on her website, www.gilaglassberg.com. She can be reached at 570-878-3642.

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