Diet Free Radiant Me™ Archives - Page 30 of 46 - Diet Free Radiant Me | Intuitive Eating | Emotional Eating

How to Prevent Rebound Eating

How many times have you done this: You want to look good for an event on the weekend so you spend the next week or 2 restricting your food and calories thinking you’ll shed 10 pounds by the weekend? And when that event is over you make up for lost time by indulging in all the foods that you were deprived of on that “diet” you were on? This is called rebound or binge eating. It is a vicious cycle that can lead to disordered eating patterns.

Depriving your body of the foods it wants over time can really take a toll on your body and mind. It can lead to cravings so bad that when you do finally allow yourself to eat what you want you could spiral out of control and end up bingeing on it. Then to compensate you might go back to restricting or trying to “work it off” at the gym which will only continue the cycle.

By incorporating intuitive eating into your life, you can break this cycle. Eat the foods you want when you want. But be mindful. If you want chocolate cake, have some cake. Don’t have the whole cake but have enough until you are satisfied. Eating a slice of cake won’t set you back on your weight or health goals, but depriving yourself until that cake is all you can think of just might.

Before deciding what to eat ask yourself these questions:

What do I really want?

You tell yourself you should get the salad when you’re out to dinner because it’s a healthy option, but you really want your favorite pasta dish. What should you do? You could get the salad and not be satisfied while watching your family enjoy their pasta. Or you can honor your preference and order the pasta. Consider asking for an appetizer portion or have the waiter bring half the portion and pack the other half to go. This way you can enjoy the pasta without the worry of overeating from the extra large portions restaurants usually give you.

Am I choosing the food because it’s what I should eat?

Who’s to say what you should or should not eat? Only you are the owner of your body and your food choices! Don’t fall prey to the “good food” “bad food” list diets give you. Own your choices!

Am I emotionally eating or am I really hungry?

If you’re craving a certain comfort food but you’re not actually hungry, this could be because you are feeding your emotions. Try to make yourself feel better by getting to the root of your emotions and find ways to fix them without food. Read more about this here.

Eating shouldn’t be an all or nothing sort of thing. If you give into your cravings once in a while you are not a failure. Extremes are easy, but finding balance within yourself and your eating is the hard part.

I know this isn’t easy. If you need help feel free to reach out to me here.

How to Slow Down the Pace of Eating

In today’s fast paced society it’s only natural that we rush around trying to get everything done before the day is over. You rush to work, school, and everywhere else you have to go. While moving fast may be a necessity for you, eating fast can be detrimental to your health and body.

Did you know that eating your meals quickly can actually lead to overeating and weight gain?

Think back to your last meal… did you inhale it or take the time to enjoy every bite? How long do you think it took you to finish your meal? If it’s less than 20 minutes then keep reading.

Don’t worry you’re not alone, most people devour their meals in about 5 minutes. They put a forkful of food in their mouths and before they even swallow, the next forkful is ready to go. Do you do this too?

When you do this you’re not savoring your meal and you’re not being mindful as you eat. Slowing down as you eat will allow you to really taste every bite and get the most satisfaction out of the meal as possible.

Eating quickly also prevents you from eating until you are comfortably satisfied because you don’t pay attention to your inner fullness signals, instead you eat until the food is gone. It takes the brain 20 minutes to realize that your stomach is full. If you eat fast you can completely miss that fullness cue and you can overeat. It can even cause bloating, gas and heartburn.

In a Japanese study of over 3,000 people, both male and female, those who ate quickly until they were completely full were three times more likely to be overweight than those who ate slower.

Slow down your eating by:

Setting an allotted 30 minutes to sit down and have a good meal
Putting your fork and knife down between bites
Chewing slowly
Using your non-dominant hand to hold the fork
Eating with someone else
Eat without distractions (meaning no T.V. or Phone)

Challenge yourself

Set the timer on your phone and see how long it normally takes you to finish a meal. It might be 5 minutes and you might think that stretching it out to 20 is impossible. It’s not! Continue to use the tips above every time you sit to eat to help lengthen your meal minute by minute. Before long, you will be eating slower and using your inner fullness signals to guide you when to stop. And, you’ll enjoy your meal a whole lot better.

Comment below and let me know how this goes for you!

Are You Feeding Your Stomach or Emotions?

If you are having one of those days where nothing seems to go right and all you want is something to make you feel better, what do you reach for? Are you reaching for food? If so, is that bag of chips really making you feel better?

“I had a long day and the only thing that will make me feel better is my favorite junk food!”

Does this sound like something you would say? I have many clients that come to me seeking help in dealing with their emotional eating. They find themselves eating when they are stressed, upset or bored, and they don’t feel satisfied afterwards. In fact, they feel guilty, ashamed and desperate.

I help my clients to realize they will not feel satisfied when they are feeding their emotions.

I want to help you understand this too.

Emotional eating is eating in response to feelings, not because you are physically hungry.

Eating away your emotions may make you feel better for an instant, but when the bag is empty you’re left with the same feelings of guilt, the discomfort of overeating, plus those original emotions you had in the first place.

Whether you are eating as a way to reward yourself for a job well done or trying to make yourself feel better after a rough day, this form of emotional eating can affect your mood and health long after the bag is empty.

To identify if you are emotionally eating, you should figure out what is driving your desire to eat. Are you experiencing physical hunger or psychological hunger?

Ask yourself the following questions:

“How am I feeling? Am I upset, angry, tired or even happy? Could this be causing me to crave a certain food?”
“Do I usually use food for comfort?”
“Do I associate rewards with food?” Maybe you just received a promotion, is your first thought “I’ll celebrate with dessert tonight?”
“When was the last time I ate?” Natural hunger cues start to occur a couple of hours after you last ate. If you just ate, you might not be experiencing physical hunger.

These habits can be hard to break and you will need to dig deep inside of you to figure out what you are truly feeling. This isn’t always easy as sometimes it’s uncomfortable to feel your emotions. I get it.

One way to deal with your emotions without food is to distract yourself.

Here are some tips you can try today to help you regain control over your emotions:

Go for a walk to get endorphins going and help you clear your mind.
Do yoga or meditation to clear your mind and help you relax.
Call or text a friend to talk about your day or vent, if needed.
Watch your favorite show for a good laugh.
Read a book to get someone else’s point of view.
Take a nap to regain energy.
Write how you are feeling in a journal.

Distractions may work for a short time. Ultimately you must dig deeper to understand why you turn to food in hard times.

I am here to help you. I can help you work out your emotions and teach you ways to deal with them that do not involve food. I can teach you to listen to your body’s hunger cues and eat only when you are experiencing physical hunger. Take care of yourself by being in tune with your emotions. Dealing with them now instead of letting them build up will benefit you and your overall health.

Contact me here if you’d like to chat.

Can I Fail on My Intuitive Eating Journey?

I was thinking about a conversation I had with a new client a few weeks ago. She was really fed up with dieting and was looking for a solution to help her finally be at peace with food and her body. We talked about the process of intuitive eating and it resonated with her greatly, but she had one big fear: would she fail at this process, like she failed at dieting?

Her fear of failure was initially holding her back from saying yes to embarking on the intuitive eating process. So we talked about that fear and one of the things I helped her to understand is that you cannot fail at intuitive eating.

You see, dieting is something you go on and you go off. Dieting is what actually triggers overeating. Dieting is what causes the feelings of failure.

With intuitive eating, there is no failure. Intuitive eating is this process where you’re learning to become an intuitive eater, which is an ability you are born with. That ability is already within you. Every step along the path, is a lesson learned. Every experience you have will be another lesson learned.

So what you might have thought of as a “failure” or “setback” on your diet, is now going to be thought of as a lesson learned. Its growth and progress.

If you can view the process of intuitive eating from this place, a place of growth, a place of learning new things and new experiences, it will help propel you forward towards reclaiming being an intuitive eater. Here you will realize that you will always learn something from the process and you will never fail.

Once my client realized that she is not embarking on another diet, she realized she cannot fail on this journey. This process is not something that ends. You learn to live as an intuitive eater, it’s a practice.

And so when there is no endpoint, there’s no failure and no fear that’s attached to that.

Once she was able to let go of that fear, she was able to say “YES, let’s do this. Let’s go on this journey together so I can reclaim being an intuitive eater”. She’s on that journey now and really enjoying it.

I say the same to you.

There are lessons learned in every experience you have on this intuitive eating journey.

If you come upon an obstacle or you think you have fallen off the wagon, let’s change that thought process and just think of it as a lesson learned that’s given you growth so you can continue along your journey.

As always, if you need me, I am here.

Chocolate Doesn’t Solve Your Problems

Life is hard sometimes, wouldn’t you say? Things can be going along wonderfully and then all of a sudden BAM, you get hit in the face with a situation that you are not quite ready for. What I’ve learned in my life is firstly that this is just a part of life. We become better people when we go through tough situations and we learn from them. And, secondly, I’ve learned that food (and for most people…chocolate) does not make the problem go away.

Now, I know you are reading this and perhaps you are saying “you are wrong Bonnie, chocolate makes it all better”.

And, to that I say, it makes it all better for the moment you are in your empty body, stuffing the chocolate in your mouth, pushing your feelings down deeper and deeper. But now, the chocolate is gone and what are you left with?

THE PAIN! The pain of still dealing with the difficult feelings you had originally, AND the pain of the GUILT of bingeing on chocolate and the PHYSICAL PAIN of eating too much of it.

So, what are you to do when you just don’t want to deal with the situation that has presented to you in your life?

You SUCK IT UP AND DEAL WITH IT!

WITHOUT. THE. CHOCOLATE.

Yes, I know that sounds harsh, and I don’t mean to be harsh. But it’s just a part of life. You are here on my blog reading my articles, following my work because you want help. You want and need someone to say to you “let’s learn how to deal with your emotions and difficult situations in life without using food. Because food is not the answer.”

Here are 2 steps for you to take immediately so you can learn how to turn away from the chocolate when feeling down:

Step 1: Make a list of the situations and/or emotions that cause you to turn to chocolate (or any food for that matter).

Step 2: Click on this link to request to speak to me so I can help you craft a plan to overcome emotional eating.

I look forward to speaking with you soon!

There’s No All or Nothing in Intuitive Eating

I recently had a client share her success story. Let’s call her Susan. Susan was at an office party when two delicious looking cakes were served. She knew she wouldn’t be able to resist trying the cakes, so she took a small piece of each on her plate. She ate a few bites of the chocolate cake, then a few bites of the white cream cake, and something amazing happened!

She didn’t feel the need to eat more! She was shocked. She was practicing mindfulness around her eating and she savored each bite and she was satisfied before she polished off both pieces.

This. Never. Happened. To. Her. Before.

How did she do this you ask?

By using the intuitive eating strategies that I am teaching her, she is learning to move away from the all or nothing way of thinking. She didn’t feel guilty for indulging in a food she wanted. She has made peace with food and has reaped the benefits which is showing up in so many ways in her life.

Had she found herself in this scenario a few months ago before we began working together, the outcome would have been different. The all or nothing thinking is part of a diet mentality and usually leads to overeating, followed by guilt, unhappiness, dieting, restriction, overeating etc. It’s a vicious cycle.

Intuitive eating is tuning into what your body wants, even if it’s a slice of cake, and giving it what it wants. If you listen to your body, you won’t feel the need to overeat and have guilt afterwards. Your body will be happy it can enjoy the foods it wants.

You may be asking yourself, “How do I get myself to this point?” The answer is to change your mindset. You have to step away from the diet mentality of restricting certain foods or entire food groups.

The way to make peace with food is to give yourself unconditional permission to eat what you want. I know, this sounds like an opportunity to eat uncontrollably. And to be honest with you, some people use it as an excuse to do just that.

It’s a process my dear readers. It does not happen overnight. Those who work through the process with the support, encouragement, positive attitude and patience are the ones who will experience what Susan did. The intuitive eating process can help you transform your relationship with food, where you end the battle with food and your body and achieve great pleasure in eating once again.

Here are two steps you can take today to become and intuitive eater and change your mindset:

Commit to saying goodbye to the dieting mindset! It is time to recognize that you can have your cake and eat it too. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Start tuning in and listening to your body. Your body gives you signals when it starts to get hungry and full. Tune into these signals to know when and what you should feed your body. You’ll learn to eat what your body craves without overeating.

I am here to help you embark on this journey and break out of the dieting mindset.

If you’d like further individualized support, just fill out this risk free request form at www.TalkWithBonnie.com.

5 Steps to Eating Intuitively While on Vacation

Many clients express the stress they feel right before going on vacation about the weight they “inevitably” will gain. They talk about going on a “diet” to lose a few pounds before they go away, since they’ll be eating differently.

Does this sound like you? If your mindset is wrapped around being good or bad, on or off, what you can and can’t eat, you will likely overindulge on vacation and you will feel guilty afterwards.

Yes, it is true we all expect to eat differently while on vacation, but that doesn’t mean you need to eat like it’s your last supper. Use your intuitive eating strategies to help you respond to the change in your eating pattern and adjust. You CAN eat the dessert you crave by learning to savor it so you don’t go for seconds. If you trust in the process, you’ll be able to keep your body and mind happy.

Here are 5 steps you can take to eat intuitively on vacation:

Tune into your body.

If you are craving that Pina Colada or frozen margarita, have it! If you want dessert, have it! If you are truly listening to your body, you won’t overindulge and you’ll be able to stop eating or drinking when you want too.

Trust your body.

Trusting your body and the intuitive eating process will help you enjoy your vacation even more. You will most likely eat more than your used too because you’re trying new foods, but you need to trust that your body will respond intuitively and tell you when you’ve had enough.

Make time for breakfast and lunch.

Vacations often mean sleeping late, missing breakfast and an overall erratic eating schedule (except dinner). But, your priority should be starting your day off with breakfast and packing a lunch to take with you, or planning a lunch stop in your itinerary. It’s easy to get caught up in all of the activities, but if you skip a meal, you’re more likely to overindulge at dinner. It’ll be harder for you to listen to your body telling you its full.

Be mindful when you eat out.

Vacations generally mean eating out at restaurants, and that also means more courses and larger portions. New foods and more choices does not mean you need to eat like there is no tomorrow. If you’re listening to your body, you’ll eat until you are satisfied with the new flavors. You may eat a few more bites, but you’ll be able to stop yourself before you overeat.

Pack your favorite snacks for a busy day.

It can be easy to forget to pack snacks when you’re busy with activities, but it is important. Take the few extra minutes before you leave to pack a goodie bag of pre-portioned snacks. It can be almonds, fruit, veggies, etc. Your body will thank you when you’re not starving heading into lunch or dinner.

Your vacation is a time for relaxation and happy times and should not coincide with “giving up” your intuitive eating practice. Be mindful and always listen to your body and your vacation will become even more enjoyable.

If you’d like further individualized support, just fill out this request form at www.TalkWithBonnie.com

How to Break Through Your Limiting Beliefs Around Weight Loss

Something is keeping you stuck. Something keeps you trying each new diet that hits the market even though you know by now that diets don’t work.

Okay, so when I say “diets don’t work”, let me clarify.

Diets DO work in the short term by helping you lose weight, but ultimately they FAIL in the long term because you gain that weight back, plus some! So why oh why do you keep trying to follow a diet? And let’s be real for a minute. When you visit a registered dietitian nutritionist and ask for a “meal plan”, that is just a nicer way to say diet. If you don’t understand what I mean, read my story here.

So, let’s understand a little about why you might be resistant to giving up dieting.

Perhaps you think that a diet is the only way to lose weight. (Wrong!)

Perhaps you are too scared to trust that you actually know how to eat if you would just listen to your body. (I get that this might be true, but I can help you learn to re-trust your body again!)

Perhaps you really don’t want to be successful in losing weight. (Bingo!)

Wait, what did I just say? You don’t really want to lose weight? That’s insane. Of course you do, that’s why you try diet after diet, right?

I want to focus on that third bullet point. Dig deep down and ask yourself if you really want to lose the weight forever. What are your fears around shedding the layers that are possibly protecting you? What do you need to be protected from?

Consider some of the following beliefs that you might be holding onto, and understand these are preventing you from moving forward on your journey towards a body you love.

Do you ever say any of the following?

“I’m destined to be fat.”

“I will gain the weight back so why bother.”

“I won’t be able to trust myself around food.”

“Losing weight and changing my habits is hard, I’ll never be able to do it.”

These are all beliefs that MUST be knocked down, smashed through and turned upside down or you will still stay stuck where you are forever!

Sit in a quiet room and think. Just think about these beliefs you have around losing weight and your body. Then commit to getting the support you need to change your thought patterns and your behaviors.

Listen, I know you want to do this yourself. I get it. It’s embarrassing to ask for support, so you think.

I’m here to tell you there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Come join other women (and some men) who are on the journey towards breaking down these negative beliefs and who are now believing in themselves. Click here and join our community, for free.

And, if you’d like further individualized support, just fill out this request at www.TalkWithBonnie.com

New Weight Loss Device Does What?

It’s not unusual to open up the newspaper, magazine, email or hear on the radio about a new weight loss procedure or miracle diet and supplement to help you lose weight quickly and effortlessly.

If you are a chronic dieter, you probably take notice of all the hype around the “best” way to lose weight. And, you’ve probably tried most if not all of them.

Well, today I just had to write about the newest weight loss device that hit the market because it is quite disturbing to me. I will describe it to you, although I won’t name names for good reason.

This latest weight-loss device is a non-surgical procedure that implants a thin tube that connects the inside of your stomach to a discreet button on the outside of your abdomen. After each meal, the device will allow you to empty 1/3 of the contents of your meal into the toilet by connecting a small, handheld device to the button.

UGH!

While the company that developed this procedure does note this should be used in conjunction with lifestyle coaching, physical activity and healthier food choices, what does this picture conjure up for you?

For me, working with individuals with eating disorders, compulsive overeating and those who yo-yo diet their weight up and down, this is only going to exacerbate their struggles with food and their bodies.

Here are 2 problems I see off the bat:

People will eat beyond the point of comfortable satiety because they know they can get rid of some of it before they absorb all the calories. This will lead to more binge eating and eating disorders, not less.

This will cause even more social anxiety and isolation among obese individuals. About 20 minutes after they eat, they have to excuse themselves and go to the bathroom to empty the contents of their stomach. Just typing this gives me the chills. How much anxiety do you think it will give you if you are with a group of friends, in a corporate lunch meeting or out on a date?

This new approved device is a detriment to society on a physical and psychological level without a doubt. There is no “quick-fix” to obesity, it is a disease that requires a long-term solution via a multi-faceted approach.

Start by understanding the real reason(s) you overeat, the WHY behind your eating. As I have said many times before, it is not about the food.

If you would like my help to create a healthier relationship with food, your mind and your body, just click here and contact me.

Is Intuitive Eating just for Women? A True Father’s Day Gift!

I recently had a potential client express how he was stuck in the dieting mindset. He had tried many diets before and has lost the weight and gained it right back. He has feelings of failure and did not know how to break out of the cycle. I suggested intuitive eating and how it can help him. He realized that is exactly what he needs, but hesitated for two reasons:

Reason #1: He is so used to wanting and getting results quickly, that to engage in a “food behavior therapy-type” program wasn’t going to get him the instant results.

Reason #2: He thought this type of deep work was only for women, and what would people think if he embarked on this journey?

Well, after a few more minutes of conversation, he realized that reason #1 was exactly why he was speaking to me in the first place. Yes, all those diets gave him quick results, but those results never lasted. So, what good were they?

As for reason #2, I get it. Quite a few men think the path towards intuitive eating is more for women than men.

But listen up men! Intuitive eating is not just for women. Men and women were both born intuitive eaters and the process to reclaim this is unisex and can benefit everyone.

The work I do with my clients in my 5 Step Intuitive Eating Program is a step-by-step process to help you transform your relationship with food, where you end the battle with food and your body and achieve great pleasure in eating once again.

If you are a man reading this blog, I’m sure you have your reasons as to why you assume this process is just for women. Men don’t like to talk about their emotions, right? May I ask you why? Is it because of what society thinks? Is it just because men don’t “do emotions”?

Men – It is OK to talk about your emotions! You are not alone. Intuitive eating will show you and teach you how to cope with your emotions without food!

With intuitive eating, you’ll be able to enjoy eating your favorite foods without experiencing the guilt afterwards. You’ll learn to accept your body, and with acceptance comes appreciation of your body. From there, your mindset will change and you’ll be able to build a better relationship with food. Your body will thank you.

What better time to take charge of your health and break free of the dieting mindset than around Father’s Day?

Here are two steps you can take today to start the journey to become an intuitive eater:

Commit to saying goodbye to the quick – fixes. Truly recognize this isn’t your long-term solution.

Take advantage of my Father’s Day Gift to you – a Break Free of Dieting Strategy Session. During this session we will uncover the challenges that’s been holding you back from losing weight forever, and we will map out your intuitive eating path. Just click here to schedule your free session.

Happy Father’s Day!