The 4 Types of Eaters: Which One Are You?
I have worked with hundreds of people on their nutrition -
and while everyone has their own unique experiences and no two people are exactly alike, there are usually some similarities.
And at twelve years into supporting people to improve their relationship with food and their body, I have seen that most people fall into one of four camps with their approach to food (and yes, sometimes there is a combination of each).
I wonder which one you identify with.
The Cycler:
This person wants their body to look different than it does now. Usually that means weight loss.
They have tried a lot of things to change their body shape and size, each endeavor bringing hope…and also a sense of failure when they go off track.
This approach to food has phases.
The weight loss phase is restrictive. Certain foods are limited, sometimes there is tracking, there might be cheat days. But the overall sense is to cut back on certain foods, eat more of another type, and a lot of time and energy put in to do so. Sometimes there are practices put in place to maintain this way of eating that are not sustainable when life happens.
The “eff it” phase (as I like to call it) is the opposite of restrictive or the weight loss phase. There is a sense of “I’ve messed this up already, so I’ll just eat whatever and start over later.”
Lost weight (if there was any) in the weight loss phase often results in weight regain in the “eff it” phase, sometimes all of it is regained, sometimes even more.
And this person blames themselves. It sounds like:
“I know what to do, I just don’t do it”
“I do good and then life happens”
“My issue is willpower, I just don’t have any, I am lazy”
“This is the only area of my life I can’t get it together in”
And because they blame themselves, they believe that they should try again and harness the power it takes to stay on track with the next plan.
And the cycle continues.
The Tight Rope Walker:
This person may want their body to look different. This person may be ok with the body they have, but they have a lot of fear about their body changing and they want to prevent that. This person may also be someone who is in pursuit of the healthiest way to eat.
This person is over controlled and rarely goes “off track” but this rigidity is exhausting and sometimes, socially isolating.
There can be a lot of anxiety about what is in food. Are the ingredients healthy enough? Or are the ingredients perceived as bad?
And there can be a lot of anxiety about not wanting to deviate from their usual plan…which sometimes can be the same or similar foods over and over again so as not to create stress about doing something different.
This person can be hyper vigilant about label reading.
Comparing labels to make sure the one they are purchasing is the healthiest.
Going out to eat with a friend or travel can be very anxiety provoking and either result in the person not going or feeling pretty anxious and disconnected while they are there because they are worried about what is in the food.
It can feel like you are walking a tight rope.
The “best” way to eat is a narrow road that doesn’t allow for much flexibility and can be exhausting to navigate and maintain.
The Chaotic Eater:
In both of the previous examples, the approach to eating usually results in thinking about food a lot, sometimes it can feel all consuming.
For the Chaotic Eater, thinking about food all the time is a non-issue.
They just don’t think about food much at all.
They forget to eat. They don’t plan ahead. They scramble at the last minute to put something together.
And for some, this works ok for them.
For others, they don’t feel as good as they could.
They get headaches or hangry, and sometimes have low energy. Sometimes it feels stressful to figure out what to eat or to have to run to the grocery store at the last minute to get dinner on the table.
For some, there is a general knowing that they aren’t nourishing their body well. It’s an after thought. And they want more but aren’t sure how to make it different.
The idea of meal planning makes them want to take a nap and all the planning in the world still doesn’t help if you just get focused on something at work and just forget to eat.
It feels overwhelming…and chaotic.
The Easeful Eater:
This person may not like their body, but they see through the message that everyone should be thin and that we should be working on our bodies all the time.
Therefore, weight does not dictate their food choices.
Instead, they combine general understanding about nutrition and wisdom from their body to know what, when and how much they eat.
They have become attuned to their hunger and fullness cues.
They know what satisfies and what does not. They have learned what foods feel good to them and help them show up in life the way they want to, and they know the ones that their body doesn’t love.
They recognize that pleasure is an important nutritional component and that food can bring people together. It can facilitate connection - to one another, to culture, to celebration, to our faith, and to ourselves.
Food and their body takes up some of their time and attention, but not all of their time and attention.
Time is set aside to plan, procure, eat and enjoy food and this doesn’t look the same for every easeful eater, but there is intention.
But there is not obsessing if a choice is or was the right one or not. There is no mental jenga, no ‘if eat this now, what do I have to take away later’ happening. And yet, the easeful eater denies themselves nothing.
There is confidence, there is balance, there is ease.
If you see yourself in one (or more) of these patterns, you are not alone…and you don’t have to figure this out on your own either. Becoming an Easeful Eater is not about more rules or more willpower, but about building trust, flexibility, and a way of eating that actually fits your life. If you’re curious what that could look like for you, we’d love to support you. At Simple Nutrition we help Cyclers, Tight Rope Walkers and Chaotic Eaters become Easeful Eaters. You can learn more about our approach and how to work with us by clicking here.