Intuitive Eating

Learning to Trust Myself Again: My Journey into Intuitive Eating at 45

At 45, I’ve been on and off diets for nearly three decades. Keto, Weight Watchers, intermittent fasting—you name it, I’ve probably tried it. Each time, I started with hope and discipline, followed by burnout, guilt, and usually, weight gain. It felt like I was stuck in a cycle I couldn’t escape. Then one afternoon, while scrolling through Instagram, I stumbled across a post from @theintuitive_rd. It said, “You are not a problem to be fixed.” That hit me hard. For the first time in years, I paused and thought—what if I’m not broken? What if dieting was?

That’s how I discovered intuitive eating.

At first, I was skeptical. The idea of not restricting myself, not counting calories, and actually listening to my hunger felt scary. I had spent so many years trying to override my body’s signals that I wasn’t sure I could even recognize them anymore. But something inside me—maybe exhaustion, maybe wisdom—knew it was time to try something different.

Intuitive eating is a framework developed by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. It’s built on 10 principles that promote a healthy relationship with food and body, without dieting. Instead of rules and willpower, it encourages self-awareness, kindness, and trust. (You can learn more on their official site: www.intuitiveeating.org.)

As I began to explore the principles, I realized just how disconnected I had become from my body. I’d confused fullness with guilt, and hunger with failure. Now, I’m learning to notice physical hunger cues—my stomach rumbling, my energy dipping—and to feed myself without shame. I’m also discovering satisfaction in meals again, something I lost when eating became more about macros than joy.

One of the most healing aspects for me has been rejecting the “food police”—those critical voices that say, “You shouldn’t eat that,” or “You’ll regret this later.” I didn’t realize how much mental energy I wasted judging every bite. Letting go of those thoughts isn’t easy, but with time (and a lot of unlearning), I’ve started to respond with curiosity instead of criticism.

Social media has been surprisingly helpful. Along with @theintuitive_rd, I follow @chr1styharrison (author of Anti-Diet) and @foodandpsych. They post insights about diet culture, body respect, and how to navigate eating in a world obsessed with thinness. It’s comforting to see other women, many my age or older, embracing this new way of living.

This journey is ongoing. I still have moments of doubt. I still catch myself labeling foods as “good” or “bad.” But intuitive eating has opened a door to freedom I didn’t think was possible. For the first time, I’m learning to trust my body—to feed it, listen to it, and even appreciate it. At 45, I thought I was too old to change. Now I realize, I’m just getting started.