Mindful Eating vs. Intuitive Eating: What's the Difference?

Intuitive Eating: A Trademark

I’m going to be honest with you... When I first discovered what I now call mindful eating, I didn’t have a name for it. I simply called it "intuitive eating" because that is what it was. However, as I started building my business, I realized something important. Most people in the "intuitive eating" space were dietitians who had completed an official "Intuitive Eating" certification course. This led me to a surprising discovery: the term "Intuitive Eating" is actually trademarked, and it all started with two women who coined the term. If you are interested in the trade mark, you can check it out here

These two women have successfully coached others to become intuitive eaters, teaching them how to listen to their bodies and eat without restrictions. To be honest, I had never heard of them until it was time for me to establish my own approach. I didn’t want to pay to label myself as an intuitive eater, especially after researching the trademark.

That said, after diving into more research about the trademark, I realized something important: mindful eating and what I believe about how to view eating habits intuitive eating share many similarities.

Here are a few things that overlap:

• Listening to your body while eating: Both practices emphasize the importance of tuning in to your body’s natural signals.

• No food restrictions: Both encourage enjoying a variety of foods without guilt or shame.

• Taking breaks during meals: Pausing while eating helps you tune into how your body is responding to the food.

• Letting go of diet culture: Both practices aim to free you from the cycle of restrictive eating and focus on balance.

• Rebalancing the body: The goal of both approaches is to reconnect with your body’s natural cues, rather than adhering to external rules.

While intuitive eating has established steps and guidelines to help people reconnect with their bodies, the focus is not on weight loss but on rediscovering a healthy relationship with food. This process often leads to weight loss naturally, as it helps people listen to their bodies more effectively.

Mindful Eating

Mindful eating shares many similarities with intuitive eating. From my research so far, there are no rigid rules or practices to follow with mindful eating. At its core, both mindful eating and intuitive eating encourage trusting yourself when it comes time to eat. However, the key difference lies in their origins.

Mindful eating is about practicing mindfulness while eating, and it traces its roots to Buddhist teachings from thousands of years ago. While I’m not Buddhist myself, I’ve noticed a common thread in the mindful eating space online, with many bloggers and brands incorporating Buddhist sentiments into their approach.

Where Do I Lie?

truly, I lie in the middle of both, but I intentionally chose to build my brand around mindful eating more than intuitive eating for a few key reasons:

Avoiding Trademark Issues

 I didn’t want to deal with the potential legal headaches of not adhering to the trademark of "intuitive eating." No I have never met the dieticians who trademarked the term in the first place and while they may not care, the truth is too, I don't know if all of my practices and mindsets are the same as theirs and I don't want people looking for something specific and run into issues.

While writing my book, which delves deeply into my personal journey, I realized that I had never heard of the creators of intuitive eating before, and their approach more than likely isn't what they have established over the last 30 years.

Similar to why I wouldn't make myself a weight watchers brand. While yes, there are parts to watching your weight in mindful eating, weight watchers is an already established brand.

I also disagree with idea of trademarking such a generic term like intuitive eating. Mindfulness and intuition are synonyms. and there are people out there who are looking for the same concept without looking for a brand.

The Spiritual Component 

I resonate strongly with the spiritual aspect of mindful eating. Although I am not a practicing Buddhist, I am a practicing Christian, and the Bible encourages a mindful approach to eating. Many proverbs, as well as Jesus’s words, challenge us to disconnect from worldly distractions and put our faith and trust in Him. I haven’t deeply studied the practices of "intuitive eating" as outlined by dietitians Tribole and Resch, and I don’t know their stance on fasting. However, fasting is a significant practice in both the Buddhist tradition and in Christianity, where it plays an important role in following Jesus.

A Small Start to a Bigger Gateway

 I chose to brand my company around mindful eating rather than intuitive eating because mindful eating is just one piece of the puzzle for long-term weight loss. That piece is mindfulness. I often tell people that if my university had offered a sociology program, I would have taken it because I’m fascinated by culture. In America, we’re a melting pot of different cultures, and there’s so much we can learn from one another.

My approach does have steps to help discover mindfulness. But like there is more than one way to fish, there are multiple ways to accomplish mindful eating/ intuitive eating to become reconnected to your body's natural cues for food.

For Me, Mindful Eating is About More Than Just Food 

Mindful eating influences everything in my life — from what I put in my kitchen to how I maintain my home. It shapes how I parent my children and guides the methods I use in my everyday life. While all of this is rooted in my personal conviction with Jesus, I find it important to extend mindfulness beyond just food. Mindful eating is just the beginning of a larger journey of living with intention and purpose.

My Goal and Purpose with MindfullyEat.com

After maintaining weight loss for so many years, it breaks my heart to see that the same voices dominating weight loss advice are only contributing to our growing obesity crisis. How can I be a voice for those who, like me, don’t want to be trapped in obesity, but also don’t want to follow rigid rules or buy into diet culture?

Diet culture originally emerged out of vanity, but today, it’s evolved into something that feels like a societal necessity. If you look at the statistics, you're more likely to survive a hike up Mount Everest than find long-term success through traditional dieting. What's even more alarming is that this issue is no longer confined to adults—our children, our future, are now at risk of suffering from obesity too.

On top of this, we face a massive problem with consumerism in our country. My goal is not just to help people let go of food addiction, but to help them release any attachment to harmful consumer habits that may emerge in other areas of life.

How am I going to make this a viable business?

When this idea began to take shape a few years ago, I was talking to people in the online marketing world for advice. At the time, I was just an elementary school teacher, and I knew nothing about online marketing. Absolutely nothing! But as the Bible says in Proverbs 15:22, "Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors, they are established and succeed."

I remember one friend telling me that when it comes to weight loss, some people (myself included) need to have "skin in the game" to truly get started. Free resources can help some, and that’s where the blog comes in—helping those who naturally seek out information. But for others, a structured, distinct class that I create, backed by my love of curriculum and instruction, will provide the foundation for a viable business.

Some Goals for the Coming Year:

• A Practical Get-Started Guide with Email Counseling

• An Online Course: A 6-month deep dive into building a healthy relationship with food.

• A Book: I've been writing this for years, and it’s always been my dream to become an author.

• A Journal: For self-reflection and applying mindful eating in daily life to spark both mental and physical transformation.

Wrapping up

In the end, mindful eating is not just about food—it's about making intentional choices that align with your values, reconnecting with your body, and letting go of the pressures of diet culture. It’s a journey I’ve walked myself, and I invite you to read more about my personal journey to mindful eating and how it’s transformed my life.

If you're ready to take the first step toward a healthier, more mindful relationship with food, I encourage you to subscribe to my blog. By signing up, you’ll receive regular insights, helpful tips, and exclusive content that will guide you on your own mindful eating journey.

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