Contents

Acknowledgments

Foreword

—Tracy L. Tylka, PhD, FAED

Introduction

What Is Intuitive Eating?

Benefits of Intuitive Eating

Getting the Most Out of This Workbook

Intuitive Eating Assessment Scale—2

Scoring

Chapter 1: Principle One: Reject the Diet Mentality

Dieting Leads to Weight Gain

The Paradox of So-Called Healthy Weight

Dieting Hurts Your Psychological Health and Well-Being

Cultivating Self-Compassion

Your Dieting History

How Has Dieting Interfered with Your Life?

The Dangers of Weight Cycling

Letting Go of the Fantasy

Dieting Mentality: Exploring the Hidden Forms of Dieting

Dieting Mentality Reflection

Wrap-Up

chapter 2: Principle Two: Honor Your Hunger

Body Cue Awareness: Interoceptive Awareness

Getting to Know Your Body’s Physical Sensations

Attunement Reflection

Self-Care and Attunement Disrupters

Self-Care Reflection

Getting to Know Your Biological Hunger

Hunger-Body-Mind Connection

Getting to Know Your Hunger

Reflection

Hunger Discovery Scale

Hunger Discovery Scale Reflection

Nourishment as Self-Care

My Self-Care Nourishment Plan: Nutrition 911

I Can’t Be Hungry—I Just Ate! Distinguishing Between Thoughts and Hunger Cues

Reflection

Wrap-Up

chapter 3: Principle Three: Make Peace with Food

Why Unconditional Permission to Eat Is Vital: The Deprivation Set-Up

Dietary Restraint Theory

The What-the-Hell Effect

Perception

Anticipation of Food Restriction

The Irony of Thought Suppression

The Forbidden-Fruit Phenomenon

Inventory: What Foods Do You Currently Forbid or Restrict?

Reflection: Your Forbidden Food Inventory

Habituation: Familiarity and Exposure Breeds Ordinariness

Dieting Impedes the Habituation Effect

Reflection: Your “Last Supper” Eating History

Fears That Hold You Back

What Are Your Fears?

Reflection: Fears About Eating Forbidden Food

Are You Ready to Make Peace with Food?

Reflection: Your Readiness to Make Peace with Food

Systematic Habituation: Make Peace with Food

Getting Ready: Prepare to Make the Best of Your Experience

A Couple Final Notes

Entitlement Eating (You Can’t Tell Me What to Eat)

What About Allergies and Medical Conditions

Wrap-Up

chapter 4: Principle Four: Challenge the Food Police

Examine Your Beliefs

Evaluate Your Belief System About Food and Your Body

Examine the Origin of Your Beliefs

Beliefs Affect Thoughts

Examine Your Thoughts

Challenge Your Food Police Thoughts

Make Statements Based on Facts

Approach Your Thoughts with Curious Awareness

How Thoughts Affect Feelings

Pay Attention to Your Feelings

Reframe Your Negative, Judgmental Thoughts

How Feelings Affect Behavior

Reflect on Past Overeating Experiences

Spiral of Healing—The Way Out of Judgmental Self-Talk

Come From a Place of Curiosity, Not Judgment

Transforming Negative Self-Talk into Positive Self-Talk and Gratitude

Create Positive Self-talk and Gratitude

Frame Your Goals and Behaviors with “For the Most Part” Thinking

Food Rules

Examine Your Food Rules

Challenge Your Food Rules

Your Family’s Food Rules

Review Your Responses to Your Family’s Food Rules

Distinguish Your Own Beliefs from Your Family’s Rules

Comments from Others

Explore Comments You Have Received from Others

Inner Food Voices

Become Familiar with the Inner Food Voices

Wrap-Up

Chapter 5: Principle Five: Feel Your Fullness

Barriers to Experiencing Fullness

Distracted Eating

Eating as Sacred Time: Create the Optimal Eating Environment

Clean Plate Club

Clean Plate Assessment

Automatic Habit Disrupter: Left Hand Eating Experiment

Learning to Say No

Characteristics of Fullness

The Emergence of Fullness

Interoceptive Awareness with a Water-Drinking Activity

Factors That Influence Fullness

Discovering the Fullness and Staying Power of Foods

Foods That Increase Fullness

Foods with Little Staying Power

Satiety Snack Practices

Reflection

Discovering Meals with Staying Power

Reflection

Fullness Discovery Scale

Reflection on Your Fullness Ratings

The Last Bite Threshold

Wrap-Up

Chapter 6: Principle Six: Discover the Satisfaction Factor

Why Satisfaction and Pleasure Are Important

What Do You Really Want to Eat?

Sensory Considerations

What Taste Sounds Appealing?

What Texture Sounds Interesting?

What Distinct Aromas Are Appealing?

What Temperature of Food Is Enticing?

What About the Appearance of Food?

How Do You Feel about the Volume and Sustaining Capacity of the Food?

The Importance of Eating Slowly and Mindfully

iEAT Scripted Activity

Get Ready

iEAT Practice

iEAT Reflection

Advanced iEAT Practice: Distracting Thoughts

Sensory Specific Satiety

Advanced Practice: Detecting Sensory Specific Satiety

The Impact of Hunger and Fullness

Last Bite Threshold

Reflection on the Satisfaction Discovery Worksheet

Your Eating Environment

Examine Your Current Eating Environment

Reflection

Cultivating a Pleasant Eating Environment

Your Emotional Connection to Eating

Your Emotional Atmosphere

Your Favorites: Foods, Dining Companions, and Places to Eat

Wrap-Up

chapter 7: Principle Seven: Cope with Your Feelings Without Using Food

Detecting Your Vulnerability to Eating Problems: It Might Not Be Emotions!

Self-Care: Reevaluating the Basics

Sleep

Life Balance

Nourishment

Stress

Evaluating Your Deprivation Quotient: Stealth Deprivation

Emotional Reasons for Overeating

Evaluating the Pros and Cons of Emotional Eating

Identify Emotional Triggers

Become Aware of Your Range of Feelings

Reflection

Healing Emotional Eating

Self-Care, Nurturance, and Compassion

Using Your Imagination

Learning to Sit with Your Feelings

Taking a Time-Out: What Am I Feeling Right Now?

What Is It That I Really Need at This Moment?

Building Your Emotional Muscles

The Sadness of Saying Enough

The “One Little Thing” Approach

Helpful Distraction

Prevention

Preparation

Rehearsal and Visualization

Wrap-Up

Chapter 8: Principle Eight: Respect Your Body

You Can’t Fool Mother Nature!

Your Life Without Body Negativity

Ways to Show Your Body Respect

Gratitude

Self-Care

Getting Rid of the Scale

Stop Body Checking

Throw Out Old Clothes

Wear Comfortable Clothes

Buying New Clothes

Stop Comparing

Your Personal Qualities

Body Comparison

The “And” Practice—Taking the Focus Off Body Identification

Envy

Body Bashing

Negative Body Talk

Formal Assessment of Positive Body Image

Body Appreciation Scale

Wrap-Up

Chapter 9: Principle Nine: Exercise: Feel the Difference

Start By Simply Sitting Less in Your Daily Living

Getting Real: Estimating the Amount of Your Sitting Time

Exploring How to Sit Less and Interrupt Prolonged Sitting

The Pursuit of Pleasurable Activities

Let Your Body Be Your Guide: Mindful Exercise

Exploring How the Pursuit of Enjoyable Activities Would Impact You

Benefits of and Barriers to Physical Activity

Benefits of Physical Activity

Health Benefits of Physical Activity

Exploring the Short-Term Life-Enhancing Benefits of Physical Activity

Barriers to Exercise

Evaluating Barriers to Exercise

Exploring Barriers to Exercise

Overcoming Barriers: Importance of a Body-Positive Environment

Discover Physical Activities You Enjoy

Getting Started

Physical Activities Worksheet

Exploring Physical Activities

How Much Activity and How Often?

How Many Minutes Per Week?

Effort or Intensity

Physical Activity Planning Guide

Monitoring How You Feel

Reflection of Activity Journal

Exercising Too Much

Wrap-Up

Chapter 10: Principle Ten: Honor Your Health: Gentle Nutrition

Body-Food Choice Congruence

The Messages from Your Body

Play Food Versus Nutritious Food

Are You Ready to Consider Nutrition in Your Food Choices?

What Motivates Your Food Choice?

Authentic Health

Food Wisdom

Starting with the Basics: Variety, Moderation, and Balance

Nutrition Recommendations

The Five Overarching 2015–2020 Guidelines

Eat Not Too Much—and Not Too Little

Issues of Eating Not Too Much

Issues of Eating Too Little

Nutrition and Satisfaction

Wrap-Up

It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect

Intuitive Eating Resources

General

Counseling and Support

Professional Resources

References

Footnotes