In today's diet culture, we’re constantly bombarded with information about what to consume in order to achieve our dream of six-pack abs and setting a new personal record at the squat rack. Intuitive eating is often overlooked and discredited as a means to achieve a healthy, well-rounded diet.

If we, as fitness professionals, are overwhelmed with misinformation and contradictory advice, can you imagine how our clients must feel? When you add the fact that social media has introduced a plethora of new resources, many from unqualified fitness influencers and exercise enthusiasts, the word “diet” may produce a poor eating experience causing your clients to cringe more than having to do a set of burpees.

How can we overcome the confusion that has caused so much chaos in the fitness industry? It is our role, and responsibility, to educate our clients and provide the resources they need to make educated decisions. Armed with a dieter’s guide to intuitive eating along with proper coaching and guidance, they can adopt new habits that will lead to life-changing, long-term behaviors.

What Is The Intuitive Eating Principle?

As humans, we yearn for structure. It’s so much easier to follow a program when there’s a list of dos and don’ts, right? The food and fitness industries certainly believe this. They fight for our attention (and money), claiming their products and services will do all of the work while providing fast results buying into their food choice. Most of us are familiar with Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, the Atkins diet, clean eating, and IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros). The contradictory advice among most of these chronic dieting programs can leave a client feeling confused, discouraged, and like a failure leading to emotional eating. Amidst the noise, our internal compasses have become broken. We’re unable to make decisions based on our hunger level and what our bodies truly need.

Intuitive eating principles are a lifestyle-based approach to eating habits that focus on behavior change and high quality foods that aid in the feeling of fullness that supports the health of our brains and bodies. Unlike the typical diet and diet mentality, intuitive eating is attainable and sustainable. Through mindfulness and behavior change, we are able to rewire our brains and build new neural pathways (more on this in a bit) that will enhance our decision making skills and repair our internal compasses.[1]

The intuitive eating principle has existed for quite some time. As we learn more about it and begin to practice it, we can provide our clients with the following resources so they too can embrace this “non-diet” lifestyle of healthy and mindful eating. Since the majority of our clients are looking for a lifestyle change rather than a quick-fix, an intuitive eating guide is a complementary addition to their exercise program.

The Intuitive Eating Advantage

Most weight loss diets can be categorized into four types. These include diets that cut calories, diets that cut fat, diets that cut carbohydrates, and diets that cut out certain types of foods.[2] This leads to a restrictive diet which can create a chronic dieter. Saying “no” 100% of the time to foods you crave and enjoy will likely cause emotional eating and a rebound effect, sending your clients to the freezer for a tub of ice cream or to the pantry for chips and salsa. What do all of these diets have in common? They all reduce calories. Whether that reduction comes in the form of less fat or lower carb consumption, weight loss will occur when the energy expended exceeds the energy consumed.[3]

How would your client react if you told them they never had to diet again? Would they laugh, asking “how much does that weight loss pill (or program) cost?” Admittedly, their interest would be piqued and they would want to know more. Along with losing the “diet” mindset, your clients will gain a new perspective while enjoying the following benefits of becoming an intuitive eater.

  • No more yo-yo dieting. Not only is yo-yo dieting mentally exhausting but, over time, this can lead to an increased risk of heart disease along with long-term negative impacts on metabolism.
  • No counting. Whether your clients prefer to count calories, grams, or points, it’s never convenient to determine your macronutrient ratio while at a ball game or at dinner on a first date. Counting and weighing your food can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and loss of control when those numbers are exceeded or out of range.
  • No restricting food. While most diets eliminate particular foods or food groups, intuitive eating gives you permission and the food freedom to eat that slice of cake at your niece’s birthday party or have a celebratory glass of wine after receiving a promotion at work without breaking any diet rules and worrying about the food police.

Why Intuitive Eating Works

Practicing mindfulness goes beyond yoga and meditiation. It’s crucial that our clients find ways to manage the impact of rush hour traffic and deadlines at work while balancing family life and fitness goals. 

Over time, brain stressors cause:

  • Greater stress
  • Anxiety
  • Social isolation
  • Depression
  • Weight gain/ Obesity
  • Poor quality of life

Researchers are uncovering the strong connection between the health of the brain and the health of the body. Stress on the brain results in a lack of neurotransmitters that allow us to make rational decisions and use good judgment. Communication between the brain and body is impacted by the shortage of neurotransmitters, our chemical messengers. [4]

Not only does stress dull your internal compass, but what you eat affects how you feel. Your client indulges in burgers and beer every weekend which then suppresses their ability to make better decisions and create new behaviors that will elicit long term behavior change. However, by implementing new habits and practicing them daily, it is possible for your clients to improve neurotransmitter communication. As a result, they may create new neural pathways, strengthening their inner compass and judgment which will help with mental health.

Applying The Principles oO Intuitive Eating

The following takeaways are action items that you can share with your clients as you support them in their lifelong journey of intuitive eating. Remember to start small to form a healthy relationship. This is not a revolutionary anti diet approach. It can be overwhelming to incorporate too many changes all at one time. You want them to form a healthier relationship with options.

  • Plan meals and snacks. We’ve all heard the phrase, “failing to plan is planning to fail.” With the intuitive eating approach, it’s important that you anticipate and pay attention to your hunger cues. Keep snacks on hand and spend a day each week creating your grocery list and planning meals in advance. Intuitive eating can be applied whether you eat most of your meals at home or on the road. You can also create an intuitive eating workbook to help.
  • Embrace moderation. If your intuition tells you “eat all the carbs,” that isn’t necessarily a green light to indulge in cinnamon rolls and pastries from the corner bakery. One of the most important components of intuitive eating is moderation and not giving in to emotional hunger. 

Try this for calorie control:

  • Men: 2 palm portions of protein with each meal, 2 fists of vegetables with each meal, 2 cupped handfuls of care dense foods with each meal, 2 entire thumbs of fat dense foods with most meals
  • Women: 1 palm portion of protein dense foods with each meal, 1 fist of vegetables with each meal, 1 cupped handful of carb dense foods with each meal, 1 entire thumb of fat dense foods with most meal
  • Focus on quality over quantity. Nutrient dense foods are those high in micronutrients that help with physical hunger and aid the feeling of fullness. We need them to sustain our bodily systems and function optimally. Processed foods such as crackers, chips, fruit snacks, and dinner rolls have little nutritional value and are often referred to as “empty calories.” Consume these foods sparingly and opt for more nutritious healthy eating choices such as quinoa, brown rice, nuts, fruits, veggies, eggs, chicken, cottage cheese and beans.
  • Follow the 80-20 suggestion. When it comes to intuitive eating, it’s not often we reference numbers. However, the 80-20 suggestion recommends that you consume nutrient rich foods 80% of the time. The remaining 20% is to be spent at your discretion. Yes, it’s okay to eat gummy bears and nachos—just not all of the time. Pay attention to your internal cues and use these numbers as a guideline, not a rule.

Adding a fitness nutrition certification (like the one offered in Lionel’s programs) to your toolbox will provide you with the resources you need to educate and empower your clients. You’ll get the psychology and methods that have been implemented with thousands of successful clients. 

Understanding trending diets, so you can explain them to clients, is part of what nutrition and fitness coaches do? Gone are the days when a personal trainer only works with a client while they’re in the gym. With a degree in exercise science, you’re able to coach fitness AND nutrition clients. And, you learn how to do so much more. At Lionel University you’ll learn about everything health, fitness, and nutrition-related.

Even if you’re already a personal trainer,  getting an associates degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree will get you more job opportunities and the chance to earn more money. This is because exercise science degrees at Lionel prepare you for different jobs and allow you to offer additional services (like nutrition coaching). 

At Lionel you earn multiple certifications and specializations along the way. This means you can start working as a fitness and nutrition professional even before graduation day! And, with the help of financial aid, earning your exercise science degree is even more of a possibility. 

Check out our programs and contact Lionel today!

References

[1] Exercise-Induced Neuroplasticity – Creating New Neural Pathways, Andrea Salzman, 2017, ausmed.com

[2] Strength Training for Fat Loss (p. 14), Nick Tumminello, 2014, Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, Copyright 2014 by Nick Tumminello

[3] Fitness: The Complete Guide (p. 499), Frederick C. Hatfield, PhD, Carpinteria, CA: International Sports Sciences Association, Copyright 2017 by ISSA

[4] Brain Body Diet (p. 13), Sara Gottfried, MD, 2019, New York: HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright 2019 by Sara Gottfried, MD.