All throughout our series on intuitive eating, we've talked about what a process it is to move away from the diet mentality thinking we've been surrounded with our whole lives. Hopefully some of the tips we've shared on the blog and in our email series have helped you start out on that journey, but I think having an abundance of resources to turn to never hurts!
Below are some incredible blog posts from other non-diet dietitians that I highly respect and that also specialize in intuitive eating and a Health at Every Size approach. Each one addresses a common struggle on the path toward body acceptance and intuitive eating and might help you feel less alone on the journey. I'd also recommend checking out my favorite non-diet resources here for a few of my favorite books, podcasts, and Instagram accounts.
There is a lot here. You don't have to read them all at once. Browse through and see what resonates with where you are right now. Then, save this to come back to down the road when you need some additional support or come up against something new in your journey.
Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size Are Not Anti-Health. A great, concise summary of why focusing on weight as an indicator of health has largely been unhelpful. Links to additional resources are also included.
Letting Go of the Thin Ideal or Your Thinner Body. If you've ever felt stuck in the tough place of wanting to become an intuitive eater but also wanting to lose weight, this is for you.
Your Body is Dynamic, Not Static. Excellent thoughts on accepting that your set point is a range and that your body will change throughout life.
The Stages of Grief in Body Acceptance. Letting go of the pursuit of weight loss is no easy task. This post does an excellent job of helping understand the negative feelings that come with the process.
On Seeing a Photo of Yourself and Not Liking How You Look. If it's hard to see yourself in a photo or mirror without going down a spiral of judgement and negative thinking, this post might be helpful.
20 Things to Compliment Someone on Other Than Appearance. You may not notice how often conversations center on weight, appearance, and food until you start working toward intuitive eating. Help shift the conversation with these non-appearance focused compliments.
15 Things to Talk About Other Than Dieting. Same idea as above!
The Numbers that Count Can't be Measured on a Scale. LOVE this for shifting focus as you ditch the scale and pursue body acceptance.
I Can't Love my Body at this Weight. Loving your body may feel like a tall order and you may prefer a smaller body size, but can you learn to accept and care for your body where it is?
On Eating Cookie Dough Until You Feel Sick. Giving yourself unconditional permission to eat can feel out of control. Hopefully this provides some reassurance for that process.
Intuitive Eating and Weight Loss (Part 1) and Should I Lose Weight? Can I Lose Weight Without Dieting? (Part 2). Intuitive eating is not just for people at a certain weight or size. If you've ever felt like or been told you need to lose weight for your health and are skeptical of intuitive eating for that reason, these posts are for you. Weight and health are not the same thing!
Why "Feeling Fat" Has Nothing to do With Your Size. Fat is not a feeling and "feeling fat", while often triggered by something body related, is usually about something else entirely.
Why It's Harmful to Equate Thinness with Health. Recognizing that weight and health are not the same thing is incredibly helpful in the journey toward eating intuitively.
Intuitive Eating is Not Letting Yourself Go. Have you ever felt like eating intuitively rather than tracking everything you eat meant you didn't care or that you were giving up? You're not alone in that. This is a great read for you!
How to Overcome Fears Around Your Body Changing. Our bodies are meant to change throughout our lives but that can feel so scary, especially when our culture indicates that we should always be doing something to try to control our body size. This is a great read if you've ever come up against that fear and, let's be honest, who hasn't?
Making Peace With My Body Meant Saying Goodbye to High Heels. This is a must-read by a dietitian living in a disabled body on how choosing not to accept the reality that is your body isn't going to change it, it will just make living in it more difficult.
8 Surprising Facts About Nutrition. This is one of the best and most approachable articles I've read on the true science of nutrition and I think it can be really helpful when you're trying to challenge the food police, diet mentality, and/or black and white thinking about nutrition.
Why You Should Delete Your MyFitnessPal App. Such a fantastic overview of how the body uses calories and the inaccuracy of both calorie calculators and nutrition labels. You might find this really helpful if you've struggled with calorie counting and have found it difficult to break away from.
