trust your body through finding peace with food
Intuitive Eating Counseling in Philadelphia, PA
Are you tired of dieting and still not feeling good enough?
You’ve done intermittent fasting, calorie counting, even Whole 30. Dieting has started to take a toll on your sanity, but you keep hoping that maybe this next one will work. If you could just get to that number on the scale, then you can finally start feeling okay with your body.
Perhaps food is a source of comfort, but it’s hard to stop eating until you feel sick. Maybe you find yourself eating in secret because you are worried what your partner will think. Food has always felt stressful and the more you try to control your eating, the more out of control everything feels.
What is intuitive eating counseling?
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Intuitive eating is an evidenced-based approach that helps you connect to your body’s physical needs by recognizing your hunger and fullness cues. Intuitive eating can help you have a more peaceful relationship with your body by promoting body appreciation and respect. The goal is to help you develop a flexible approach to food, instead of adhering to strict diet rules.
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Intuitive eating is guided by 10 principles that I incorporate into our work together. Our sessions will be structured around these principles:
Reject the Diet MentalitySocial justice and anti-oppression are the roots of this principle. We’ll look at how diet culture has harmed you, and hold these systems accountable rather than blaming yourself.
Honor Your Hunger
Skipping meals or not eating enough will trigger eating past fullness. Excessive hunger makes it difficult to eat in a conscious and intentional way. The goal is to eat a variety of foods on a consistent basis to meet your body’s biological need for hunger.
Make Peace with Food
Giving yourself full permission to eat and stop fighting with yourself on what you’re supposed to eat. Forbidden foods or telling yourself “you can’t eat that” will lead to feeling deprived, which may trigger over-eating.
Discover the Satisfaction Factor
Diet culture often pathologizes eating for pleasure while intuitive eating embraces it as a natural part of being human. Food isn’t just about fueling our bodies, and can be a way to connect with others.
Intuitive eating helps you connect with the pleasure of eating by having foods you truly enjoy in an environment that is relaxed. Enjoying foods on the holidays, cultural traditions, or simply eating because it tastes good. Satisfying your emotional and physical needs will also lead to a more embodied relationship with food.Feel Your Fullness
Learning to recognize your body’s signals of fullness through mindful eating practices.
Challenge the Food Police
Learning to notice that voice in your head that tells you carbs are bad or tells you when you should or shouldn’t eat something.
Cope with your Emotions with Kindness
Learning to cope and manage your feelings in ways beyond food. Recognizing the source of your emotions and addressing any emotional needs that are not being met in your life.
Respect Your Body
Learning to accept your body size and that genetics are not something you can control.
Movement - Feel the Difference
Focusing on how your body and mind feels after movement, and what types of exercise feel enjoyable to you. Learning to approach movement from a balanced place, rather than a way to burn calories or punish yourself.
Honor Your Health- Gentle Nutrition
Learning to eat food that meets your nutritional needs, tastes good, and honors your culture. Having a relaxed relationship with food that doesn’t need to be perfect.
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Intuitive eating helps you trust your body’s signals, rather than relying on diets to know when and what to eat.
The more we try to control what we eat, the more we trigger the part that will ultimately push back against any food rules. The more we try to avoid certain foods, the more they occupy our head space. If you’re constantly hungry and under-nourished, you’ll always be thinking about food. Letting go of those constraints and giving yourself full permission to eat might help you feel less consumed by thoughts around food.
If you struggle with binging or emotional eating, intuitive eating helps you connect to your hunger and fullness cues. You’ll learn to be more present during the experience of eating, and feel better able to honor your feelings of fullness.
Sometimes binge eating is caused by feeling deprived, and other times it’s a way to cope with feelings that are overwhelming. Together, we’ll get to the root of what’s triggering your binging so we can create a plan that works for you.
We;ll use talk therapy and writing exercises to explore your eating patterns and implement intuitive eating exercises. The Intuitive Eating workbook is used as a guideline for structuring our sessions. I recommend that people purchase their own copy and follow along.
What are the health benefits associated with intuitive eating?
Intuitive eating is associated with positive health benefits such as improved cholesterol, blood pressure, and better overall nutrition. Intuitive eating helps prevent yo-yo dieting which can lead to stable weight and improved metabolic health.
Intuitive eating can reduce stress by helping you move away from the shame and guilt that comes with dieting. Intuitive eating leads to more sustainable eating habits and greater life satisfaction.
Frequently asked questions
Does intuitive eating really work?
Yes, it is highly effective in improving your relationship with food, your mental health, and health markers like cholesterol. However, it is not a weight loss program and is anti-diet at its core. IE is beneficial for chronic dieters, people who are later in eating disorder recovery, and anyone who wants a better relationship with food.
Does intuitive eating help with binge-eating?
People with binge-eating habits can struggle with recognizing their fullness cues. Intuitive eating focuses on helping you become more aware of your own fullness cues by slowing down and eating in a more mindful way. Some exercises include eating at a table with no distractions and paying attention to the texture and tastes of the food.
Why Choose Ruberti Counseling Services for Intuitive Eating Counseling
As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, I combine advanced training with lived experience to help people find peace with food. Intuitive eating was central to my own healing and continues to benefit me to this day. While everyone’s experience is different, I understand the ups and downs of intuitive eating on a personal level.
I am a white queer, cis, therapist who is passionate about helping LGBTQ and transgender individuals heal their relationship with food. My approach is nuanced and considers how oppressive sysems might impact how you eat. I also understand that my lived experience is different from yours. In our work together, I maintain awareness of how our identies intersect, and I do my best to remain open and curious to your unique experience.
If you’re ready to leave dieting behind, I’d love to support you in this journey.
Is intuitive eating right for you?
Intuitive Eating Counseling Can Help You…
Think less about food and calories
Trust your hunger and fullness cues
Enjoy going out to eat without feeling stressed
Accept your body as it is without judgement
Break the cycle of yo-yo dieting
Feel more present during the experience of eating
Move your body in a way that feels good
Intutive Eating Counseling for Eating Disorder Recovery and LGBTQ Individuals
For Eating Disorders and Body Image
Intuitive eating counseling helps prevent yo-yo dieting by helping you eat more regularly and mindfully. If you’re in the later stages of recovery and looking to transition out of structured meal plans, intuitive eating might be for you. It’s helpful in addressing binge-eating disorder, emotional eating, and chronic dieting. Learn more about eating disorder therapy.
Trans-Affirming Body Image Therapy
Identity-related struggles, gender dysphoria, and discrimination may impact how you eat and feel in your body. I offer nuanced, affirming care that considers your unique struggles with disordered eating. Learn more about body image therapy.
Intuitive eating is for you…
It’s hard to notice when you’re hungry or full
History of binge-eating or emotional eating
You’ve struggled with calorie counting and yo-yo dieting
You’re in the later stages of your eating disorder recovery
Intuitive eating is not for you…
Weight loss is your primary goal
You’re looking for a structured diet and rules
You want a quick fix or short-term solutions
You have an active eating disorder or are early in your recovery
You don’t have to keep promising yourself that this week will be different
Let’s create a relationship with food that is sustainable.
FAQs
Am I allowed to do intuitive eating even though I want to lose weight?
It’s completely normal to have conflicting desires in your life. You may have one part that wants to have more peace with food and another part that still wants to lose weight, or is fearful of gaining weight. Intuitive eating helps you explore those parts on a deeper level and gain some compassion towards them. My approach is a good fit for you if you’re able to put that weight loss part on the back burner and be open to intuitive eating.
Does intuitive eating cause me to overeat?
Intuitive eating encourages you to give yourself full permission to eat and to let go of food rules. If you’re used to controlling your food intake, this can feel like overeating and can be stressful. The more you try to restrict food, the more you’ll be obsessing over those foods. Allowing yourself to have those foods takes the power away, and helps you connect with what you actually enjoy.
If you’re already struggling with overeating, the cause is likely due to not eating enough food, mental restriction, or emotional triggers. Intuitive eating therapy addresses all of these triggers through satisfying your hunger, honoring your fullness, and challenging any mental food rules.
What are the downsides of intuitive eating?
Years of dieting and restriction can actually damage your hunger signals, making your own intuition unreliable at first. If you’re early in recovery from an eating disorder, it is recommended to work with a registered dietician who is trained in eating disorders. Early eating disorder recovery starts with a more structured eating plan and gradually moves towards intuitive eating later in recovery.
Intuitive eating requires a lot of patience and deep work, which can be hard especially in the beginning. I recommend that people seek an intuitive eating dietician and/or therapist for additional support.
Intuitive eating can feel like a drastic change if you’re used to dieting or like having more structure. Letting go of food rules can feel stressful and out of control. Reading the intuitive eating book, joining a support group, or working with a therapist can provide the structure that you may be missing.
Is intuitive eating beneficial for people with diabetes?
Yes, IE is highly beneficial for people with diabetes. It is associated with better glycemic control, lower A1C levels, and less stress. While intuitive eating is adaptable to chronic health issues, it requires more strategic planning.
IE emphasizes gentle nutrition strategies like pairing carbs with proteins and fats, rather than intentional weight loss. Your blood glucose levels become the measure of health, rather than the number on the scale. Honoring your hunger and fullness are IE principles that help prevent over-eating, which also benefits diabetes management. Engaging in movement is another IE principle that can help manage blood sugar.
Has anyone lost weight doing intuitive eating?
Intuitive eating is not designed as a weight loss diet and attempting intuitive eating with the primary goal of losing weight often sabotages the process. However, changes in weight can be a side effect of intuitive eating as you start to eat more in tune with your hunger and fullness cues. Some peoples’ weight stays the same, while other people may gain or lose weight. Changes in weight can bring up a lot of complicated feelings. An intuitive eating counselor can help you process those emotions.
Is it normal to gain weight on intuitive eating?
If you gain weight from intuitive eating, that means you weren’t eating enough food to begin with. People who struggle with restrictive diets, calorie counting, and portion control may naturally gain weight since they will be eating in response to their hunger and fullness cues. Intuitive eating helps your body restore to its natural, genetic blueprint.
Weight gain is not good or bad, and is not the sole indicator of health. However it’s normal to feel anxiety and stress if you're experiencing weight gain in intuitive eating. A therapist or intuitive eating counselor can help you process the feelings that come up around body image and weight gain.