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5 Morning Routine Tips to Support Your Intuitive Eating Practice

Mornings are generally a hectic time for pretty much everyone. Starting the morning off on the right foot can be tough, especially when you must get your kids ready for school, get everyone’s lunches ready, and still make it to work on time. Sometimes there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything you need to get done.

What is especially frustrating is that the morning can set the tone for the whole day. So, if your morning isn’t going as planned, you likely won’t be in the right mindset to conquer the rest of your day with a positive mindset. And, you’ll rush through breakfast, or skip it altogether, and that’ll set you up for haphazard eating the rest of the day.

That is why starting the morning off in a positive way is so important to continuing your Intuitive Eating practice.

The Importance of a Morning Routine

Incorporating a routine to your mornings isn’t about waking up and “getting things done” early! It’s about beginning your day with peace, confidence, and a positive attitude.

Nourishing your body on all levels from the moment you open your eyes in the morning is key to a healthy mind, body, and soul. It may take some time for you to change your morning routine, so focus on slow changes over time, at your level of comfort. Set the rest of your day up for success by keeping your mornings calm and focused.

Here are 5 ways that I like to start my mornings which sets a positive tone for the rest of my day and allows me to support my Intuitive Eating practice

1. Practice Being Still

When you first wake up, take some time to meditate, even if it’s for just 3-5 minutes. You can do it while lying in bed or sitting up. This will allow you to connect with yourself on a deeper level as you start your day. When your mind is still and calm, set your intention about how your day will be. For example, “Today will be an incredible day. I feel positive and alive”.

2. Get Your Body Moving

You may not have a lot of time in the morning to exercise, and that’s okay. I have found that on mornings when I engage in movement, my days flows more smoothly, and I have more energy. Commit to moving your body in the morning in whatever way feels good for you. It can be as little as 5 minutes or as long as 30 or more minutes, whatever it takes to get your blood flowing and heart pumping.

3. Choose Comfort

When choosing what clothes to wear for the day, consider comfort. Respect your body at whatever size it is now and wear clothes, including undergarments, that fit you well and comfortably. Don’t force your body into uncomfortable garments that you’ll be fixing on throughout the day.

4. Fuel Up with Breakfast

It’s so easy to dash out the door without breakfast, or to grab and go. It’s best if you can plan some time into your morning routine to sit down at the table and enjoy a balanced breakfast of foods you enjoy. By sitting to eat, without any distractions, you will be able to savor each bite and get the utmost pleasure from your meal.

If you skip breakfast, chances are you will be over hungry by lunch and you will decrease your chances of choosing foods that honor your health. In addition, when you begin eating in an over hungry state, you will most likely end the meal at uncomfortable fullness.

5. Practice Gratitude

Finally, before dashing out the door, take a moment to breath and write down (or say quietly to yourself) three things you are grateful for. I find that this centers me and puts everything into perspective, even before I turn my computer on to see what the day will bring.

While this morning routine takes some time and may just mean that you can’t hit the snooze button (okay, maybe once!), you will reap the benefits as you continue to practice Intuitive Eating and mindful living. It’s worth it!

When the Diet Mentality Creeps Back

The diet mentality is sneaky. If you’ve committed to giving up dieting and are working through the process of intuitive eating, I’m so happy for you. But you might have noticed something that’s disturbing – the way the diet mentality and food police show up when you least expect it.

As a person who is no longer dieting, you may not realize that at times, you are actually still dieting. This is called pseudo, or unconscious dieting. You may not think you are dieting, but in actuality, your dieting thoughts translate into dieting behaviors.

Examples of Pseudo Dieting

You mentally track how many calories or carbs you are eating per day.
You make a decision to buy or eat a certain food based on the calories it contains.
You don’t eat past _______ time even if you are hungry.
You feel badly because you ate ___________.
You have a list of 10 or so foods that you feel safe eating without a worry of overeating.
You feel hungry now, but just ate 1 ½ hours ago, so you drink water instead of eating (“how can I be hungry?”)
You only eat carbs in the early part of the day, rarely or never with dinner.
You eat dinner before you go to a wedding.
You eat a light lunch because you ate a larger breakfast.
You avoid gluten, just because.

There may also be certain situations in your life that trigger your diet mentality. These may be new experiences that make you feel uncomfortable, unsure of your place in the world, or bring up uncomfortable emotions.

Examples of Life Situations that Trigger Diet Mentality

Moving to a new community where you don’t know anyone.
Starting a new job.
Separating from your spouse or getting a divorce.
Becoming a mom for the first time.
Becoming a grandma for the first time.
Losing a loved one.
Getting fired from your job.
Marrying off your first child.
Retiring after decades of working.
Dealing with a troubled family member.

All these situations point to new phases in your life, new experiences or challenging times in which you haven’t yet had to learn coping strategies. So, you fall back into diet mentality and try to control your food, since that’s been so familiar to you for so many years.

Be Gentle with Yourself

When the diet mentality rears it’s ugly head, please be gentle with yourself. If you allow your inner critical voice to bash yourself, telling you that you’ll never “succeed” at intuitive eating, you will harm yourself more than help yourself because this will be your entryway back into the dieting world.

I once had a client who told me that if she gains even ¼ pound, she talks harshly to herself because that’ll get her to “be better”.

On the contrary, this type of talk causes you to feel beat up, abused and running right back onto the diet treadmill.

Instead, remind yourself that you are doing the best you can at this very moment. And, the fact that you have recognized the sneaky diet mentality is actually a WIN! The more you call out these diet-y thoughts, the sooner you will continue to recognize them before they do damage and be able to shoo them away.

Support and Guidance

In order to handle these curve balls that life throws your way, it’s important to have support! That support can come in any variety of ways from an accountability partner, online support group or a private coach.

End of Summer Special on Intuitive Eating Support

Take advantage of my End of Summer Special and grab 50-75% off my most popular intuitive eating programs. Choose one or both, whatever feels right for you.

Check it out here. But hurry, this offer expires on Monday, September 2, 2019 at midnight Eastern.

3 Strategies to Turn Self-Hate into Self-Love

Society has women believing that they need to look a certain way and weigh a certain number and if they don’t measure up, then they are not worthy of love, success and happiness. They tie their self-worth into a number on a scale which leads them to body hatred and self-hatred and continuously looking for the next diet.

What is self-love anyway?

You’ll likely find various definitions for self-love. To me, self-love means caring for yourself, meeting your needs and making yourself a priority in your life. It means valuing the person you are on the inside and not measuring your worth based on the outside.

So, you might be thinking that sounds great, but how do I do that with all the messages I’ve received since childhood into my adulthood that if I am not a size 2, I am not worthy.

Here are 3 strategies to help you turn self-hate into self-love:

Focus on Self-esteem boosters: Make a list of the accomplishments you’ve had in your life. Read this list and add to it daily. Remind yourself that you are capable, smart and can do anything you set your mind to. You are awesome just the way you are!

Make yourself a priority: Identify your needs that are being unmet and set self-care goals to fill those voids. Be sure to attend to your needs first so you can give to others from a place of abundance. Is this challenging when you have a partner, parents and kids relying on you? It sure is. But are you worth it? You sure are!

Give thanks and show gratitude: You have a lot to be thankful for. Your body is amazing and keeps you alive. Each day look in the mirror and give thanks to each part of your body from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Proclaim your love to yourself. Do this every morning and every evening and watch how your feelings toward yourself change.

I am committed to helping women learn how to love themselves and their bodies exactly as they are now and gently move into a place of trusting their inner guidance system when it comes to nourishing themselves. If you’re interested in working together, schedule a call with me at www.TalkWithBonnie.com .