The Eating Season is Now!
Most of us have a particular way of eating—an unconscious style that shapes how we think about food, how we make choices, and how we feel after eating. Some styles are balanced and sustainable, while others create stress, guilt, or long-term health challenges.
According to Tribole and Resch, who developed Intuitive Eating, there are four key categories of eating: the Careful Eater, the Professional Dieter, the Unconscious Eater, and the Intuitive Eater. People in each style may differ in many ways, but when it comes to how they eat and how they feel after eating, they tend to have rather similar experiences
As you read this, think about who you may know that might fit in each category. And if you are feeling quite brave, think about which category you tend to fit.
The Careful Eater
Careful Eaters are always vigilant. They monitor everything that goes into their bodies and create strict rules about what is “good” or “bad.” For some, it’s avoiding high fat, for others, it’s “highly processed” foods that are the enemy. Often they have elaborate internalized rules about calories, nutrients, and portion sizes. They often have rules about when they can eat too, like “I can only eat unhealthy foods on the weekends” or “on vacation.” Eating out is fraught with difficult choices for the Careful Eater, trying to find something on the menu that is acceptable according to their internal standards. “Does this dish have…” is a common question.
Is Careful Bad?
What is the problem, you may be asking yourself, with being careful? Many folks are even told to “watch their weight” and “eat healthier” by their doctor. The challenge with this eating style is not the desire to eat nutritiously—the problem is the intensity of the need for control, and the magnitude of guilt when their internal rules are broken.
The Professional Dieter
Professional Dieters are always on (or between) diets. They usually have tried the latest diet book, tiktok trend, or instagram weight loss wonderfood. Or they have an informed reason why that trend won’t work. Professional Dieters know all about portions, calories, macronutrients, and “tricks” to help stick to whatever is the latest thing. Their eating habits often shift dramatically depending on the plan they’re following, creating cycles of restriction, “cheat days,” and inevitable disappointment.
These days, some Professional Dieters will claim its about health, not weight. You may hear “I’m trying to get ‘better’ with food” or “I want to eat healthier” but the endless cycle of trying new fads remains the same.
Is Dieting Bad?
What’s the problem with the Professional Dieter eating style? Radically changing eating patterns, repeatedly, is very stressful on the body. The body has defenses against dying of starvation, which is activated when it does not get enough nutrients. And your body does not know the difference between a purposeful diet and living through a famine. So with each new food fad, the body’s survival mechanisms get more activated. This leads to side effects like slower metabolism and fat retention, even when not dieting. It therefore makes sense that going on a diet is actually a reliable predictor of gaining weight in the 6 months after the diet.
The Unconscious Eater
The Unconscious Eater often does not notice what, or how much, they’re eating until after the fact. They come in several variations:
Chaotic Unconscious Eater:
This person often lives an extremely busy life. They have too much to do, so food tends to get shoved into the day wherever is convenient. Since this eating style is characterized by haphazardness and lack of preparation, this eating style tends to eat whatever is available. Vending machine food, free giveaways, snacks, whatever is convenient when they realize they are hungry and have a little time, they will eat it. Health and size are often important to the Chaotic Unconscious Eater, but in the moment of chaos, they make choices that go against what they care about. They often go a long time without eating, putting out fires, and taking care of others. This type of eater often does not even notice they are hungry till they are ravenous and even a chocolate bar sounds delicious! This type of eater will often be found among medical folks, high-powered professionals, and busy parents.
The Refuse-Not Unconscious Eater:
This type of eater is tempted by any food, regardless of if they are hungry or full. And most of the time, the Refuse-Not Unconscious Eater is unaware that they are eating, or how much they are eating. They see it, then they are eating it, without conscious thought in between. Social situations like office candy bowls, and holiday buffets, are extremely difficult for this type of eater, who often later feels guilt about how much they’ve eaten, or feel uncomfortable due to eating regardless of their body’s signals.
The Waste-Not Unconscious Eater:
This person values money, or the environment, or both. Often this person grew up with a family or culture that encouraged “finishing their plate.” They may also have strong values about environmentalism. This is the family member that will clean their own plate, then perhaps offer to clean others’ plates too. They prioritize avoiding food waste, versus listening to hunger cues.
The Emotional Unconscious Eater:
This is about food as a coping mechanism, especially for uncomfortable emotions like stress, anger, or loneliness. While they tend to think the problem is their eating, or their willpower, it’s really covering up a deeper issue. The Emotional Unconscious Eater can range in severity from grabbing an ice cream after a stressful day, to chronic binges of large amounts of food.
Is Unconscious Eating Bad?
All these unconscious eating styles can be fine! We all chat while eating a meal with friends, or mindlessly finish a bucket of popcorn while engrossed in a good movie. Unconscious eating only becomes a problem when they produce chronic over-eating. Which is quite easy to do when you are eating, and not aware of it.
Intuitive Eater
This is the person who follows their internal hunger signals. They eat when they are hungry, and stop when they no longer want more food. Intuitive Eaters can move through the world without experiencing guilt, or ethical dilemmas, or feeling the need to “make a change.” This is how we are all born. Think of toddlers – they know what they want, and are able to tell very clearly when they are hungry or not.
Can Intuitive Eating be Learned?
Remaining an Intuitive Eater can be difficult in today’s culture, where food “hacks,” restrictive diets, and wellness trends are everywhere. But it is still possible! Intuitive eating is an attainable, sustainable relationship with food, that listens to what each person’s body needs, rather than following impersonal external rules.
Any of these sound like a loved one, or like yourself?
If you are interested in learning more, and exploring your relationship with food, or being a positive force for loved ones who may struggle with food or their bodies, consider continuing the conversation with a therapist.
Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2012). Intuitive eating: A revolutionary program that works (3rd ed.). St. Martin’s Griffin.