Tag Archive for: intuitive eating

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:

  1. 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!

 

  1. 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!

 

  1. 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 .

 

 

3 Powerful Strategies to Decrease Food Related Stress

Food is supposed to be enjoyed; yet so people tell me that food is stressful. They report that all aspects of food, whether its deciding what to eat, shopping and preparing food for meals, or even the thought of going out to eat, all leads to stress.

Do you feel the same way?

Does thinking about what you should cook, going to the grocery store and preparing food lead to unwanted stress?

If you have had a difficult relationship with food for some time now, then I’m sure you experience these feelings.

If you do feel the same – how do you manage the stress?  I know you probably want food to be a non-issue in your life, but may think how can it be?

I’m here to tell you it CAN be a non-issue! You CAN develop a healthy, loving relationship with food that can lead to less stress when preparing and shopping for meals…and eating it.

Here are 3 strategies that you can put into place immediately to help you minimize the stress around food:

Strategy #1: Set up your environment for success.

While I’m all about teaching you how to be intuitive in your eating, I am also very practical. It is important to be mindful of your eating and one way to do that is to reduce your external eating cues. That means put all food away after you’ve eaten and don’t leave food on the counters or table. If food is left out, it can very easily lead to mindless munching which then leads to feelings of guilt and frustration for eating when you aren’t hungry.

Strategy #2: Seek assistance from your family members.

Food shopping and meal prep doesn’t have to just be your responsibility. Get everyone involved in the menu planning. Even better, assign everyone a night to prepare the dinner. This way the whole family is involved, the kids will more likely eat what they help to prepare, and you get quality family time too. This will lead to less stress on you to feel like you have to do everything.

Strategy #3: Start to use meditation and visualization.

Meditation can be a powerful tool to help keep your mind clear and stress-free. You can use meditation as a way to visualize yourself being stress-free around food and, by visualizing that, you can start to believe it will happen too.

These strategies are a good place to get started and you can use them as a way to figure out what works best for you.

Want more resources?

Self-Paced Online Program – Stress Less Eat Less™ – see the crazy low-priced deal HERE!

Complimentary Discovery Session – let’s chat to see how I can help you. Go to www.TalkWithBonnie.com and schedule a time.

 

Is Your Dieting Harming Your Daughter

Grace walked into my office with her mom by her side. Grace is a 9 year old adorable girl who has been restricting her food intake. She fears getting “fat”.  Due to her restriction, she has lost weight and is now off the bottom of growth chart.

 

I spoke with Grace and her mom for a while to get a bit of the family history and to understand when and how the restriction began. I then asked Grace’s mom to take a seat in the waiting room so I can talk with Grace alone. It was very important for me to build a good rapport with Grace so she will trust me.

 

Grace openly told me that she started restricting for several reasons. She broke it down as follows:

  • Her mom and sisters were dieting. They were speaking about foods that are good and bad, and were replacing foods they once ate, such as pizza, with alternatives such as cauliflower pizza. This made her feel like these foods wouldn’t be good for her either, so she stopped eating them.

 

  • Her friend’s moms were putting them on diets. Grace told me about at least 4 friends who bring only salad to school for lunch because they are on diets. Their moms told them they have to lose weight.

 

  • All the women in Grace’s life seem to hate their bodies. She’d constantly hear comments such as “do I look fat in this dress?”. “Is my butt sticking out of these pants?”. The message is clear. Fat is bad.

 

Grace wanted to be healthy, she really didn’t want to restrict her intake, but she was afraid of gaining weight. Grace started working with me each week to learn how to eat to nourish her body and to regain the trust in her body again.

 

You’re probably thinking that Grace is so young to be dealing with these fears around food and body. Perhaps as a teenager it would seem more common. But more and more young girls are falling into disordered eating patterns and being diagnosed with eating disorders than ever before.

 

The reason?

 

The diet culture that we live in today! The messages that women and young girls receive is that their bodies are not good enough the way they are. They must mold and sculpt them into a thin, model-like figure to have any worth in this world. It is so sad to me that so many women spend so much of their days worrying about what they are eating and how they look to others. And this worry is being passed down to the younger generation.

 

Do you have a daughter(s)?

 

Are you aware that the way you speak to yourself about your body is influencing the way she feels about hers?

 

Are you aware that she watches every move you make when you eat and when you choose to avoid grains/carbs with dinner?

 

I know for me, when I was dieting and restricting, the messages were loud and clear to my two daughters. They knew that I wouldn’t eat dinner until I calculated how much I’d eaten throughout the day. That would determine how much and what I ate for dinner. What kind of messages was I sending to them? It was a very loud message that I couldn’t trust my body to guide my eating. I had to trust a calculator.

 

I was able to break free of this restriction and teach my daughters that their bodies are smart and has all the wisdom housed inside as to what, when and how much to eat. It’s a matter of listening and trusting.

 

Here are 3 things to do right now if you want your daughter(s) to have a future of food peace and body love:

 

1. Stop restricting. Even if you think you are not restricting, you probably are. The diet mentality is very sneaky and shows up in ways you wouldn’t imagine. Be honest with yourself. Are you substituting zoodles for pasta? Are you choosing cauliflower pizza for regular pizza? Are you ordering 2 veggies instead of a potato and veggie at the restaurant? If yes to any of these questions, then you are restricting.

 

2. Watch your language. Be very careful how you speak in the home, especially when your daughter is around. Do not be judgmental of food, such as this is a “good” food and this is a “bad” food. Putting labels on food demonizes food and ups the fear of eating those foods.

 

3. Stop body checking. When you are getting dressed and looking in the mirror, be aware of your comments about yourself and your body. And, be aware of your non-verbal behaviors as well. Looking in the mirror and wincing or grunting are all heard and seen by your daughter. Instead of instilling hatred for your body or body parts, teach what it means to have respect for your body.

 

The truth is, I recognize that this is all easier said than done. It takes time, patience and fighting back against the messages you hear every day. But if you want to save your daughter(s) from going down the rabbit hole of dieting, food fear and body worry, then now’s the time.

 

Do you want a brighter future for your daughter? It all starts with you. Book a call with me www.TalkWithBonnie.com.

 

 

July 4th Special: How to Make Intuitive Eating Second Nature

July 4th is tomorrow, and that means that summer is in full swing. There is a whole new energy in the air, I just LOVE it!

As you get ready to celebrate Independence Day this July 4th, I have something I’d like to share with you.

Success in intuitive eating isn’t just about eating when hungry and stopping when full.

It’s about making intuitive eating a part of who you are at all levels – your mind, your body and your emotions.

It’s mastering intuitive eating so it becomes second nature.

And for this, you need practice, ongoing support and accountability.

And to celebrate my favorite season, summer, and the July 4th holiday, I have a special invitation for you…

It’s my one and only Summer Special!

For the next 5 days only, you can join my Intuitive Eating Mastery Circle™ at a 50% savings.

Get all the details here.

While training and info are great, what you really need is implementation support. I created Intuitive Eating Mastery Circle™ to give you just that.

It’s truly the most supportive community I’ve ever seen. The members go above and beyond to help one another.

And of course, I’m there guiding you every step of the way — in our private Facebook group, on our monthly group coaching call, during our monthly open office hours and on our private laser coaching calls.

Check it out now and take advantage of this special chance to join us and save 50% (of course you can cancel anytime).

SPECIAL BONUS: Free Body Image Healing LIVE Course

When you join the Intuitive Eating Mastery Circle, you will get access to the Body Image Healing LIVE Course that is happening right inside the membership group, starting Wednesday July 10th.

Here’s what you’ll discover:

  • Get clear on your current body image story
  • Understand how mindfulness and self-compassion are integral to body image healing
  • Cultivate a positive body image using powerful healing strategies

This course is only being offered to Mastery Circle members!

Check it out now and take advantage of this special chance to join us and save 50% (you’ll be grandfathered in at the low rate and can cancel any time you like).

 

4 Intuitive Eating Strategies for Summer Vacation

Summer is my favorite time of year. But for many women I speak to, the thought of summer vacation brings them anxiety and stress about how family trips, outings and days at the beach will affect their intuitive eating journey.

Do you feel the same?

These feelings creep up because of your past (or lingering) diet mentality. You’ve always dieted before vacation so that you can “splurge” while on vacation. Then you come home only to feel guilty about “blowing it again”.

This behavior starts the diet rollercoaster all over again.

Let’s make sure the diet mentality stays quiet as you plan ahead for the most rewarding intuitive summer yet.

Here are 4 strategies to help you navigate your intuitive eating journey during your summer get-away. 

1. Shut down your inner critic: You know that voice that I’m talking about. The one that is telling you that you have to lose 10 pounds before you put on a swimsuit. If you listen to this voice, she will push you back into diet mentality and onto the latest quick fix, which will keep you riding the dieting roller coaster.

What to do: when your inner critic starts speaking, pause, acknowledge her presence, thank her for trying to protect you but let her know that you no longer need protection. You are doing just fine and shoo her away….

….and then go shopping for new bathing suits that make you feel like a million bucks!

2. Stay tuned in and aware: Mindless snacking is easy to do while vacationing if you are not staying present. There is often less structure to the day, no routine and you may find yourself grazing instead of eating a meal. This is easy to do if you are lying on the beach with friends passing around snacks or walking the streets and trying the local fare.

What to do: Make a commitment to yourself to stay fully present, pay attention and have an awareness of whether you’re hungry or not before you dig into the snacks.

3. Be prepared to honor your hunger. 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. If you aren’t prepared and you get over hungry, then it’ll be more difficult to make choices that honor your health when you finally get to your next meal.

What to do: 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 will likely eat beyond comfortable fullness, which never feels good!

4. Give yourself unconditional permission to eat. It’s very common for a recovering dieter to fall back into the mindset of “it’s vacation, I’ll get back on my plan when I get home.” This is very damaging and can undo many months of hard work on your intuitive eating journey. I recognize that some vacation resorts are all-inclusive which 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”.

What to do: By giving yourself unconditional permission to eat when you’re hungry, you will be less tempted to eat beyond comfortable fullness because you know you can eat this food again, whether it’s later that day, the next day or next week. It’s when you think this is your last opportunity to eat this food that not respecting your fullness is more challenging.

We all need a vacation and time away from our everyday work and chores. This is a time to strengthen your intuitive eating journey. You can do it!

If you’re ready to get individualized help on your intuitive eating journey, just go to www.TalkWithBonnie.com and schedule a complementary call with me.

 

 

4 Ways to Incorporate Gentle Nutrition

After years of dieting you may feel like your life is ruled by food. The dieting mindset has taught you that food is meant to be consumed under strict guidelines without enjoyment. However, you probably realize now that this is just not true!

 

Remember back to when you were a child, there were so many exciting things to experience every day, and meals and snacks were just a part of the routine.  Day-to-day life was not driven by whether or not you ate the “right” or “wrong” foods.

 

When you focus too much on eating and dieting, food begins to control your life rather than being a part of your day.  You find yourself cancelling your lunch date with your friends because you’re afraid there will be nothing on the menu that you “can” eat. Following food rules to hopefully lose weight removes the pleasurable experiences from your life.

 

The good news is that when you finally give up dieting you do not need to follow external food rules anymore. When you start the intuitive eating journey  you learn how to eat based on your body’s hunger and fullness cues. And, when you rely on your body’s signals, you enjoy each and every eating experience.

 

The concept of “Gentle Nutrition” can be confusing for you. In truth, if you are still dismantling diet culture messages that have flooded your mind, you may not be ready to learn how to incorporate nutrition into your journey in a gentle way. And that’s okay. Your time will come. But if you are ready, then here are some gentle ways for you to do so from a lens of self-care!

 

4 Tips to Incorporate Gentle Nutrition

 

1. Start Your Day with Breakfast

When you wake up in the morning, your body calls for fuel. If you ignore this call, you will likely overeat later in the day. Instead of focusing on food as a tool for weight loss, focus on it as a tool for fueling your body to get your day started. As a past dieter, you likely skipped breakfast because you either claimed you weren’t hungry or that it caused you to eat more throughout the day. On the contrary, when you skip breakfast, you set yourself up to be overly hungry which then leads to overeating. Enjoy a hearty nutritious breakfast such as oatmeal with fruit and nuts or a veggie omelet in a whole grain tortilla.  You will see how much energy you have to start your day and will find you are not “starving” by lunchtime.

 

2. Be Prepared – Bring Healthy Snacks with You

If you approach mealtime feeling ravenous, you may eat beyond comfortable fullness to the point that you feel stuffed and sick. When you begin to feel the first signals of hunger, the only way to answer that call is to eat, which you can only do if you have food with you. This is the reason why I always carry some snacks when I leave the house and I recommend you do too. Having snacks on hand will prevent you from making a trip to the vending machine and can even save you some money.

 

3. Be Creative with Produce

If you’ve been a dieter, you have probably had your fill of fruits and veggies. Maybe so much so that you avoid them at this point (“carrot sticks, no thanks!”) Do a quick audit of the food you eat in a day. If you’re falling short on produce, then you are falling short on valuable nutrients and antioxidants for good health. Instead of reluctantly adding steamed broccoli to your menu, get creative. Make a spinach lasagna, stuffed peppers or a roasted eggplant salad.

 

For more recipes and intuitive eating wisdom, check out this resource!

 

4. Approach Your Meal with Positivity

By making food a positive force in your life, you will end that unhappy relationship you’ve had with food and be on the road to optimal health and wellness. Approach each meal as an opportunity to show respect to your body. Keeping the intuitive eating principles (https://dietfreeradiantme.com/intuitive-eating-for-adults/) top of mind will ensure you have full satisfaction in your meals.

 

What is one food rule you might still be holding onto that is preventing you from enjoying gentle nutrition for your health.

 

3 Steps to Stop the Body Comparison Game

As I sat to write this week’s Intuitive Eating Wednesday blog post, I paused to think about what was on my mind. I tend to pick a blog topic by considering what’s going on around me in relation to food, body image, or questions I get from clients or prospective clients.

 

Today I want to address body comparison. This is when you compare your body to other people’s bodies, and it starts to make you feel bad about your own body. This in turn leads you to start another diet as your desire to be “thin” overcomes you. Yet, the restriction brought on by the diet causes you to feel deprived of your favorite foods which ultimately leads to overeating/binge eating. Then the cycle starts again.

 

I think it’s understandable to a certain extent that you compare your body to other women’s bodies. This is a side effect of the diet culture we live in. Especially now that the summer is quickly approaching, you can’t go far without seeing an advertisement with a bikini clad female or commercial for a diet to get you in beach body shape, quickly! And now that the weather is nice, people are out in skimpy outfits only to add to the pressure you put on yourself (“I need to do something, now!”)

 

Enough is enough. I know you don’t want to continue to put this pressure on yourself. It takes up your brain space and prevents you from enjoying each day to the fullest.

 

Here are 3 steps to stop the body comparisons!

1)Just stop! Promise yourself that you will no longer compare your body to other women’s bodies. Think about the fact that you have no idea how she got the thin body she has. Perhaps she’s on a quick-fix diet and is miserable inside. Perhaps she’s suffering from a medical condition (or mental health condition) and weight loss is a side effect. It’s a dangerous game to wish for what other people have, the grass is not always greener on the other side.

I know of a situation where a woman was complemented for her weight loss and was asked how she did it. The answer? “Anorexia”. Enough said.

 

2)Praise and thank your body every day! Your body is miraculous. I think people take for granted all the amazing things your body does to keep you alive, keep you moving from place to place, and being able to see the world around you.

 

I can tell you firsthand this is true. If you’ve been following me for some time, you probably know that I had eye surgery last year. This was a bit traumatic for me on many levels. But one of the most eye opening (no pun intended) experiences for me was during recovery after the surgery. My vision wasn’t the same, my eyes needed time to heal. I couldn’t see clearly, it was hard to read, hard to see my computer, hard to do everyday things and of course I couldn’t drive. It was then that it hit me how we take for granted things that our bodies do for us on a daily basis.

 

So please, give praise and thanks to your body every day, from the top of your head to your tippy toes.

 

3)Dress for the body you have now! I cannot stress this enough. If you are wearing clothes that are tight on you, you will be uncomfortable and feel upset, sad and hopeless. That’s when body comparisons happen the most. Take yourself shopping and buy clothes that you love that fit you. Who cares what size the label says? Those aren’t accurate anyway, and mean zilch! When you dress in clothes that feel good, you feel awesome and powerful and can accomplish anything!

 

Without a doubt in my mind, body comparisons will hinder your intuitive eating journey! Let’s stop this now so you can keep moving forward.

 

If you are still dieting but just don’t know how to stop, pop your name and email in the boxes below to start your free Break the Spell of Diets in 3 Days experience.

 

 

Your Body is Not a Calculator

How many servings of grains should I eat each day? How about protein, fruit, veggies, and fat? These are questions I used to get all the time when I created meal plans for clients.

 

That was back in the day when I was doing weight loss counseling (cringe!). The meal plans I created always “worked” for clients if they “followed” them to a T. But the problem was, they were not able to follow them exactly because they had a life to live. They had birthday parties to go to, vacations to go on, business dinners to attend. And once they felt like they couldn’t “stick” to the plan, they started making choices that didn’t honor their health.

 

Of course, we know what followed. Guilt, shame, feelings of disappointment and frustration. Then back on the meal plan, only for history to repeat itself.

 

Energy In = Energy Out

 

When I was in school, I learned about energy in = energy out. And in order to lose weight, you had to take in 500 less calories per day, or expend 500 extra calories per day, to lose 1 pound per week. Nutrition science has come a long way since I was in school.

 

In those early days of counseling, this is how I calculated weight loss meal plans for clients. I first calculated how much energy (aka calories) one needed to take in to maintain current weight. I then subtracted 500 calories and created a meal plan. I encouraged exercise to expend even more energy, this way my client would lose even more weight.

 

The problem with this is that THE BODY IS NOT A CALCULATOR.

 

This formula doesn’t work like this in real life. There are many factors that affect how you absorb the calories that you eat such as medications you might be on, medical conditions/diseases that you might have, your genetic makeup and the bacteria in your intestines to name a few.

 

You cannot manipulate this energy equation by eating less or exercising more to promote weight loss.

 

Once I realized this, I stopped calculating precise meal plans for clients.

 

2 Variables that Affect Your Body Weight

 

Manipulating your energy input and output isn’t going to help you achieve the body you want. But there are certain variables that will affect your body weight that are often NOT addressed. These are:

 

  1. Stress: Do you live in a chronically stressed state? If yes, then your stress hormones (specifically cortisol) are streaming through your body wreaking havoc on your physical, behavioral and emotional health. Perhaps it’s time to figure out what is stressing you out and work on de-stressing with some tried and true stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing, etc. Learn more here!

 

  1. Sleep: Do you get enough sleep each night? There is no magic number but there are enough studies that show that most people need between 7-8 hours of solid sleep. Here’s a hint: If you wake up the next morning yawning, you are not getting restorative sleep. Perhaps it’s time to put a sleep program into place.

 

What About Food/Nutrition and Exercise?

 

You might think because I teach intuitive eating, that I don’t regard nutrition and exercise. This is NOT TRUE! What you put into your body and the movement you do (or don’t do) each day has an important impact on how you feel.

 

The way that I encourage my clients to address food/nutrition and exercise is through a gentle lens. Only when they have rid themselves of the diet mentality can they move into this final step of their intuitive eating journey. And that goes for you too.

 

If you are still counting calories and watching the calorie counter on the treadmill in the gym, then you are not yet ready for gentle nutrition and movement. But if you have given up the calorie counting and watching and have regained the trust in your body to guide your eating, then by all means it’s time to start taking a closer look at the foods you are choosing and the movement you are doing (more on this in a future post!)

 

Final Thoughts

If you are still convinced that watching every calorie you eat is going to make a difference in your body weight, then please show some compassion for yourself. It’s okay, you are surrounded by a culture that has us believing this and I truly know that it’s hard to move away from it (take it from someone who used to calorie count…me!).

 

With time, you will learn to make smart eating choices from a place of self-care. In the meantime, if you need support, you can always reach out to me here!

“Eat a Tiny Piece of Cake, I Won’t Tell!”

The title of today’s blog says it all. Diet culture is like a poison, once it gets into your blood, it takes a strong antidote to get rid of it. We’ll talk about that antidote in just a few minutes. But first, let’s look at a prime example of how the diet mentality is a force to be reckoned with.

 

Yesterday was my birthday. I had wonderful happy birthday wishes from many of my friends. Among the many wishes were comments such as:

 

“Happy birthday…fat free cake?”

“Happy birthday! Are you allowed to eat a teeny slice of cake today? I won’t tell your clients!”

“Happy birthday! You can have my slice of cake, I won’t tell!”

“Happy birthday! Eat a healthy salad for dinner so you have no guilt eating the cake later”.

 

Grrr! Honestly, I’m immune to these comments already, well sort of. I truly love my friends and know they mean no harm. What gets me is they know my philosophy on dieting and labeling food as good and bad. Yet, they still make comments like this. It just shows me that as much as they “agree” with my philosophy, the diet mentality comes out in their talk and actions without them even realizing it! Yes, diet culture and the resultant diet mentality is a force to be reckoned with.

 

I eat cake! I eat cake and have NO GUILT eating cake. You know why? Because I have given up demonizing food and I realize that food does not have as much power as people give to it. Once you learn to eat with attunement and trust your body, you no longer have to live by external food rules.

 

Do I eat cake every day? No, I don’t. Not because I “can’t”. But because my body doesn’t feel good when I do. I get to make this choice, not some arbitrary diet or health guru.

 

The Antidote to Diet Culture

 

If you’ve been poisoned by diet culture, I have the antidote. It’s called Intuitive Eating.

 

Intuitive eating is a mind-body health approach created by two registered dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. “Intuitive Eating is a personal process of honoring health by listening and responding to the direct messages of the body in order to meet your physical and psychological needs”, says Evelyn Tribole.

 

When you embark on your intuitive eating journey, it’s not just about eating when hungry and stopping when full. As a matter of fact, as a dieter, this will be challenging to do at first as most likely your signals have silenced somewhat, and your diet mentality will have you second guessing yourself. So the first step is to work on your mindset.

 

You’ll find as you begin to pay attention to your thoughts, that the dieting messages will rear their ugly head in many situations. Just like the comments from my friends. But it’s important to call them out for what they are, the more you do, the less they will come.

 

I’m not saying this is an easy process. But it is a process well worth the effort if you want to be cured of diet culture’s poison.

 

Any questions, I’m here to answer. Just comment below.

 

If you’re interested in starting your intuitive eating journey to finally make peace with food and your body (or you need support on your already started journey), read more about my intuitive eating program here.

3 Tips to Overcome the Fear of Weight Gain

One of the biggest obstacles I see for women who want to start the intuitive eating journey is a fear of weight gain. And I get this! It makes sense that you are so afraid of gaining weight because that’s the message you’ve been getting for many years.

 

When you were younger, you were told by your mom or dad “you have to eat healthy”, “you should lose weight”, “you have such a pretty face, if only you’d lose weight”.

 

You were told by your pediatrician “your BMI is too high”, “lose weight”.

 

You were laughed at by your peers, discriminated against on the job interview, made to feel uncomfortable on an airplane flight…

 

I can go on and on.

 

Being thin is what most women strive for as this is made to be an elevated status. But how much of your life will you spend chasing this “thin ideal”? What have you missed out on because you were uncomfortable in your skin? Because you don’t think you’re good enough the way you are? Because you feel judged by society?

 

I want you to live the life you were meant to live. Not live a life fearing food and fearing weight gain.

 

3 Tips to Overcome the Fear of Weight Gain:

 

1.Realize that embracing intuitive eating does not mean giving up. Learning to be an intuitive eater means returning to the way you were born, trusting and loving your body and being in awe of every part of it from your fingers to your toes, just like when you were a baby! Remember those days? Now, fill in the blank below to start appreciating your body again.

My body is amazing because_________________________.

 

2.Understand that only your body knows what size it is destined to be. Your doctor doesn’t know, the BMI charts don’t know, I don’t know, and you don’t even know. Allow your body to do what it feels best doing once you give up dieting and restriction. Trust that your body is brilliant and given the space, will arrive at a comfortable place.

 

3.Show your body respect and take good care of it. No matter your size, your body deserves to be respected. How? Here are some ideas: pamper your body with after shower scented lotions, enjoy gentle massage, wear comfortable clothes that you love, get enough sleep, talk nicely to your body and thank your body for all it does each night before you go to bed. Believe it or not, these are self-care activities that will help your body feel great!

 

I don’t want to undermine your feelings and fear of weight gain. But holding on to that fear will only keep you in the viscous cycle of dieting. Let’s bust through the fear together…you can do it!

 

Want support? Contact me here and let’s chat.