3 Powerful Approaches to Defying Diet Culture

In my last blog post, I called out the 3 biggest crimes of Diet Culture.

 

As a quick review, the 3 biggest crimes of Diet Culture are: Dishonesty, Disregard, and Destruction!

 

Any eating pattern that emphasizes how you look over your mental and physical well-being is detrimental. Diet Culture thrives on dichotomous thinking, also known as black-and-white thinking. Eat foods on the good list and you’ll be “thin,” eat foods on the bad list and you’ll be “fat.” Thin = win!

 

In reality, no one food has the power to make you “thin” or “fat”.

 

I realize this might not be a popular belief among dieters or programs and people that spew dieting information. But if you think about it long and hard, I believe you’ll come to this realization eventually.

 

So, what can you do NOW to help you come to this realization before you jump back onto the diet bandwagon?

 

Let’s address the 3 Powerful Approaches to Defying Diet Culture

 

  1. Non-Diet Living and Intuitive Eating

 

Non-diet living and intuitive eating used to be less traveled paths, but more people are choosing these with great success. Dieting is physically and mentally exhausting and people are simply tired – tired of dieting and tired of hating themselves, 2 things that go hand-in-hand.

 

Intuitive eating, along with the Health at Every Size movement, is striving to shift the focus away from body weight and demonizing food. They are displacing the current definition of health, broadening it to encompass more than simply a number on the scale. This shifts the perspective inward, focusing on listening to what your body is telling you, and on habits and behaviors for improved long-term health, versus how many pounds you’ve lost. Research has found that practices such as intuitive eating help people with disordered eating habits become more in tune with their bodies again.

 

I recognize that the idea of no longer dieting is a scary thought if you’ve been dieting for many years. Logically you realize that diets have never given you long-term weight loss. In fact, you weigh more now than when you started dieting all those years ago. Research will back that up.

 

Diets lead to weight gain, end of story.

 

So, what would help you on this journey? This takes us to approach #2…

 

  1. Self-Compassion

 

Diet Culture thrives on you hating yourself. If that sounds harsh, it’s because it is. Dieting is about willpower and when you don’t have enough willpower, you start beating yourself up, telling yourself you’ll always fail.

 

Try something different. Try using self-compassion.

 

You’ll find that treating yourself with kindness is much more satisfying because it’s impossible to hate yourself into positive change. You’d never dream of speaking to your friend the way you speak to yourself, yet Diet Culture has taught you to do just that. After decades of believing it, be gentle with yourself in your escape from that mentality. It took time to build, and it will take a long time to break down. It’s important to remember there is no perfection in the healing process. It will most certainly be challenging but you are most certainly worth that effort.

 

Sounds logical, right? When asked if you’d speak to your friend who is struggling with her food the way you speak to yourself, of course, the answer is no, you would not.

 

Part of this journey is body acceptance. A very important part of accepting your body where it is now is the 3rd approach to defying Diet Culture.

 

  1. Weight Inclusivity

 

Accepting and respecting the shapes and sizes ALL human beings come in defies the perfectionist ideology of Diet Culture. There is no one height/shape/weight everyone should be. Our culture needs to move further toward a mindset where judgment is no longer passed on to people who don’t meet Diet Culture’s moving target of “perfection.”

 

Research has supported the idea that being a certain weight or looking a certain way does not equate to being “healthy” or “not healthy.” Intuitive eating and Health at Every Size are teaching internal acceptance as well as acceptance of others and appreciating diversity. They temper the internal diet wars being waged.

 

The principles of intuitive eating remind you how different everyone is and help you to accept and respect your body where it is right now.  It is key to stop passing judgment on others which will make it easier to stop passing judgment on yourself.

 

So how do you mesh these 3 approaches together, so you can defy Diet Culture?

 

Start with having a heart-to-heart sit down with yourself. Ask yourself the tough questions:

 

Has all the dieting I’ve done helped me achieve weight loss that I can maintain for a lifetime?

Do I bash my body every day, maybe even multiple times per day?

Do I wish food could just be a “non-issue” and mealtime can be relaxed?

Am I afraid to try this new approach of intuitive eating?

Do I need support and a partner to walk the journey with me?

 

Great job! Email me and let’s defy Diet Culture together!

The 3 Biggest Crimes of Diet Culture

Have you ever found yourself caught up in a passionate discussion about food or the latest diet trends?

 

It’s a scenario that unfolds frequently when I’m out to dinner with friends or family. It’s not surprising, really, because we all share the common need to eat, and it seems like no one can escape the constant barrage of diet-related messages.

 

Even with my many years of experience counseling individuals on intuitive eating, I’m still taken aback when I’m asked, “What are your thoughts on that new diet book by [celebrity’s name]?”

 

The most troubling aspect of Diet Culture, or as some would say, “Diet Cult,” is the potential harm it can cause to everyone involved. Diet culture revolves around a set of beliefs that prioritize weight, shape, and size over health, often equating thinness with social status and self-worth. The negative impacts it has on both adults and children are significant.

 

Many so-called “healthy” diets are considered disordered eating or even full-fledged eating disorders.

 

I am here today to call out the CRIMES OF DIET CULTURE.

 

Crime #1: Dishonesty

 

“Don’t eat carbs. They make you fat.”

“Dairy will keep you from losing weight.”

“Avoid gluten! It’s bad, bad, bad.”

 

When you look back at the history of food, Diet Culture has spent a great deal of time and money on criminalizing one food or another. This food is “good” for your health and weight, this food is “bad.”

 

When saturated fat was the offender, we saw an influx of fat-free, chemically altered foods. When sugar became the offender, we were bombarded with products containing sugar alcohol and messages to avoid sugar at all costs. Food fads are encouraged by Diet Culture with the support of the food industry. When scientific research is published, Diet Culture cherry-picks the information that best supports its agenda and launches campaigns to herd consumers to jump on their bandwagon, spending money on its products, and lining their pockets.

 

Diet Culture never has your best interest in mind and it’s betting on the fact you don’t realize it. So, they call their foods “healthier” than the others and have you thinking it’s better for you.

 

Crime #2: Disregard

 

Any eating pattern that emphasizes how you look over your mental and physical well-being is detrimental. Diet Culture thrives on black-and-white thinking. Eat foods on the “good” list and you’ll lose weight (“good”); eat foods on the “bad” list and you’ll get fat (“bad”). Thin = win!

 

Here’s the thing – people are literally dying to be thin, and Diet Culture completely disregards this. Your body does so many amazing things for you every day, but Diet Culture has you focusing on how many calories you’re eating, pounds you lost, or dress size you wear.

There is peace in accepting your body as it is at this very moment. But Diet Culture doesn’t want you to have this peace. So, it influences you to keep striving for that “perfect” body, comparing yourself to celebrities, models, and reality stars.

 

I remind my clients that what they see online and in magazines are not real. They are photoshopped images and even more, they are just the highlight reels of people’s lives. What they decide to post and publish are just snippets of their reality, particularly the snippets they want everyone to see. They edit out nearly a lifetime of moments, yet you use those carefully selected highlights as a comparison to your own life. This is exactly what Diet Culture wants – to keep you running back for more.

 

Crime #3: Destruction

 

Diet Culture’s most egregious crime is telling you that you’re not good enough. It doesn’t know you at all, but it’s making you question yourself, often calling attention to things you never considered flaws.

 

“Got a muffin top? Never eat these 5 foods again to get rid of it!”

“Do your thighs touch? Do this cleanse to fix that problem!”

 

Messages like these are toxic to women of all ages. It’s teaching them from a young age that they are nothing more than a sum of their parts and if those parts don’t add up to an unrealistic ideal, they need to do whatever it takes to get there. This has the potential to lead them into a dangerous relationship with food and exercise, twisting their self-perception. Diet Culture destroys self-esteem.

 

It’s Time to Defy Diet Culture

 

The truth is that body size doesn’t always equate with health. There are plenty of people who are in smaller bodies who have a plethora of health issues. On the flip side, there are people in larger bodies that have no medical issues at all.

 

Why is the thin “couch potato” more culturally acceptable than the larger triathlete?

 

Diet Culture wants you to be at war with your body because that’s how companies who support it make billions of dollars every year while young girls are skipping meals, ultimately missing out on nutrients critical to their growth and maturation. What’s even worse is that these diet messages often come from parents who suffer from disordered eating patterns over decades of being at war with their own bodies.

 

It’s a cycle of abuse you are paying dearly for with both your wallets and your well-being.

 

If you’re ready to fight back with all your might, I’d love to support you. Just email me and we can set up a time to speak!

3 Ways to Stop Feeling Broken from Chronic Dieting

“I feel broken.”

 

This is something that I hear so often from my clients when they first come to see me.

 

They feel broken. Not whole.

 

They realize that something needs to change in their life, but it’s hard. They often know what it is, they just don’t know how to do it.

 

There are many different areas of one’s life where they may feel broken. In their relationship with their spouse, their children, or maybe even themselves. Much of it has to do with the fact that they’ve been beaten down over the years. I don’t mean physically beaten; I mean emotionally beaten.

 

Now, there may be multiple reasons why. But I will focus on one. And that is the relationship they have with food and their body. They struggle with not being happy with who they are because their self-worth is tied up in a number on a scale and in a dress size.

 

Let’s turn this conversation to you.

 

Do you feel broken?

 

Are you fed up with struggling with food and your body?

 

Have you tried to change your body because society has told you to?

 

Have you been told that thin people are respected more, thin people get the jobs, and being other than thin means you are not enough?

 

Not pretty enough.

 

Not smart enough.

 

Not skinny enough.

 

Just not enough.

 

And you’ve tried and tried to diet, to restrict your foods to “get skinny” so you will be enough.

 

But it hasn’t worked.

 

So, when my clients come to me and say they are broken, they just don’t know where to turn any longer.

 

They know they don’t want to diet anymore.

 

They know that they don’t want to be ashamed of their bodies any longer.

 

But how?

 

The answer lies in these 3 ways:

 

  1. Commit to giving up dieting forever and begin your intuitive eating journey

 

This is easier said than done, I know that. But let’s start with the understanding that diets don’t work, and they never will. Stop pursuing weight loss to change your body. Instead, start by looking at what new habits and behaviors you can add to your life, versus what you need to take away. These new habits and behaviors will help improve your health and will be sustainable since they are not tied to a scale.

 

  1. Seek support.

 

This is nothing to be embarrassed about. Ask for help. Why should you do this alone? There are professionals out there trained to help you. I have seen and spoken to many women who continue to struggle because they just don’t want to invest in themselves. And I say, “why not”? You are worth it. If I told you that you will continue to spin your wheels and struggle year after year until you seek out support, would you still resist? If you do, then consider why you want to stay in the struggle. Because those who want to improve their lives and not be broken any longer, seek support.

 

  1. Protect yourself. 

 

Speak out against those who pressure you to be thin, to lose weight, who tell you that you are not enough, and who seek to knock you down at every turn. You don’t need these people in your life. It’s a risk, yes, especially if they are family. But it’s time to put them in their place and let them know you will not be emotionally abused any longer.

 

In your journey to mend what feels broken, remember this: You are not alone, and you are worth every effort it takes to heal.

 

Commit to nurturing yourself through intuitive eating, seek the support you deserve, and protect your inner peace from those who seek to diminish your worth.

 

Reach out to me here if you’re ready to heal.

3 Reasons Why Intuitive Eating Will Help Improve Your Health

Many diets are crafted for the sole purpose of weight loss, very rarely are diets created to help people with health problems. When many people start diets, they find that some of their health problems actually get worse. This is typically due to a side effect of restrictive eating.

 

That is why intuitive eating is so great, it’s not about restriction, it’s all about you and your health.

 

A question I am often asked by people who are thinking about starting intuitive eating is how it is going to impact their overall health. They may say something like, “Can intuitive eating improve someone’s health, such as migraines or upset stomach?”

 

And… the short answer is yes! Let me explain.

 

Intuitive eating offers numerous benefits for enhancing your overall well-being. However, for this blog, I will focus on the ways in which intuitive eating can alleviate both headaches and gastrointestinal discomfort.

 

Here are the 3 Reasons Why Intuitive Eating Will Help Improve Your Health:

 

  1. Intuitive Eating is Stress-Free!

 

Stress is a very powerful word that has a lot of effects on your body. When you live in a chronically stressed state, the switch to your stress response, known as ‘fight or flight’, stays on. This affects you in various ways including cognitively (memory problems, difficulty concentrating), emotionally (moody, irritability, depression), behaviorally (sleeping problems, social withdrawal), and physically (bowel irregularities, nausea).

 

What causes stress? Dieting! Hands down, calorie counting, restricting food, tracking points, and logging your food into an app all cause stress. And this stress triggers your internal stress response. If you continue dieting, you will stay in a stressed state and deal with the negative effects of it.

 

Once you decide to give up dieting and embrace the path towards intuitive eating, it’s like a ton of bricks is lifted off your shoulders. The stress disappears, and I bet you’ll see the headaches and gastrointestinal discomfort do too.

 

  1. Intuitive Eating Results in More Consistent Eating Patterns

 

When you ditch eating by the clock, as most diets tell you to do (you know, all those rules that you follow), you learn to tune into your inner hunger and fullness signals. This likely results in a more consistent pattern of eating, specific to your inner wisdom. This consistency will improve the gastrointestinal symptoms you are experiencing, a.k.a. an upset stomach. And will decrease any headaches that might have come from low blood sugar due to an inconsistent eating pattern.

 

Another point to make is this. If you are still dieting, you probably find yourself in the restrict-binge cycle. So, you restrict foods that you deem as bad for you, but at some point, you can’t take it anymore. So, you end up eating said foods, but you don’t just have some, you overeat on those foods, leading to a binge. Then, you experience a flare in your IBS or other GI symptoms. Your mind goes right away to “You see, I can’t tolerate those foods”, but it’s the dosage of the foods you are eating, not the actual food itself.

 

So, give up dieting and restriction and embrace intuitive eating. You will find that you have more energy, and your stomach is digesting food just the way nature intended.

 

  1. Intuitive Eating Encourages You to Tune Inward

 

When you practice intuitive eating, you are engaging in mindful eating practices along the journey. That means you are learning to slow down, savor your food, and tune in to how your body feels after you eat something. You are moving from autopilot eating into conscious eating and this allows you to attune, not only to your inner signals but also to your body’s reaction to food.

 

As a dieter, you listen to what the diets or health gurus tell you to eat. Many times, you don’t even enjoy it. Most of the time, you finish your meal and have had minimal to no pleasure in it. As an intuitive eater, you have rediscovered the pleasure of eating. If you had pleasure after eating when you were dieting, it was likely accompanied by guilt. That guilt turned to shame.

 

No more.

 

Without guilt and shame and food worry, you can listen to what your body tells you in terms of how it feels. Then the next time you are about to decide whether to eat a food or not, you’ll remember how you felt the last time you ate it. Did your belly hurt? Did your blood sugar plummet? These factors will then play a role in whether you decide to eat that food or not.

 

Wow! Isn’t intuitive eating amazing? Yes, it is!

Navigating Intuitive Eating Programs: 8 Key Considerations for a Healthier Relationship with Food

In a world filled with fad diets and rigid meal plans, the concept of intuitive eating has emerged as a refreshing and empowering approach to nourishing both body and mind. Intuitive eating encourages individuals to listen to their bodies, embrace their internal cues, and develop a harmonious relationship with food.

 

If you’re considering embarking on an intuitive eating journey with the support of a coach and specific program, there are several important factors to consider.

 

In this blog post, we’ll delve into the key considerations that will help you choose an intuitive eating program that resonates with your needs and supports your path towards a healthier and more balanced life.

 

 

1. Credibility and Qualifications

 

Before enrolling in any intuitive eating program, it’s crucial to assess the credibility of the program and the qualifications of the professionals behind it. Look for programs led by registered dietitians, nutritionists, therapists, or healthcare experts who have a solid background in intuitive eating and have a reputation for promoting evidence-based practices.

 

2. Holistic Approach

 

An effective intuitive eating program should focus on more than just what you eat. It should also address your emotional, psychological, and social relationship with food. A holistic approach will help you explore the underlying factors that may be influencing your eating habits, such as stress, emotional triggers, and cultural beliefs.

 

3. Individualization

 

Every individual’s journey towards intuitive eating is unique. A worthwhile program should recognize this and offer personalized guidance that takes into account your specific needs, preferences, and challenges. Avoid one-size-fits-all approaches and seek programs that tailor their strategies to your circumstances.

 

4. Education and Skill Building

 

A fundamental aspect of intuitive eating is developing the skills and knowledge necessary to make informed food choices. Look for programs that prioritize education about nutrition, hunger and fullness cues, and mindful eating techniques. By equipping you with these skills, the program empowers you to make choices that align with your body’s signals.

 

5. Support and Community

 

Transitioning to intuitive eating can be both empowering and challenging. Having a support system can greatly enhance your journey. Choose a program that offers a supportive community who can support you through the process, provide feedback, and address any concerns that arise along the way.

 

6. Flexibility and Adaptability

 

Rigid rules and restrictions are counterproductive to intuitive eating. A reputable program should promote flexibility and adaptability, encouraging you to explore a variety of foods without guilt or judgment. The program should help you let go of the dieting mentality and embrace the freedom that comes with intuitive eating.

 

7. Realistic Expectations

 

Intuitive eating is a process, not an overnight solution. Be wary of programs that promise rapid results or quick fixes. Sustainable change takes time, patience, and consistent effort. A trustworthy program will emphasize gradual progress and celebrates small victories along the way.

 

8. Long-Term Focus

 

The goal of intuitive eating is to cultivate a healthy relationship with food that lasts a lifetime. Choose a program that emphasizes long-term well-being rather than short-term goals. This approach ensures that you’re equipped with the skills and mindset to navigate different life stages and challenges.

 

Selecting the right intuitive eating program is a significant step towards fostering a healthier, more balanced connection with food. By considering the factors outlined above – credibility, a holistic approach, individualization, education, support, flexibility, realistic expectations, and a long-term focus – you can embark on a journey that nourishes not only your body but also your mind and spirit.

 

Remember, intuitive eating is about embracing your innate wisdom and building a sustainable, positive relationship with food that honors your unique needs and preferences.

 

My WholeBody Trust Intuitive Eating Program encompasses these things and more.

 

You can learn more about the program by clicking here.

3 Mindful Eating Strategies to Use When Rushing

Mindful eating. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It’s not! If it was, many more people would be doing it too.

 

Why is it so difficult to eat mindfully?

 

I think a big reason is the chaotic lifestyle that a lot of people live. We live in a society where we are constantly running, running, running, doing, doing, doing. If we aren’t ‘running’ and ‘doing’, then we are considered lazy.

 

When we have a chaotic lifestyle like this, chances are our eating is chaotic as well. We don’t plan, and even if we do, we don’t have time to carry out the plan, so we just grab what we can when we can.

 

Some people call this winging it. Have you experienced this?

 

I bet there has been a time in your life when you thought you had more time for lunch than you did. Perhaps you misjudged your workload and you had to cut lunch short. Have no fear, there are ways that you can still eat mindfully while in a hurry.

 

Here are 3 mindful eating strategies to use when rushing:

 

  1. Sit down at the table, do not eat standing.

 

This is so important. If you eat while standing at the counter, or running around the kitchen, you won’t process that you just ate your lunch. So, while you may fill your belly, psychologically you won’t feel satisfied, and you’ll be searching for something to eat the moment you have a break.

 

  1. Put your fork down in between bites.

 

Or, put the sandwich down in between bites so you can focus on what’s in your mouth and not on the next bite you’re about to take. This will also give you the time to check in with your body and assess your satiety levels.

 

  1. Avoid all distractions.

 

Mealtime is not the time to catch up on your texts, emails, or the local news. Turn off your devices or put them on mute. Give your food the attention it deserves and savor it!

 

By following these tips, you will feel satisfied, both physically and psychologically.

3 Steps to Stop Mindless Eating

Picture this, it’s 9 pm, and you finally put the kids to bed, dinner is done and you’re finishing up cleaning the kitchen. While you’re in there, you decide to have some of the cookies left on the counter. You start with one cookie and before you finished cleaning the kitchen, there are no more cookies left.

 

A similar scenario may happen when you have dinner in front of the television. One second your plate is full of delicious food, the next your plate is clean, and you don’t even remember eating all the food you spent so much time cooking.

 

The problem in both these scenarios is mindless eating. It is a common problem for most people; however, it doesn’t have to be.

 

You can learn ways to savor every bite and listen to your body to prevent mindless eating.

 

Here are 3 Steps to Stop Mindless Eating to get you started:

 

  1. Don’t Make Certain Foods Off Limits

 

Stop restricting yourself and allow all foods into your life again. I know this is so scary! But it’s important if you are ever going to have peace with food and your body. If you don’t have medical restrictions, all foods can have a place in your eating world. Restricting certain foods will only make you want them more.

 

  1. Check Your Satiety

 

Be aware when you are mindlessly eating. Stay present when you are eating and experience the food. Check-in with your body often and listen to your satiety cues. Listening to your body will allow you to honor your cravings and stop eating before you become uncomfortably full.

 

  1. Listen to Your Body

 

Breathe through it! Yes, identify the emotions you are feeling and breathe through them. Once you know what the true underlying feeling is, you can address it without food. Many people turn to food for comfort at times of high stress. Identify these feelings and find other ways to cope with your emotions.

 

You are not alone. There are others who are experiencing exactly what you are! Seek out the support you need to beat mindless eating. You don’t need to fly solo.

 

Come on over and join my Facebook community of women working on cultivating a healthy relationship with food and body.

 

Click here to join us.

5 Tips to Get Your Spouse on Board With Your Intuitive Eating Journey

There are many people that I coach in my intuitive eating program who complain to me that their spouse is not supportive of their journey. This is either because they just “don’t get it”, or they think that you should be able to “do it on your own”.

 

They may say to you, “just stop eating”; they don’t understand it’s not about the food.

 

Do you find this to be true about your spouse?

 

Let’s explore this further. Perhaps your spouse is a dieter and isn’t ready to stop dieting. Or they don’t see an issue with your eating and don’t understand your need to make changes.

 

If we go even deeper, they may fear that your relationship will change once your relationship with food changes. After all, who will they binge-eat with at night while watching TV?

 

Whatever the reason, there are ways to get your spouse on board with your intuitive eating journey. And there are ways you can approach the topic of support without them getting defensive.

 

5 Tips to Get Your Spouse on Board

 

  1. Share Your BIG WHY with Them

 

This will help them understand why you’ve made the decision to no longer diet and why you are making changes in the house. If you explain to them your desire to be more in tune with your body and why this is important to you, they’ll know more about what you need, i.e., no T.V. while you eat dinner.

 

  1. Be Open with Your Struggles

 

Sometimes your spouse can be threatened by your new way of living because as we said, they may be a yo-yo dieter and not ready to stop dieting. It can be helpful to show them that it’s not that you’re better than them; it’s that you are ready to end your struggle as you’ve come to the realization that diets don’t work for you. And you need help. Explain to them that you are struggling with your relationship with food and need to make changes in your own life to help form a stronger, and healthier relationship with food.

 

  1. Be Specific with The Support You Need

 

Remember that your spouse isn’t a mind reader! If you want help, you need to specifically ask for it. The more specific you are, the more support and help they will be able to give. If they always suggest going out to dinner for happy and sad occasions, ask them if you can do something else together that doesn’t revolve around food for those same occasions.  Whatever it is, just be specific!

 

  1. Understand It’s Not About You, It’s Often About Them

 

Unfortunately, your spouse may not understand what you are going through and won’t want to make changes in his own life, even if they are better for you. If that’s the case, remember it’s about them and has nothing to do with you. You can still change your relationship with food and look for support from friends and others on the same journey as you. Hopefully, once they see how happy you are with your changes, they’ll get on board too!

 

  1. Don’t Try to Change Them

 

You can’t force your spouse to change his lifestyle just because you want them to. Although it would be nice and better for you, they don’t need to change. You are still able to change your own relationship with food, even if they don’t change theirs.

 

 

Ultimately this journey is all about you! If you are not finding the support you need at home, you can join multiple groups with other people on the same journey as you. You are not alone!

Intuitive Eating While on Vacation

This time of year, most people have only one thing on their mind, summer vacation. Whether it’s a whole week or just a weekend getaway, everyone has some plans for a retreat this July and August.

 

A common question I get is: “Do you think this is the right time for me to start my intuitive eating journey with my vacation coming up?”

 

When I hear this question, my response is always the same, “this is your diet mentality speaking.”

 

Remember the last time you were thinking of starting another diet? You would think to yourself that maybe it wasn’t the right time? You had so much going on and you feared you would not be able to ‘stick’ to the diet.

 

When you apply the same thought process to either starting your intuitive eating journey, or continuing it as you plan your vacation, this is your diet mentality speaking.

 

Here are 4 tips to help you navigate your intuitive eating journey during your vacation.

 

  1. Ignore the Weight Loss Mantra

 

Stay strong against the chatter in your head that is screaming “I have to lose 10 pounds before vacation!” This will only put you back into diet mentality and onto the latest quick fix which will keep you riding the dieting roller coaster. Continue your intuitive eating journey with confidence. And, if you are contemplating starting the journey, now’s as good a time as any.

 

  1. Focus on Mindful Eating

 

Be aware of mindless snacking while vacationing. Oftentimes when you’re on vacation, you have less structure to your day. You might be lying on the beach where your friends are passing around the snacks, or touring through a new city, walking the streets and trying the local fare. So just pay attention and have an awareness of whether you’re hungry or not before you dig into the snacks.

 

  1. Be Prepared

 

Whether you are sitting at the pool, lying on the beach, in an amusement park or on a full-day tour, you are going to get hungry at some point. It’s very important to be prepared and have snacks with you so you don’t have to wing it. Remember, one of the principles of intuitive eating is to honor your hunger. If you wait too long, you tend to not choose the most healthful choices and you tend to overeat, so be prepared.

 

  1. Listen to your Body

 

Stop when you’re comfortably satisfied and not when you’re overly full. I know when you’re on vacation it’s so tempting, especially if you’re at a resort hotel which is all-inclusive. This means that all the food and beverages (including alcohol) is included in what you’re paying for the hotel. It’s very tempting to just eat and eat and eat to “get your money’s worth”. This is not staying true to your intuitive eating journey.

 

Honor yourself and honor your body by paying attention, being aware, and making conscious food and beverage decisions. Stop when you’re comfortably satisfied so that you can enjoy your vacation without regret and without guilt.

 

  1. Don’t Deprive Yourself

 

When you’re on vacation, embrace the local culture! Give yourself the opportunity to enjoy a myriad of diverse flavors and textures. Step outside your comfort zone and savor the new tastes of international cuisines.

 

Vacation is supposed to be about having fun! You can have your cake and eat it too; enjoying local foods while staying on your intuitive eating journey.

4 Intuitive Eating Tips for Kids Heading Off to Summer Camp

Summer is just about here, and I am beyond thrilled. I love the warm weather, long days, and homework-free nights. Many of my clients are busy packing up their kids to head off to sleep-away camp for the summer. While a lot of their friends are worried about what their kids will eat at summer camp, I’m happy to say that my clients are calm and confident.

 

Here’s why!

 

They’ve been practicing the strategies I’ve taught them about intuitive and mindful eating in the home and they have been role models for their kids. Instead of all the diet talk that used to fill the home, now the conversations revolve around the importance of family meals and checking in with their bellies to determine hunger, fullness, and food preferences. Their kids are getting involved in the shopping, cooking, and meal prep; it’s a family affair.

 

It wasn’t always like this in many of my client’s homes. To clarify, when these clients came to me, they were chronic yo-yo dieters. They were going on and off various diets, engaging in diet talk throughout the home, and body bashing when they looked in the mirror (“oh, I look so fat!”).

 

Since they started working with me, they are no longer dieting, body bashing, or filling the home with diet talk. They are learning the principles of intuitive eating and how to incorporate them into their lives in a consistent daily fashion.

 

And they are role models for their kids. This is SO important. Kids soak up everything they see and hear.

 

Many of my clients have asked me how they can teach these important intuitive eating principles, strategies, and tips to their kids in a child-friendly fashion. They don’t want their children to go down the same rabbit hole of diet after diet, battling food the way they did.

 

In response to their requests, I started working with several children to teach them intuitive and mindful eating practices. It’s still important to teach nutrition but I do so in a non-rule-based manner. I teach them to listen for hunger and fullness, and how to respond. I teach them how to figure out if they want to eat because they are hungry or because they are upset at someone or something. I teach them the difference between high-nutrient foods and low-nutrient foods (notice I didn’t say “junk food”?).

 

Several of my “kid” clients are now heading off to sleep-away camp for the summer. While they and their parents worried in the past about the food at camp, they are no longer worried. These kids will take with them what they have learned and will have a fun time focused on friends, laughter, and good times.

 

If your child is heading off to summer camp, here are 4 tips to help them make healthy mindful choices and feel good doing it:

 

  1. Survey and Take 3!

 

Encourage your child to survey the food offerings at each meal and choose 3 foods that they like to put on their plate. This will prevent an overlarge portion of one food item that might be a low-nutrient option. For example, if the main lunch option is mac and cheese, suggest that your child choose a veggie to go with that. It could be cucumbers and tomatoes, or green beans, whatever they like. Camps usually offer raw veggies and cooked veggies. Then, they can finish off their meal with a fruit or cup of milk. This is much better than saying “Don’t eat the mac and cheese.”

 

  1. Tune in!

 

It’s very easy to be distracted when eating at a table with a bunch of other kids in a noisy dining hall. Remind your child to put his fork down mid-meal and check in to see if they are still hungry. If they aren’t, then let them know it’s okay to stop eating and not finish what’s on their plate. Speak to the counselors in advance to be sure that no one is forcing your child to clean their plate in the name of not wasting food!

 

  1. Drink up!

 

Water, water, water. Need I say more? Send water bottles to camp with your child. And encourage your child to keep hydrated throughout the day to replenish the lost fluids through perspiration and running around.

 

  1. Put money in a canteen account

 

It is totally okay for your child to enjoy ‘fun foods’ every now and again. Please don’t put rules on your child such as: “You can only buy ice pops or sorbet from the canteen.” This is never going to happen. All you will do is set your child up to sneak eat and not tell you the truth for fear of getting in trouble. Taking conditions off food and not labeling foods as good or bad is key to having a good relationship with food. As long as you’ve been offering your kids wholesome food options while at home with fun food options available, have confidence that they will continue to make these choices when they are away.

 

Here’s to a fantastic time for all the kids heading off to summer camp. Enjoy and take it all in!