Q: Is it possible to intentionally work towards losing weight while intuitively eating?
A: Isn't this the million-dollar question?
One of my followers was being stigmatized by her doctor to lose weight for "medical" reasons asked me this question in the No Diet Sisterhood. In truth, I get this question a lot and read it often on social media.
You've probably guessed it, but the answer is NO, and here's why.
Based on my extensive and ongoing (let's hear it for life-long learners!) professional training as a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and body image coach and from my decades-long battle with food, I can say with certainty that intentional weight loss clouds judgment and prevents people from eating according to their body's cues because they fear it will affect their weight.
When intentional weight loss is the goal, choices are made based on caloric/macro/micro content, etc., and not on the body's cues. Since intuitive eating is all about giving ourselves full permission to eat so that we can discern what foods feel best in our bodies, etc. making intentional weight loss a part of this process is not intuitive. If weight loss happens naturally as a result of listening to the body, that's entirely different.
While a foundational goal of intuitive eating is to become more flexible with eating, another is also to do so in accordance with one's hunger/fullness cues, satisfaction, digestion, etc. The principles can seem fundamental to the naked eye, but when it comes to actually integrating them into everyday life, they can get quite emotionally complex. This is why so many fall back into diet mentality and don't even realize it. This is especially true when people are stigmatized and told to lose weight for "medical" reasons.
The belief that you need to lose weight to be healthy isn't valid and the Health At Every Size (HAES) movement is based on this research. Whenever intentional weight loss is the goal there is restriction. Bingeing and eating for comfort (aka "emotional" eating) often increases when there is even the slightest detection of restriction. So whether there is emotional restriction (guilt, worry, shame, rules, etc.) or physical restriction (counting, "forbidden" food, etc.) disordered behaviors around food will continue. There is just no way around and if you're like most of us who have struggled with food for some time, your history reflects this.
While higher weights may be correlated with certain illnesses, they are not necessarily the cause of them. Fat activist Ragen Chastain breaks down the research on this often in her blog Dances with Fat.
Beware. There are many who are trying to co-opt intuitive eating and turn it into another weight loss plan or "lifestyle". If you are following any intuitive eating professional who is even hinting that you will lose weight with intuitive eating or is saying that [X] type of exercise will change your body shape/size, or giving specific instructions about "healthy" vs. "unhealthy" foods, unfollow them as they will do more harm than good for you.
Intuitive eating (and HAES) is not and never will be about weight loss. True intuitive eating is about healing a relationship with food, body image and rediscovering movement that's not tied to weight loss. Period.
Struggling with this? I bet coaching can help! Let's connect for a FREE connection call so you can get the support you need and stop struggling so much.
The Truth about Belly Fat: Is It "Unhealthy"?
Raise your hand if you've got a belly roll(s).
Yep, I've got them too! In fact, I've had a belly roll for as long as I can remember, even when I was at my thinnest.
Most of my clients say that they have the most difficulty accepting their swishy bellies. In fact, this is one of the more common reasons why people feel the need to lose weight because they fear that belly fat is "unhealthy".
The Health At Every Size research indicates higher weights may be correlated with poor health, but it reminds us that it doesn't guarantee that it causes poor health. Still, ob*sity is constantly talked about in the media, in clinical spaces, in social circles, and at the holiday dinner table.
It's not just the claims that higher weights are "unhealthy" but more specifically that belly fat is downright dangerous.
While there is some biased research that visceral fat (the type of fat that wraps around abdominal organs) may increase some health risks, what most don't realize is that visceral fat can be found in people with flat bellies too. So, one cannot automatically assume that people in larger bodies or with bigger abdomens have visceral belly fat. For the record, visceral fat can only be determined by undergoing expensive medical scans.
The other type of belly fat is what we see when we look in the mirror. It's called subcutaneous fat (like in the image above). Everyone has some subcutaneous fat. How much we have is typically impacted by lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise, genetics, yo-yo dieting, and stress.
I'd be lying if I told you that I never worry about my abdominal fat sometimes because I do, especially since menopause. My guess is that you worry sometimes too. You may even worry enough to feel like you need to do something about it like lose weight or cut carbs, etc. If that's you, I understand, and I'm not surprised! After all, we're human and diet culture is very influential, especially when they start throwing the word "health" around!
However, let's just say for argument's sake that both types of abdominal fat do put our bodies at risk.
What can be done about it that will be sustainable and may also help to reduce certain health risks?
Stop dieting and restricting to avoid bingeing
Embrace and learn to Integrate gentle nutrition (principle 10) into your daily life (if you're at that stage or your recovery)
Focus on food satisfaction and honoring your hunger/fullness as often as you can
Get support to navigate any emotional barriers you have to exercise so you can intuitively increase your cardiovascular and aerobic exercise
Discover ways to improve your sleep if this is an issue for you (i.e. get a CPAP, try meditation, create a sleep routine, etc.)
Focus on improving your mental health, especially as it relates to anxiety and stress
Notice how I never mentioned losing weight? That's because even with the possibility that abdominal fat increases the risk of certain illnesses, dieting is STILL not the solution. In fact, dieting may even increase abdominal fat. And, research indicates that dieting increases stress-causing elevated cortisol levels negatively affecting the body, including increased abdominal fat.
The solution is to continue working toward body acceptance and spend your time and energy creating more nourishing and compassionate self-care habits. That's what will likely improve your physical and emotional health in the long-run but dieting won't.
Struggling with this?
Schedule some time with me so we can have a conversation and you can finally stop worrying! You don't have to do this alone. Getting this sorted out will make a substantial difference in your life.