
Based in Kansas City, KS, Cara is passionate about helping people rediscover joy in eating deeply nourishing meals without restriction or fear, and enjoys candid conversations about the food system, nutrition, and cooking. She has been featured or quoted in Bustle, Forbes, Well+Good, Women’s Health, US News, and many more. Check out her work and learn more here.
Intuitive Eating vs Way: The Intersection of Mindful Eating, Behavior Science, and Real Results
Have you ever found yourself in a position where you’re constantly chasing the newest diet trend or weight loss plan, only to end up back where you started or worse? You’re not alone. Many people have been conditioned to view food through a restrictive lens and have been led to believe that their worth is tied to their physical appearance. But what if there was another way to approach food and our bodies?
Intuitive eating is a concept that has been gaining more attention in recent years, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a practice that encourages us to tune in to our bodies and honor our hunger and fullness cues without judgment. While the Way app is a derivation of some of the principles of intuitive eating, it’s ultimately a fundamentally unique blending of intuitive eating with behavior science and mindfulness. In this article, we’ll explore the similarities and differences between intuitive eating and Way, and how Way can help you create a more peaceful relationship with food.
Intuitive Eating: A Brief Overview
Intuitive eating is a philosophy that was developed in the mid-1990s by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. It’s based on ten principles that guide us to reconnect with our internal cues of hunger, fullness, and satisfaction. These principles include:
1. Reject the diet mentality
2. Honor your hunger
3. Make peace with food
4. Challenge the food police
5. Respect your fullness
6. Discover the satisfaction factor
7. Honor your feelings without using food
8. Respect your body
9. Exercise–feel the difference
10. Honor your health–gentle nutrition
Intuitive eating is not a weight-loss plan or a specific diet; it’s a mindset shift that can help us find freedom from food rules and restrictions. It encourages us to tune in to our bodies and eat for pleasure and nourishment without guilt or shame. The goal is not to lose weight, but rather to cultivate a peaceful relationship with food and our bodies.

Way: A Unique Blending of Intuitive Eating, Behavior Science, and Mindfulness
The Way app is a mindful eating journal that uses a unique blending of intuitive eating, behavior science, and mindfulness to help users develop a more peaceful relationship with food. Way embodies some of the principles of intuitive eating, including rejecting the diet mentality and respecting your body. But it goes beyond these principles to incorporate other evidence-based practices, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT).
One of the key features of Way is the “Magic Wand” question, which is a part of DBT and addiction therapy. This question asks users to imagine what their ideal relationship with food and their body would look like if they could wave a magic wand and make it happen. By asking this question, Way helps users get in touch with their deepest desires and values and create a vision for the future.
Way also incorporates mindfulness practices, such as mindful breathing techniques, that can help bring our bodies into the parasympathetic nervous system. This state of calm can help us do self-exploration more easily, listen to our bodies, and reflect on our relationships with food and our bodies. By learning to be present in the moment, we can become more aware of our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations and make choices that align with our values.