Intuitive Eating

by Elyse Resch, Evelyn Tribole

Brand New Deliver In 6-18 Working Days

Genres: Nonfiction, Nutrition, Self Help, Health, Psychology, Audiobook, Mental Health

400 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDS-S, Fiaedp, FADA, FAND, is a nutrition therapist in private practice in Beverly Hills, California, with forty years of experience, specializing in eating disorders, Intuitive Eating, and Health at Every Size. She is the co-author of Intuitive Eating, now in its 4th edition, the Intuitive Eating Workbook, and The Intuitive Eating Card Deck—50 Bite-Sized Ways to Make Peace with Food. Elyse is also the author of The Intuitive Eating Workbook for Teens and The Intuitive Eating Journal—Your Guided Journey for Nourishing a Healthy Relationship with Food and a chapter contributor to The Handbook of Positive Body Image and Embodiment. She has published journal articles, print articles, and blog posts. Elyse does regular speaking engagements, podcasts, and extensive media interviews. Her work has been profiled on NPR, CNN, KABC, NBC, KTTV, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Associate Press, KFI Radio, USA Today, and the Huffington Post, among others. Elyse is nationally known for her work in helping patients break free from diet culture through the Intuitive Eating process. Her philosophy embraces the goal of reconnecting with one’s internal wisdom about eating and developing body liberation, with the belief that all bodies deserve dignity and respect. She is a social justice advocate, a member of the Healer’s Circle of Project Heal—Help to Eat, Accept, and Live, supervises and trains health professionals, is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Supervisor, a Fellow of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, and a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Reviews

[sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book saved my life. it's not just an anti dieting book, it's a cure for disordered eating.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have some mixed feelings about this book. I appreciate that it’s a whole different way of thinking about eating, and I think it’s a needed corrective for our culture’s screwed up attitudes toward food, dieting, fat phobia, etc. For me personally, it’s not a giant epiphany - I think I’m already an intuitive eater, for the most part (could use some tweaking here and there). But it served as validation for me that dieting doesn’t work and I’m not a failure for giving up on attempt after attempt to lose weight. So I think that course correction is valuable for my own mental health (freedom from inevitable disappointment, guilt, shame, etc.)

However, the authors never address the very real health risks of obesity/overweight. It’s well documented that carrying extra weight increases risks of many diseases and shortens life span. We know this. If we are to leave diet culture behind (a worthy goal) and never trouble ourselves about safe, sustainable ways of losing weight, how are we to manage the resulting risks? The book never even touches on this aspect of health care and management, so in some ways I think this avoidance just fuels the confusion that many people feel when it comes to eating healthfully. There is also little to no advice on how to deal with health care professionals who focus on their patients’ weight to the exclusion of all else, or who focus on problematic measures such as BMI. I don’t want to have to educate my physician on why BMI is BS when I’m really there for some other problem (hypothetical example, my actual doctor is pretty awesome).

One more quibble I have is that the chapter on movement is pretty thin (no pun intended) and not really all that helpful. This is an area that’s actually the biggest struggle for me personally, and I didn’t really get any new insight on what might be behind that and how to address it in a way that’s in line with the Intuitive Eating philosophy. Or I should say, I would have liked this chapter to go a bit deeper.

Overall, I think this is a good resource for anyone who struggles with yo-yo dieting and a messed up relationship with food. It’s a good start in healing that relationship, but I think it’s only part of the whole story.

[Rob Ilczuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much more in depth book that spoke a lot of more science than my previous venture into nutrition self help. There were definitely somethings that almost turned me off such as when they vowed in this edition, they would swear off numbers of any kind, but especially weight. I like numbers and quantifying things. Part of me will always say "it can be one of the surest ways to define success." However, by the end I stopped noticing. The book contains so much information across so many sub topics and ways to work on trying to be in touch with being able to sense and honor natural hunger queues. The authors are very anti-diet. To the point they made quiet a compelling argument that diets sound evil and like the worst idea of all time. Sometimes it's a struggle when the the aspects of the book are to extreme to really relate. Some of negatives of dieting describing the yo-yoing or the extent of the eating disorders just don't really reply. I watch that movie in health class (and even had to show it to a class when I was subbing) where the pink power ranger played a gymnast who was first anorexic then bulimic. I think most people don't ever get to that extreme. However, the some of the underlining reasoning and the early symptom and tendencies are certainly prevalent. If we can consider them as something to be aware of the feelings and not the D.A.R.E. "just say no"/gateway approach then the material, I think it can be relevant to many people.

Digressions aside, ultimately this book contained lots of good info and if nothing else it really spoke about all the damages a diet mindset can cause. What certain levels of denial can do and what kind of hidden thoughts and drives get created. The section on trying to raise children as intuitive eaters was interesting as well as a nature vs nurture thought for me. Obviously, you'd like children to make good choices but would not like to ruin the natural intuitive state.

I wish I had a paper copy to steal the appendix at the end as a reference. If you can get a hold of that first, read that and then see what sub topics are the most interesting to you.

[Leisha Law · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too preachy. Has some good material but not until 55% through. My first book at 3x speed.

[Kassidy Veness · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up. Written in a very relatable and digestible way but really helpful information!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it's quite telling (of how insidious fatphobia is) that so many negative reviews for this book boil down to "yeah they make good points, but they didn't shame obesity and fat people enough." The premise of this book is that you can learn to trust your body to tell you what it needs, and it's clearly shown that nurturing that trust will actually prevent you from overeating, emotional eating, and weight cycling (which is more dangerous than just being fat). Yet, societally-reinforced anger toward fat people seems to make people demand shaming, vitriol, and pitchforks, when we know that shame is a horrible motivator! Although making weight loss the goal goes against the principles of intuitive eating, people who eat intuitively are shown to weigh less - there's no need to pile lectures and humiliation on top of that.

Overall I think the authors make an excellent case for intuitive eating. The 10 principles are really clearly laid out, with good data to support the premises and excellent case examples (I might have appreciated a bit more detail about factors that interfere with intuitive eating, like access to food, allergies/dietary restrictions, and living with non-intuitive-eaters). I wish more people were open to these messages - as a society, it would do us a lot of good to spend less time fixated on our eating and our body image, and let our bodies do the job they were designed for (keeping us alive and healthy). I read the e-book and many of the tables were poorly formatted/cut off, so would highly recommend a print copy.

One idea that really stuck out to me: Diet culture trains us to view our bodily intuition as some kind of adversary to be defeated (instead of a source of genuine wisdom), and so we turn to external sources to decide what our bodies "should" need - and those sources are usually trying to sell us something. I think this is incredibly twisted. We know that human breast milk adapts to the specific nutrients baby needs (and adjusts for illness and other conditions), so do we really think our bodies are unable to tell us what we need nutritionally?

[Sondra Devine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes so much sense! Such a great read!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skimmed it. Good pointers to help you overcome diet mentality. But I don't agree with some points.

[Aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really informative and intriguing. A bit long and a bit dry at times, but overall I felt like I learned a lot reading this book and it was unlike anything else I’ve encountered on the subject.

[Lina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read to anyone who has struggled with always having to go on diets and being on a constant see-saw of weight-loss and weight gain.

very relatable and hits all the spots.

[Dylan Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

i ❤️ my dietitian girlfriend

[Trinity Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Samantha Crowther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, the foundation created in this book is a good starting point for anyone needing to heal their relationship with food. The principles are good and applicable.

The term “dieting” is discussed as essentially bad because it’s being restrictive. I don’t like that dieting is used in the same context as a diet. The way you would refer to animals and what they eat as their diet is the same thing as humans and what their typical diet is. They’re two different meanings and it feels that’s getting confused in the book.

They have some gender spectrum discussion which seemed irrelevant and pushing of ideology. But it isn’t touched on a whole lot.

[Piia Appo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oleks tahtnud, et see raamat rohkem meeldiks. Iseenesest on see perspektiiv ja mõtteviis vajalik, et kummutada tänapäevase dieedimaailma kahjulikke põhimõtteid.
Aga vormiliselt on raske lugeda raamatut, mis on üks suur reklaam intuitiivsele toitumisele ja kus esimesed 80 lehekülge on selle toitumise promomine ja ei anna sisuliselt midagi (ja kui juba asjalikuks läheb, siis pole enam isu lugeda).

[Jake Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and learned a lot, but I have several criticisms. This book proves that dieting doesn't work and backs it up with scientific evidence. But in an effort to prove that intuitive eating works, their evidence and scientific data is clearly cherry picked. The authors were also very cautious when making health claims and everything that supports intuitive eating is carefully worded.

To sum it up this is the how the info is presented:
1. Dieting doesn't work and here's the evidence.
2. People who are healthy have higher intuitive eating scores and here's the evidence.

Notice how 2. isn't stated as: "intuitive eating leads to better health outcomes". This was done on purpose because there is no evidence to support that. The data they do present is that healthy people are naturally better at intuitively eating. This is where my biggest criticism stems from. One could reasonably jump to the conclusion that "if I start eating intuitively, I will become healthier and have better health outcomes". This is a wild leap.

I do still think there is good with this book. I think the true lesson is to stop giving in to dieting culture and getting caught in the dieting trap. This is absolutely a great read for those with patterns of disordered eating. I myself have a poor relationship with food (I think many of us do to a degree) and some of the principles and ideas within the book have helped reshape how I look at food.

That said, another point of criticism I have is the idea that we stop looking at food as good vs bad. Yes, calling food bad comes with unnecessary guilt, which isn't helpful. But the book claims that it's better to label food as less nutritious or more nutritious because it's more objective. But this is like saying 1/4 isnt the same as 25/100. They even get creative here calling foods "play" foods or "nutritionally dense" foods. But our brains will always break it down to it's simplest form. Play means bad and nutritionally dense means good. Unfortunately there really isn't a good way around this, unless we have major major majors culture shifts.

Finally, when it comes to actual nutrition and exercise, this book aims to coddle. And I get it. Some people need the gentle nature when it comes to those topics. But I think this plays too much into an individual's comfort, in turn leading to a lack of motivation for any type of change. I think we can still be gentle while motivating people to get a little bit out of their comfort zone to make improvements in their health.

This book is foundationally set on the idea that if we listen to our bodies intuitively we will be healthy overall. Eat when you're hungry, don't eat emotionally. All great messages the book presents. But there is an underlying promise that if you do this you will become the healthiest version of yourself. For some sure. But the reality is the body makes adaptations. The book goes through this in depth, and even talks about the idea that these adaptations stick long term, backed by data. Then the book completely forgets this point and continues to hammer the point that all you need to do is become an intuitive eater. But take a person who has a high body fat percentage (trying to stay objective here). The body has learned to make adaptations to maintain this. It's a survival mechanism. So if you eat based on your body's signals alone, there is a good chance your health won't improve because your body will send you signals to maintain your current baseline. There is evidence to back this up. While I don't think the solution is as simple as calories in calories out, I also don't think intuitive eating is the solution either.

At the end of the day, I think intuitive eating is good to help you reshape your thinking and improve your relationship with food. But it probably won't improve your health. In fact, I can see many people taking this as "I can eat whatever I want anytime I want." Going further, I think Intuitive Eating takes the idea of mindful eating (which is more focused on practical eating habits) and overcomplicates it.

TLDR:
-Intuitive Eating has good ideas that can help you reshape your relationship with food. Great for those with disordered eating patterns

-Evidence overwhelmingly shows that dieting doesn't work.

-However, the data that supports IE for better health outcomes is clearly cherry picked. May not be the ultimate solution the book presents.

-Labeling food as good & bad versus using objective phrasing like "less nutritious" and "more nutritious" is essentially the same thing. 1/4 = 25/100

-Intuitive eating overcomplicates mindful eating, which (imo) is much more practical.

Overall worth the read.

[Renga · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's disheartening that in an age where understanding proper nutrition is crucial for our well-being, a book aiming to teach us "how to eat" utterly misses the mark. Rather than offering genuine guidance, this book feels primarily like a promotional piece for the author's business.

The text is riddled with anecdotal evidence, often presenting oversimplified success stories like, "We had a patient X who suffered from an eating disorder and magically became an intuitive eater, solving all their problems."

Furthermore, the initial chapters attempt to bolster their claims by referencing research papers, but these efforts feel strained and ultimately superficial. The references seem to be included more to lend an air of academic credibility than to provide any real substance or deep insight.

My recommendation for potential readers is to simply glance at the table of contents and skim through the book. It truly doesn't warrant a deep or thorough read.

[Kelsey Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding out my years-long reading program on nutrition is this enduring philosophy: intuitive eating. What I appreciated the most about this book was the amount of real, scientific data referenced. I also appreciated the authors’ long professional experience. Some parts of it I can’t really speak to: I have never had an eating disorder and don’t really identify with a lot of the issues facing the presumed audience. However, I was surprised by how much “diet culture” *is* a part of my thinking, and the book was definitely worth reading just to challenge a lot of those latent beliefs and assumptions. I have spent a long time examining how diet and spirituality work together, and although this book is among the least explicitly spiritual (I mean I would go so far as to say there is nothing explicitly or even implied to be spiritual about it) in the subject of nutrition that I have read, it seems to me to have the most direct consequences for spirituality.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intuitive Eating (4th Edition) had been sitting on my shelf for over a year after my own therapist (yes, even therapists need therapists!) recommended it to help me navigate my complicated relationship with food. I even bought the workbook with the best of intentions—until life, as it often does, threw me a curveball that took priority.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book once I finally dove in. The authors do a fantastic job of breaking down complex ideas into manageable, actionable steps, and the amount of research backing up their approach really helped build trust. While it didn’t completely transform my habits overnight, it laid a solid foundation and gave me a lot to reflect on.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

a book that will positively touch my life every day and for all my days.

i wish i had read it sooner - Intuitive Eating is much different than my redditing and googling concluded. the book outlines the steps, logic, reasoning, studies, and examples that make it so clear and implementable. in tandem with the workbook, i feel empowered to be an Intuitive Eater.

one of those books i want to share with everyone i know, though i think this information has to find you when you’re ready to receieve; for me, it found me at the right time after years of turmoil. finally, the road ahead looks peaceful. thank you ET & ER 🫶🏻

[Monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was relatively pleasant, and describes a method of eating that should not be as hard as it seems to be (eat what you want when you feel hungry, stop when you aren't).

Points unfortuantely lost because of pandering to the politically-correct zeitgeist at the risk of undoing the whole application and history of nutrition science (and which had obviously been heavily edited since previous, no doubt more factually correct, editions, and accompanied by shrinking apologies). Statements were wide-ranging but of the kind: "there is zero evidence that being overweight is unhealthy for children."

[Erik Doerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ideas and the science presented in the book are 5-star worthy, but the writing is on the dry side and it was a bit of a slog at times to get through. I need to get better at skimming through these sorts of books! I definitely recommend it for skimming and diving in deeper where you're more intrigued.

[Wisty · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/3.75 stars

Really interesting with so many excellent concepts. The writing and scenarios felt a little oversimplified at times, but it did feel like this book was written to be accessible to as many people as possible. I can understand how this really helps people and will definitely try to incorporate some of these principles into my own life!

[Victoria Ayala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evelyn and Elyse did an amazing job on acknowledging the cultural and systemic barriers related to eating disorders, fat phobia and food insecurity. I’m grateful for their decades long work/research and I’m hopeful intuitive eating will be part of my recovery. 💖

[Farrar]

Terrible narrator. I might go back and finish it later, but I started The Fuck-It Diet midway through this one, and I decided it fit my needs better right now. I read the previous edition of this book years ago.

[Fee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was both comforting and scary how well parts of this book described some of my exact behaviors and struggles. Many of the real-life examples seemed fixed a tad neatly, but for the most part, the philosophy of Intuitive Eating rings true to me.

[Fran · Rating 1 out of 5]

Full of references to research.

I was expecting something that felt a little more intuitive.

Not for me.

This book is mostly about criticizing different ways of eating.

I really didn’t find it helpful.

[Platinum the Trash Panda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five paws 🐾 for this helpful, mindful, and informative book ʕ´•ᴥ•`ʔ. This was the push I needed to really focus on my life-long journey for peace in mind, body, and in my relationship with food and movement.

"Progress, not perfection."

[Savannah Nightshade · Rating 5 out of 5]

It really surprised me when a friend of mine recommended that I read this book for years struggled with My size and did not expect to find out that I had an eating disorder. But this book also helped me work through where that came from and it was a lot of childhood trauma.

[Layla Woodruff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rate: 4.5/5 stars. I definitely appreciate this book and will refer to it quite often in my journey improving my relationship with food. As a medical provider, I will definitely be recommending intuitive eating principles to my patients and families. It’s a good reminder for everyone.

[Alexa Shay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I wish I could make the whole world read it.

Learning to listen to my body has helped me in multiple areas. I'm more mindful in multiple aspects of my life. This book is life changing if you let it be.