Last updated April 5, 2024

Intuitive eating when you are neurodivergent

CW: Talk of eating disorders, diet culture, eating, cooking, exercise, and the like. This is all approached from a place of kindness and healing, but it could still be triggering to some people. Please take care of yourself and reach out for help if you need it. If you need someone to talk to about eating disorders check this list of hotlines and resources.

Preface; I am not a medical professional of any sort. Anything you read on this page is not intended to be medical advice. I am just a random person on the internet who has worked to heal their relationship with food and their body, and wants to encourage others to do the same. If you have a history of eating disorders, please work with a medical professional. If you have a medical condition that requires following a specific eating plan, working with your medical team here is also important. Be mindful when looking for help. There are a lot of people online who are “coaches” who may not have any real medical training. Some of people may be helpful and great educators, but depending on your situation they may not be a good fit for you. Learn the difference between a dietician and a nutritionist. The Intuitive Eating website has directory of intuitive eating certified counselors, but these are not your only options. If you feel you would benefit from a dietician's help, call offices and ask questions. Ask if they have heard of Intuitive Eating and what experience they may have with it. If they don’t want to answer your questions, they probably aren’t worth your time.

My history with Intuitive Eating

I am not an IE vet, instead I was introduced to IE in the fall of 2022. I was in a bad space, having some health issues, and my mind was dragging me back into restriction mode. A week or two into diet mode I kinda just said “There has to be a better way”. And thankfully I found my answer. I stumbled across an amazing video on youtube where a registered dietician was talking about “adding, not taking away” from your food. The example she gave was a plain bowl of cereal. You don’t have to stop eating the cereal because it “isn’t healthy enough”, but could you pair that cereal with other foods? For example, could you add some seeds or nuts you like? What about fruit? By adding to the cereal you are still having cereal, but you are also now having a meal with more varied nutrition that will also be more filling. This mindset unlocked something in me and I needed more, not too long afterwards, trying to look for similar content, I came across Intuitive Eating.

It has been about a year and a half now since I started IE, and I am in a much better place when it comes to food. I eat a wider variety of foods than I used to. I see my doctor yearly and get a health screening from work and I have been doing well. A new thing for me the past few months is I exercise more regularly than I ever have at any point of my life. I have a variety of easy to do exercises I can do at home that I do most days of the week. I am more easily able to turn away from whatever new woo woo diet trend is going around now. I am able to show my body compassion and worries about eating “right” don’t stress my brain out as much anymore. This is not to say I am perfect. There are times I have doubts, anxieties, where I feel like maybe I should just diet again. But overall, I would say I am a much happier and calm person when it comes to food and my body since I tried IE.

Two things that bring me to write this post. 1.) I am neurodivergent and I think some of the base framework for IE can be challenging to approach for someone like me. I don’t like to think of IE as being “rules”, but there were things I deviated from to make it easier for me. You are aiming for long term stability, which sometimes means changing the formula. 2.) I recently have been pretty sick after a stomach bug. I am having GI issues and also potentially issues with oxalate buildup in my kidneys. I have been working with my doctor and she has suggested some diet changes to me that might help out. Past me would have freaked out, made a big deal, and totally changed everything I am doing in a dramatic and stressful way. Instead, I have been able to approach my situation with a more level head and compassion. I am focusing on the foods I can eat instead of panicking about the foods I should be moderating.

What is Intuitive Eating?

A good place to get an understanding of what Intuitive Eating is all about is, well the IE website! I suggest starting out reading the 10 Principles of IE to help get you started. To me, IE is about rejecting diet culture, rejecting that I have to eat “perfectly” like some random person I see online. IE is about listening to my body. It is about trying new things, while also not being afraid to say “I didn’t like that”. It is about eating the foods that make me feel good, moving my body in a way that feels good, and it doesn’t have to match what others do. And so much more

I do strongly recommend reading the book. It is fairly easy to find either used or through your library/Hoopla. You are looking for Intuitive eating : a revolutionary anti-diet approach 4th edition by Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole. Some of the things presented in the IE books have changed a little over the years as the writers have learned more about what does and doesn’t work for their clients and what new science has changed around diet and weight. The writers are both registered dietitians who have been practicing and teaching IE for years. In fact the first IE book is almost 20 years old now!

While reading the book, keep an open mind. There were a lot of things that I thought “I am never going to do this.” or “That seems like too much” I suggest trying out the various exercises given a couple times, but if it doesn’t gel with you, don’t fret. I do eat most of my meals with distractions still, and I really don’t pay attention to fullness levels. I found the way fullness was presented in the book to be a little overwhelming. I found it helpful to eat slower and pay more attention to how my food tastes/body feels while eating, but I don’t track it any further than that. I will talk more about ways that IE can be adapted in the next section

A lot of Intuitive Eating literature is aimed at middle class and up, (white) cis women who are struggling with diet culture. While diet culture and restrictive eating can affect anyone, unfortunately there really hasn’t been a greater effort to widen the lens. I did find it a bit difficult at times, and even a little dysphoria inducing. I don’t say this to scare you away, but just know there are times you will probably ask “Is this really for someone like me?” and the answer is yeah, it still is.

WIP more to come soon!

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