Nutrition specialty

Relationship with Food

Help with emotional eating, binge eating, chronic dieting, and food guilt, so eating feels calmer and more trusting.

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Dietitians for this specialty

Amy

Why It Matters

1 in 2

U.S. adults tried to lose weight in the past year, including about 1 in 4 adults at a normal or lower weight.

Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the U.S., affecting more people than anorexia and bulimia combined.

Emotional eating

Eating to cope can feel like relief in the moment but often fuels cycles of guilt and shame.

Restriction

Restrictive eating increases the risk of overeating, creating a cycle of control and loss of control.

Food guilt

Food fear and guilt can erode trust in your body’s cues and affect overall well-being.

Could This Be You?

Feel caught in cycles of restricting and overeating, never finding a sustainable middle ground

Experience unwanted thoughts around food, constantly questioning what to eat, how much, and what’s “good” or “bad”

Judge yourself based on food choices (e.g., “I was good yesterday, so I can be bad today”)

Avoid certain foods only to binge on them later, feeling out of control

Feel guilt, shame, or anxiety after eating, especially with specific foods

Use food as a way to cope with stress, boredom, or sadness

Have been on and off diets for years without lasting changes

Struggle with body image concerns that dictate eating patterns

Want to rebuild trust in your body’s cues but feel lost on where to start

Want to find health independent of weight, moving away from the diet cycle

Eating Patterns We Support

Restrict-Binge Cycles

Patterns of avoiding certain foods only to overeat them later, leading to guilt and a sense of loss of control.

How we help

Establish consistent, balanced meals to stabilize hunger and reduce binge urges
Reframe food as neutral and accessible, not a reward or punishment
Develop strategies to respond to cravings without guilt or overcontrol

Emotional Eating

Eating in response to stress, boredom, or emotional discomfort rather than hunger.

How we help

Identify the emotions driving eating patterns and build alternative coping tools
Develop simple, satisfying meals that prevent chaotic eating
Shift focus to emotional regulation without food as the primary outlet

Fear Foods & Food Guilt

Foods you avoid out of fear of losing control or “ruining progress.”

How we help

Challenge food rules that reinforce deprivation and guilt
Reintroduce foods in a supportive, structured way to reduce fear and overcontrol
Focus on pleasure, satisfaction, and balance, not just control

Body Image & Self-Compassion

Struggles with body image that impact eating patterns, food choices, or self-worth.

How we help

Promote body neutrality and self-compassion, moving away from weight-centric goals
Focus on what your body needs, not just how it looks
Develop boundaries to navigate body-related comments and unsolicited advice

Diet Cycles & Yo-Yo Dieting

Repeated attempts at weight loss through restrictive diets that lead to weight regain and distress.

How we help

Identify the behaviors that perpetuate diet cycles and reframe them
Shift focus to sustainable health practices rather than quick fixes
Help you find health independent of weight, prioritizing consistency and balance

Not sure where you fit?

Our Practice Administrator can match you with the dietitian who specializes in your concern.

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How We Help

Uncover Food Triggers

Identify patterns of restriction, overeating, and emotional eating to understand why they happen.

Rebuild Hunger & Fullness Cues

Develop structured meals that help you reconnect with your body’s natural signals.

Break the Restrict-Binge Cycle

Create balanced, consistent meals to prevent deprivation and reduce the urge to overeat.

Mindful Eating Techniques

Learn tools that promote presence, satisfaction, and reduced guilt around eating.

Emotional Eating Support

Explore the emotional drivers behind eating and discover non-food coping strategies.

Body Trust & Neutrality

Shift focus from control and restriction to respect, care, and self-compassion.

Boundary Setting

Develop language to navigate food-related comments or pressure from others.

Identify Satisfaction Meals

Explore foods that are physically and psychologically satisfying to reduce overcontrol and obsession.

Psychological vs. Physiological Eating

Learn to tell the difference between hunger, cravings, and emotional triggers.

Neutralize Food

Reframe food as neutral, not a reward, punishment, or moral decision.

Find Joy in Movement

Reconnect with movement as a form of self-care, not punishment or calorie burning.

Session Topics & Timeline

Visit 1

Full Assessment & Goal Setting

A full review of your weight history, diet history (including yo-yo dieting, food rules, or past eating disorders), and relationship with food and your body
How aware you are of hunger and fullness, and any emotional eating patterns
An intuitive eating assessment to see where you’re starting
Your hopes, fears, and questions about intuitive eating
Goals we set together for working through the principles
An overview of the intuitive eating roadmap, without overwhelming detail
This first visit focuses on understanding you, not on making big changes

Visits 2–3

Reject the Diet Mentality

Notice diet mentality thoughts
Let go of the “ideal body” fantasy
Reframe health and success beyond weight
Challenge thinking traps around dieting
Look back at past diets: what they gave you and what they cost you

Visit 4

Honor Your Hunger

Learn to tune in to your body’s signals
Use a hunger and fullness scale to build awareness
Eat before hunger becomes extreme
Build strategies for responding to early hunger
Create meal and snack ideas to prevent extreme hunger

Visits 5–6

Make Peace with Food

Give yourself unconditional permission to eat
Begin gentle exposure to feared foods
Work through the emotions that come up during exposures
Unpack beliefs about “food addiction”

Visits 7–8

Challenge the Food Police

Evaluate your food beliefs
Discover how those beliefs affect your thoughts
Identify internal and external food-policing voices
Reframe your self-talk
Create affirmations for body trust and food neutrality

Visits 9–10

Feel Your Fullness

Practice recognizing fullness mindfully
Use pause points during meals
Build comfort with the sensation of fullness
Identify barriers to noticing fullness
Explore “clean plate” habits and where they come from
Practice saying no
Understand the difference between fullness and satisfaction

Visit 11

Discover the Satisfaction Factor

Treat satisfaction as an essential part of eating
Plan meals around taste, texture, temperature, and cravings
See how restriction diminishes satisfaction

Visit 12

Cope with Emotions Without Using Food

Normalize emotional eating without shame
Expand your emotional coping toolbox
Explore food-based and non-food coping skills
Tell different types of hunger apart
Referral to a therapist if helpful

Visits 13–14

Respect Your Body

Deepen body image healing
Look at health versus weight
Practice body respect
Referral to a therapist if helpful

Visits 15+

Movement & Gentle Nutrition

Redefine what exercise means to you
Explore the benefits of movement and your barriers to it
Discover movement you enjoy, thinking outside the box
Begin gentle nutrition education
Reframe nutrition as additive, not restrictive

Visit timing is a guide. Your dietitian adjusts the pace to your needs.