1. REJECT THE DIET MENTALITY. Throw out the diet books that offer you false hope of losing weight quickly, easily, and permanently.
  2. HONOR YOUR HUNGER. Keep your body biologically fed with adequate energy and carbohydrates. Learn to honor your first biological signal and set the stage for rebuilding trust with yourself and food.
  3. MAKE PEACE WITH FOOD. Give yourself unconditional permission to eat. If you tell yourself that you can not or should not have a particular food, it can lead to intense feelings of deprivation that build into uncontrollable cravings and, often, binge eating.
  4. CHALLENGE THE FOOD POLICE. The food police monitor the unreasonable rules that dieting has created. Chasing the food police away is a critical step in returning to intuitive eating.
  5. RESPECT YOUR FULLNESS. Listen for your body signals that tell you that you are no longer hungry. Observe the signs that show that you are comfortably full.
  6. DISCOVER THE SATISFACTION FACTOR. The Japanese have the wisdom to promote pleasure as one of the goals of healthy living. When you eat what you really want in an environment that is inviting and conducive, the pleasure you derive is a powerful force in helping you feel satisfied and content.
  7. HONOR YOUR FEELINGS WITHOUT USING FOOD. Eating for an emotional hunger (anxiety, loneliness, boredom, anger) will only make you feel worse in the long run as you ultimately have to deal with the source of the emotion as well as the discomfort of overeating.
  8. RESPECT YOUR BODY. Learn to respect your body so that you can feel better about who you are.
  9. EXERCISE—FEEL THE DIFFERENCE. Get active and feel the difference. Shift your focus to how it feels to move your body, rather than the calorie-burning effect of exercise.
  10. HONOR YOUR HEALTH. Make food choices that honor your health and taste buds, while making you feel well. It is what you eat consistently over time that matters. Progress, not perfection, is what counts.

Intuitive Eating Support

Reference: intuitiveeating.org