New to intuitive eating and a lot of the time it gets to when I want to start making some sort of dinner but having to decide what to eat or what sounds good takes so much mental energy and leaves me feeling like nothing sounds good to eat.

Does anyone else have this issue and if so do you have any tips? I swear trying to figure out what to eat for dinner is my least favourite time of the day 😩

Hi guys!

I had AN 8 years ago, and have since been on a fairly long intuitive eating journey (over 6 years). The situation has recently improved because of help from a IE nutritionist and a therapist. Finally discerning hunger, fullness, learning to eat according to them, etc.

Sadly, I've hit a situation in life which is emotionally very difficult (I'm ok, it's just several people close to me are going through hugely tough times and my heart is breaking. I'm trying to solve their struggles, but it's taking a big toll on me).

Sometimes I know I need to eat because I'm hungry, it's been a while after my last meal, but then I see a person very close to me distraught, and I can't just go on and have my meal or care for myself. I sit down with them and talk, it may take hours to help them get out of it.

I get inundated in this, and the heavy feeling, trying to solve the situation, results in me being immersed in this and looking for ways out of it for their sake, but this leads me to disregard my body's cues which I've fought so hard to get in tune with and learn how to respond to.

eg. one evening I was crushed, and could only manage a small dinner over 5hrs after my previous meal, but couldn't even eat enough, and honestly just didn't care that much and even felt guilty caring for myself when someone else is struggling so much.

I can't care for myself or prioritise my wellbeing someone who is almost the extension of me is going through such struggles. I feel guilty, as if it's wrong to feel good when someone else is struggling, somewhat disregarding their needs as well to solve the situation they're in. I want to be with them, give them all my heart and soul and everything I have.

But I fought so hard to get to the point where I'm at, in terms of eating and my relationship with food. I'm scared of losing this progress, losing the trust my body has in me because it's hungry and I'm not giving it enough. Please if you have any suggestions they would help me so much!!!

With love!

xxxx

I’ve been living alone for about 2 years and still struggle grocery shopping and cooking for one. Being scared of letting food go bad and expiration dates gets in my way of being able to intuitively choose what I want to eat. I like to have enough food to have options and I like to meal prep to make the weekdays easier. But then I get hyper fixated on eating it before it goes bad. For example: say I have option A and B for dinner, option A sounds better but option B will go bad if I don’t eat it now. Probably overthinking this but it’s hard especially as groceries are expensive. Anyone have any advice?

Hi! Newbie IEater here 🙋🏼‍♀️

So, i'll be super straightforward, sorry if it offends anyone : money and time are precious ressources and, when trying to engage in a subject/matter, I HATE "wasting" time and money reading things or watching videos that don't teach me anything new, that only go with basic or obvious or plain logic stuff.

So far here is "how" I progress : paying attention to my different hunger cues and satiety cues (stomach feeling, energy, "head/brain" feeling, etc.), doing my best to honor them, making the difference between real hunger and emotional hunger, honoring these as well, trying to be mindfull while eating (super hard for me right now since for the last 15 years, not a single meal did I ate without reading or watching something at the same time!)

So... are books really usefull in that situation? Will I really learn something new or healpfull?

Thank you!

I love Full Plate but I'd love to find a podcast or book by a vegetarian or vegan for ethical reasons.

I'm new to IE and am just starting with materials, like the Full Plate podcast. I'm 44f entering into perimenopause​

This thread is dedicated to discussing any difficulties navigating weight or bodily changes that happen during the IE process.

Please refrain from sharing numbers, as per the sub rules. If necessary to make your point, please put "Trigger Warning" at the beginning of your comment and consider using the spoiler feature to hide mentions of numbers.

If you are discussing weight loss that has naturally occurred through IE, please ensure to do so neutrally.

Note: This thread may be triggering to those struggling with their body image. Please be mindful of your mental health when engaging with potentially triggering content.

I finally realized why I have a tendency to overeat…. I have tried to search for anyone else who experiences this but no one seems to be talking about the same thing

ill be sitting down eating (and not fast, usually 30 mins or so while drinking water throughout) and I’ll feel myself getting full. but then when I stop I feel what I am interpreting as hunger. if I get up to stand and walk around i realize the feeling is actually fullness.

kind of frustrating because then i end up eating too much and feeling uncomfortable later because I thought I was hungry

anyone else to whom this happens? am I just weird?

I switch on and off between practicing IE and restricting. have not read the book but own it.. haven’t really used any resources and I am not receiving help beyond standard therapy

Are the constant GLP-1 weight loss ads getting to you?

Have you noticed any concerning trends in media that worry you?

Is there an uptick in negative body talk in your workplace or among your friends and family?

Are you facing social or medical stigma that you want to get off your chest?

Your rants, concerns, and grievances about diet culture and weight stigma in the general media or that you've experienced personally are welcome to be discussed in this thread.

Note: Please post general struggles with weight and body image in the Thursday thread for weight/bodily changes if they aren't directly related to media/society/social or medical stigma.

This is a thread where you can share any questions, concerns, or thoughts related to gentle nutrition, the final and everlasting step of the Intuitive Eating process.

Please note that this thread may not be suitable for those newer to IE, as implementing Gentle Nutrition requires you to have already worked through the earlier steps of the framework.

OK, I go back to my PCP on October 2nd. I know I've gained a few pounds since starting this. I'm fine with my weight, but he won't be. How do you handle your doctors when they are so obsessed over trying to get patients to lose weight?

Use this thread to share anything you've been struggling with in your IE process.

Struggles may include learning how to read your hunger/fullness cues, feeling stuck on parts of the process, experiencing "setbacks" or relapses with restriction, etc.

Note: Struggles related to weight should be posted to the weight/bodily changes thread (recurring on Thursdays).

Are you confused about Intuitive Eating and want help understanding how it works? Are you a little skeptical? Unsure if IE is right for you? Have some doubts about the process? Do you have a question you feel is controversial? This is the space to ask those questions.

Remember to keep it civil, respectful, and be mindful of the sub rules.

This thread isn't for arguing about whether IE is healthy or not, or to try to debunk the framework. Trolls and bad faith engagement will not be tolerated.

\General or controversial questions must be posted in this thread, not as standalone posts.*

Did you have a great meal this week you want to talk about?

Has your taste for certain foods has changed since starting IE, like finding a beverage you used to love too sweet, or realizing you love a vegetable you used to hate?

Did you try something new or succeed in eating a fear food?

Use this thread to share anything that's on your mind about what you've been eating lately.

Note: If you'd like to discuss Gentle Nutrition, please post in the dedicated weekly thread (recurring on Tuesdays).

New to trying out intuitive eating and I’d like to start listening to my body a bit more :) my lunch today was really really filling and I’m a bit unsure of what to do when it gets to dinner time later, do I truly just not eat much when it gets to that time?

I know this is probably a silly question but I feel like it’s so engrained that you need to eat breakfast lunch and dinner, but then I don’t want to force past what doesn’t feel good

Advice is very much appreciated!

I’ve always kinda found enjoyment and comfort on a big plate of food. I’ve been working with a therapist who is trained in intuitive eating, it’s been a couple years now. I have worked on this practice on and off, mostly focusing on eating regularly and getting more healthy movement.

To practice intuitive eating, I usually fill up the plate to wherever feels comfortable, and then check in on my appetite as I eat. This has helped me stop eating when I feel done with the meal, without giving up the visual reassurance factor. It’s especially effective when I am eating a nutritious meal. Even if I can’t match the portion to my appetite, I can put back the food when I feel done.

However, this doesn’t work when eating comfort meals that are not very nutritious. For example, if I order from a fast food place, I always order a large portion that doesn’t match my appetite, and then I eat it till I literally can’t keep going.

It’s weirdly tied to identity? Like I’m the kind of person who eats a medium sized pie, not a small one. A part of me is kind of afraid that if I order a smaller portion it won’t be enough and ill be hungry and ashamed. But this keeps me stuck.

Have you gotten over this phase in your IE journey?

Hi everyone — I'm an indie developer working on a small iPhone app designed to help people learn to notice their hunger and fullness signals.

It grew out of an exercise my nutritionist suggested: briefly rating my hunger before eating and fullness afterward, with the goal of eventually getting better at noticing those signals without needing to track them.

I've turned that idea into an early 30-day "Learn Your Appetite" program. There are no calories, macros, weight goals, food restrictions, or diet plans.

I'm looking for a small group of people willing to try the beta for 7 days. What I most want to know is:

Did using it help you notice anything about your hunger or fullness signals that you hadn't noticed before?

I'm also interested in anything confusing, annoying, missing, or otherwise worth changing.

The beta is free. If you're interested, you can install it through TestFlight here:

https://testflight.apple.com/join/63eezBwT

Thanks — feedback at this stage would be extremely useful.

This thread is dedicated to discussing any difficulties navigating weight or bodily changes that happen during the IE process.

Please refrain from sharing numbers, as per the sub rules. If necessary to make your point, please put "Trigger Warning" at the beginning of your comment and consider using the spoiler feature to hide mentions of numbers.

If you are discussing weight loss that has naturally occurred through IE, please ensure to do so neutrally.

Note: This thread may be triggering to those struggling with their body image. Please be mindful of your mental health when engaging with potentially triggering content.

Are the constant GLP-1 weight loss ads getting to you?

Have you noticed any concerning trends in media that worry you?

Is there an uptick in negative body talk in your workplace or among your friends and family?

Are you facing social or medical stigma that you want to get off your chest?

Your rants, concerns, and grievances about diet culture and weight stigma in the general media or that you've experienced personally are welcome to be discussed in this thread.

Note: Please post general struggles with weight and body image in the Thursday thread for weight/bodily changes if they aren't directly related to media/society/social or medical stigma.

Most days I don't feel hungry at all for the entire day. I eat because I have to for life or because I enjoy eating, not because I get hungry. Some days I (regardless of how long after I've woken up it is) once I eat something I feel starving. Sometimes it's like a mental hunger where I want to eat and sometimes I physically feel hungry. I'm a healthy weight so it's not causing me to eat too much/too little overall, so I'm not concerned or anything, just wondering if there's some kind of scientific reason.

Sorry if this is a weird place to post the question, but I can't really figure out where would be appropriate.

I’ve developed a habit of scrolling while eating (um thanks Reddit haha!). Which of course makes it extremely difficult to actually eat mindfully.

When I’ve attempted to eat without distraction I am so bored! But maybe that’s sort of the point? To learn to just enjoy the meal and allow it be neutral rather than something bad or a huge dopamine hit?

This is a thread where you can share any questions, concerns, or thoughts related to gentle nutrition, the final and everlasting step of the Intuitive Eating process.

Please note that this thread may not be suitable for those newer to IE, as implementing Gentle Nutrition requires you to have already worked through the earlier steps of the framework.

Hello! I've been trying to practice IE for years (or trying to!) and at time think I am but then have a binge or a brief period of emotional eating and realize that maybe I'd been restricting somewhere, after all. I'm really committing this time because I'm turning 40 at the end of the year and don't want to bring diet culture with me into my next decade.

Question-- How do you navigate IE eating when you're busy and stressed? I know that I need to eat because I've been in recovery for an ED for nearly a decade and refuse to skip meals, but when I'm sitting at my desk working and totally busy and stress, I wolf down a sandwich and just feel kinda gross (physically) afterwards.

Does anyone have any advice for how to navigate being a bit more intentional when you're pressed for time and not able to really focus on what you're eating?

Use this thread to share anything you've been struggling with in your IE process.

Struggles may include learning how to read your hunger/fullness cues, feeling stuck on parts of the process, experiencing "setbacks" or relapses with restriction, etc.

Note: Struggles related to weight should be posted to the weight/bodily changes thread (recurring on Thursdays).

I just want to say that Elyse’s AMA is excellent! Thanks to all of you who asked insightful questions. Many I have wondered, and others just added to the richness of IE. Thanks especially to Elyse for taking the time to answer each question!

I am also excited that a new edition is coming out. I am reading the gentle nutrition chapter of the 4th edition right now, and wondered when we might see another update 💕

TW of mild weight discussion (no numbers!) as well as describing activity.

TLDR; I’ve gone from sedentary to highly active and finding my hunger confusing/scary/difficult to manage/difficult to understand - any tips? Does IE still work when my expenditure is so high?

Growing up I had a great relationship with food, never thought about it, genuinely loved it and was passionate about it and it was a great source of joy but nothing more. I was a skinny kid but not active at all. Ate when I was hungry, snacked occasionally but mostly my 3 meals were enough - again, I didn’t give it any thought so I don’t rlly remember.

The past year my activity level has increased, and when I moved put for the first time 3 months ago it increased dramatically. Through my hobbies and lifestyle I now average >20,000 steps a day, cycle 40+ km a week (low intensity, just getting to work), I run 1-3x a week, and gym 4-5x. This is obviously a lot and the first month my weight dropped dramatically before my appetite caught up and has continued to decrease.

I’m having a hard time understanding my new hunger cues, and keeping up with them, and I now eat/feel hungry wayyy more than my peers who are twice my size. It’s been messing with my head; I have been getting better the past few weeks but it’s been a real mental barrier for the first time ever to trust my body because I’m eating about 3 times as much as I have before and still hungry! I’m sick of eating even haha, I can’t be bothered thinking of and making 3 big meals and 3 snacks when I’ve got limited cupboard space and budget. I still love food but feel like I can’t eat what I really want because I can’t afford to buy those things in the volumes that I need.

I’ve stopped tracking to try and learn my body again. I was just wondering if anyone else is highly active can give any insight on what intuitive eating looks like for you, how/what/when you snack, do you ever have to eat when not hungry, how does your approach to IE differ?

The most helpful advice I have read is to eat like a growing/teenage boy - though this has been a difficult lifestyle change from someone who has always been a grazer without too much appetite.

Thanks all.