Will Intuitive Eating Help Me Lose Weight?

The Honest Answer

Heather Soman, RD

“Will I lose weight with intuitive eating?” is one of the most common questions I hear in my practice as a Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor. This is such an important conversation to have because Intuitive Eating is not a diet. It's purpose has nothing to do with weight.

A diet dictates the what, when, and how much we eat. There are medically necessary diets for some people (which is often where a dietitian can be essential) such as: gluten free for celiac disease or an evidence-based diet protocol like the Portfolio Diet to help lower cholesterol. When we typically think of diets though, we often think about weight loss being the goal.

We have an article all about the Harms of Diets here if you'd like to learn more.

It’s an important conversation because intuitive eating is often misunderstood. Many people approach it like another diet and then feel frustrated when it doesn’t “work” the way they expected.

In this article, I’ll break down what the research says, what you can realistically expect, and why focusing solely on weight might actually hold you back.

What Is Intuitive Eating (Really)?

At its core, intuitive eating isn’t about weight loss. Its primary goals are:

• Healing your relationship with food

• Improving mental health

• Reducing disordered eating behaviours

I often call it the antidote to dieting. Instead of rules and restrictions, intuitive eating is about tuning back into your body’s natural cues for hunger, fullness, and satisfaction.

If we didn’t live in such a diet-culture-driven world, this probably wouldn’t need to be explained—it would just be called eating.

Normal eating looks like:

• Having three meals a day, with snacks in between

• Enjoying food with friends or family without guilt

• Choosing foods for both nourishment and pleasure

• Experiencing food as culture, memory, and connection—not just calories or macros

That’s what intuitive eating helps us return to.

If you missed it, check out Episode 1: What Is Intuitive Eating? to dive deeper.

What the Research Says About Weight and Intuitive Eating

Here’s the honest truth: everyone’s body responds differently.

• Some people lose weight, especially if they’ve been caught in binge–restrict cycles.

• Some people maintain weight once their eating patterns stabilize.

• Some people gain weight, particularly if they’ve been chronically under-eating.

These shifts happen because your body is working toward its set point weight—the weight range it naturally tries to maintain when you’re nourishing it consistently. Trying to stay far below your set point often requires extreme restriction, which isn’t sustainable or healthy long-term.

I’ll be doing a whole episode on set point theory soon, but for now, think of it as your body’s “happy place” where it feels safe, nourished, and balanced.

The More Consistent Findings

While weight outcomes vary, research shows more reliable results in other areas:

• Improved self-esteem (SpringerLink)

• Better body image (PMC Study)

• Reduced disordered eating behaviors

• More stable eating patterns

• Lower stress and guilt around food

There’s also promising evidence around physical health markers, like improvements in:

• Blood pressure

• Cholesterol

• Blood sugar regulation

In other words, intuitive eating is strongly linked with health benefits that go beyond the scale.

Harvard Nutrition Source – Intuitive Eating

Cleveland Clinic: What Is Intuitive Eating?CV Wellbeing: Intuitive Eating & Weight Loss

Why Focusing on Weight Can Backfire

When intuitive eating is treated like another diet—“I’ll do this so I can lose X pounds”—it undermines the entire process.

Here’s why:

• The restriction/pressure mindset makes it harder to hear your hunger and fullness cues.

• You lose touch with interoceptive awareness (your body’s ability to sense internal signals like hunger, fullness, or energy levels).

• You stay stuck chasing outcomes you can’t fully control (the scale) instead of focusing on behaviours you can control (eating consistently, gentle movement, honouring cravings).

Shifting the focus from weight outcomes to behaviour outcomes is what makes intuitive eating so powerful.

Common Myths About Intuitive Eating

“Intuitive eating = eat whatever you want?”Not exactly. Yes, you have unconditional permission to eat all foods, but the key is tuning into how those foods make you feel—satisfied, energized, or overly full. It’s about checking in, not checking out.

“Intuitive eating always causes weight gain?”No. Some people gain, some lose, some maintain. It depends on your starting point and set point weight.

“You can’t be healthy without losing weight.”Health is far more than body size. Mental health, stress levels, sleep, social connection, and daily habits matter far more than the number on a scale.

For More check out Episode 2: Why Diets Don't Work

What to Expect When You Start

Everyone’s journey looks a little different:

• Chronically under-eating: weight gain may be a protective response.

• Restrict–binge cycles: weight may stabilize, and binges often decrease.

• Weight cycling history: intuitive eating can bring stability, both physically and mentally.

No matter where you start, the focus is always on:

• Building trust with your body

• Creating consistent, satisfying eating patterns

• Freeing up mental space from food obsession

How to Begin Your Intuitive Eating Journey

Here are some reflection prompts:

1. What would health look like if weight wasn’t the focus?

2. What’s your history with dieting, and how has it shaped your relationship with food?

3. What would it feel like if food didn’t take up so much space in your life?

And remember: this isn’t a 30-day challenge. Intuitive eating is a long-term shift toward freedom, balance, and trust.

The Bottom Line

Intuitive eating is not a weight loss plan—and that’s actually its strength.

Instead of chasing a number on the scale, it helps you:

• Heal your relationship with food

• Rebuild trust in your body

• Improve your physical and mental health in ways dieting never could

Your body will settle where it feels safe and nourished. In the meantime, you’ll gain something far more important than weight loss: freedom.

Next Steps

Ready to go deeper? Check out The Empowered Eating Journey — a step-by-step program to help you let go of food rules, reconnect with your body, and eat with confidence.

Grab my free Hunger & Fullness Cues PDF here — a simple guide to help you tune back into your body.