Why Intuitive Eating Hasn’t Worked (and the 3 Keys to Food Freedom That Lasts)

Why Intuitive Eating Hasn’t Worked (and the 3 Keys to Food Freedom That Lasts)

Have you ever tried to assemble a piece of IKEA furniture without looking at the instructions? 🙋‍♀️ (Yep… guilty over here.) At first, it feels freeing. Like, “I’ve got this! I’ve done something similar before. No big deal.”

But then… you realize you’re missing a peg. The back panel is on upside down. And suddenly, what was supposed to be a cute bookshelf is wobbly, crooked, and one sneeze away from collapsing. Oy vey!

That’s exactly how so many women try to approach intuitive eating.

You hear about it. You’re intrigued. You decide to toss out all the diet rules and just “eat what sounds good.” But before long, things feel wobbly. You’re confused, frustrated, maybe even convinced something must be wrong with you.

Friend, hear me on this: If intuitive eating hasn’t worked for you, it’s not because you failed. It’s because you were missing pieces of the foundation.

And today, I want to walk you through why intuitive eating alone isn’t enough and what you actually need in place if you want food freedom that lasts.

What Intuitive Eating Is Not

First things first: intuitive eating isn’t a free-for-all permission slip to eat cupcakes 24/7. 🍰 (Though yes, cupcakes can fit beautifully into food freedom!)

It’s also not the magical “one-stop shop” for healing your relationship with food. If you’ve ever thought:

• “Why does intuitive eating seem to work for other people but not me?”
  
  
• “I’ve tried listening to my hunger cues, but I feel more anxious than ever.”
  
  
• “Maybe I’m just not cut out for food freedom…”
  
  

…you are so not alone.

The problem isn’t you. The problem is that intuitive eating was never designed to be the whole instruction manual. Without the right foundation in place—your bookshelf is gonna wobble.

Why Intuitive Eating Alone Can’t Be Your Food Freedom Bible

Let me say something a little spicy: Intuitive eating CANNOT be your food freedom Bible.

(Stick with me here, sis—I promise I’m not throwing shade on intuitive eating. It is a beautiful tool. But it’s not the whole toolkit.)

If your hunger and fullness cues are dysregulated…
If your brain is still tangled up in disordered food thoughts…
If your identity is rooted more in diet culture than in Christ…

…then trying to jump straight into intuitive eating will leave you frustrated, discouraged, and ready to throw in the towel.

Because intuitive eating isn’t the foundation—it’s the fruit. 🍇

And fruit only grows when the roots are healthy.

The 3-Part Framework for Lasting Food Freedom

Over the past 12+ years of helping hundreds of women break free from disordered eating and body image struggles, I’ve discovered that lasting food freedom comes from a 3-part framework.

I call it The Joy-Filled Eater Framework, and it’s built on:

1. Science
   
   
2. Body Wisdom
   
   
3. Faith
   
   

Let’s break these down, because each piece matters—and without all three, the stool tips over.

1. Science: The Knowledge Piece

Science is about understanding how your body and brain work together.

This isn’t about memorizing every nutrient fact or turning into a walking nutrition textbook. 🙅‍♀️ No thank you.

It’s about:

• Knowing the basics of blood sugar balance
  
  
• Understanding how your nervous system regulates stress (hello, fight-or-flight mode!)
  
  
• Learning how your brain processes food cues
  
  

When you understand the science, food stops being this mysterious, scary force. Instead, you can make informed choices that fuel your body without spiraling into obsession.

2. Body Wisdom: Learning to Listen

This one is huge, friend. Body wisdom is about tuning in to the ways your body communicates with you—and then actually responding with kindness.

There are 3 steps to this:

1. Recognize when your body is speaking (hunger pangs, fatigue, stress tension, etc.)
   
   
2. Understand what those signals mean (am I tired? Thirsty? Actually hungry?)
   
   
3. Respond in a way that supports your well-being
   
   

Too often, women ignore or bulldoze over these signals. Or they misinterpret them through the lens of diet culture. (Like thinking hunger is a sign of weakness instead of a totally normal body cue. 😬)

When you start honoring your body’s God-given wisdom, you can walk in greater confidence and peace.

3. Faith: The Non-Negotiable

Last but absolutely not least: Faith.

Because here’s the deal—without rooting your identity in Christ, you’ll always feel like the “always-striving A student.”

You’ll learn all the science. You’ll memorize every food label. You’ll listen to alllll the podcasts. But you’ll still feel restless, anxious, and like you have to hold everything together on your own.

Faith shifts the weight. ✝️

Instead of striving to control, you can surrender. Instead of obsessing over food rules, you can walk in freedom, knowing your worth is secure in Christ—not your plate or your pant size.

What Happens When You Leave a Piece Out

Each part of the framework is vital—and when one is missing, things get wonky. Let me paint the picture:

• Science + Body Wisdom (without Faith) → You become the Always-Striving A Student. Lots of knowledge, but no peace.
  
  
• Body Wisdom + Faith (without Science) → You become the Blissfully Naïve Eater. You feel peace, but lack tools to fuel your body well.
  
  
• Science + Faith (without Body Wisdom) → You become the Dependent Rule Follower. Knowledge and faith are there, but you’re disconnected from how your body actually feels.
  
  

See how each piece matters? Only when all three work together do you find freedom that lasts.

So, Why Hasn’t Intuitive Eating Worked for You?

Because intuitive eating is like the steering wheel of your car. It’s important—it helps guide your journey. 🚗

But without an engine, fuel, or GPS… you’re not going anywhere.

Science, body wisdom, and faith? That’s the engine, fuel, and GPS. And when you have all three, the steering wheel (intuitive eating) can actually take you where you want to go.

What This Means for You

If you’ve ever felt like:

• “I’m failing at intuitive eating.”
  
  
• “I’m just not disciplined enough.”
  
  
• “Maybe food freedom isn’t for me…”
  
  

Please, hear this truth: nothing is wrong with you.

You simply need a stronger foundation.

Freedom isn’t stumbled upon—it’s built. And when you put the right framework in place, intuitive eating stops being frustrating and starts being freeing.

Ready to Build Your Foundation?

If you’re tired of:

• Trying food freedom “hacks” that don’t stick
  
  
• Feeling like you’re constantly striving but never at peace
  
  
• Wondering if you’re the only Christian woman struggling with this
  
  

…then sis, it’s time to build on a foundation that lasts.

That’s exactly what I help women do inside The Joy-Filled Eater LIVE—my step-by-step program that helps you put the pieces together with Christ at the center.

✨ Doors reopen in just a few weeks! You can join the waitlist here: www.brittanybraswellrd.com/course

 

Final Word of Encouragement

Friend, if intuitive eating hasn’t worked for you yet, it doesn’t mean you’re broken or destined to struggle forever.

It just means you’ve been trying to build a bookshelf without all the pieces.

With science, body wisdom, and faith working together, you can finally stop striving… and start living in the joy-filled freedom Christ designed for you.

So here’s your reminder: Freedom is built, not stumbled upon.

And you, sweet sister, are absolutely capable of building it. 💛