Tag Archive for: Memorial Day

Celebrating Memorial Day as an Intuitive Eater

This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend which for many signals the start of summer! Sunshine, beach days, swimming, biking, relaxing, vacations…this is what I think of when May 31 rolls around.

 

But for you, the chronic dieter, thoughts of overeating at the BBQ, the dread of putting on a bathing suit, and the anticipation of wearing shorts are flooding your mind. You are probably thinking right now that right after this weekend you will start a diet so you are feeling better about your body by July 4th.

 

Sound about right?

 

You are tired of having food fear and body fear. You are tired of saying no to social invitations because there “won’t be any food there that I can eat on my diet”. You are tired of throwing in the towel time and time again saying “I’ll just enjoy myself today and start again tomorrow”.

 

How can you start living life as an intuitive eater as we approach the holiday weekend?

 

Here are 3 tips to get you started:

 

1) Recognize that no one food has the power over you to make you thin or fat. That’s right. Go into your Memorial Day BBQ this weekend without a list of good and bad foods, foods you can and can’t eat. Ask yourself what you really want to eat. Then go get it, put it on a plate and sit down and eat slowly and mindfully, savoring every bite. No guilty feelings, no worry, just enjoy every bite.

 

2) Stay fully present and aware. It’s very easy to get distracted when in a social situation and not pay attention to what or how much you are eating. Remind yourself that you will make conscious decisions around your food choices and will remain tuned in while you eat. Check in periodically as you are eating and remember, if you are satisfied, stop eating. You can always eat that burger another time.

3) Don’t eat to please others. Your host worked hard to put together a wonderful time full of food, drinks and desserts. Great. You ate, and you enjoyed. And now you are satisfied. If your host starts to pressure you to eat more (“Look how much I have left over!!”), just politely tell her how delicious everything was but you just cannot fit another bite in your belly. Stay true to yourself!

 

Have a wonderful celebration this weekend. Let me know how these 3 tips have helped you on your journey back to being an intuitive eater.

 

 

 

 

The 2 Steps You Must Take for an Intuitive Eating Experience this Memorial Day Weekend

bbqMemorial Day weekend is coming which reminds me that the warm weather is here to stay and the cold winter is behind us. I love the summer, being outdoors, breathing in fresh air and spending fun relaxing time with family and friends. It also means barbeques, pool parties and vacations which all involve food.

 

For the chronic dieter, this might bring you stress. How do you stay on your diet when you are invited to these social gatherings where you are not in charge of the menu and/or cooking? For many of my clients who first come to see me, they make promises to themselves that sound like this:

 

“I am only eating grilled chicken and salad at this weekend’s BBQ party.”

“I’ll have one hot dog, no bun, and that’s it!”

“I’ll enjoy myself while on vacation and start my diet again when I get back.”

 

I can go on and on. I’m sure these statements sound familiar to you. But do they ever work? Not really. You arrive at the BBQ but the steak on the grill looks and smells SOOO good, you have one hot dog but then feel bad so you fall into the “what the heck” trap and pile on the potato salad, pasta salad and mindlessly snack on chips and dips the entire evening. Well, tomorrow is another day, right? Later that night you are upset with yourself and now your inner talk sounds like this:

 

“Why can’t I just have the willpower to avoid those foods?”

“I’m such a failure. I’m doomed to stay on this roller coaster of yo-yo dieting for life.”

“There is just something wrong with me, I should be stronger.”

 

What does this inner dialog do for your trust in your body and food choices? It causes you to lose more and more trust in yourself, lowers your self-esteem and confidence and keeps you in a negative cycle of restriction-deprivation-overeating-guilt.

 

As an intuitive eater, you leave all this behind. You learn to trust yourself, your body, your food choices and you feel empowered when you walk into the holiday barbecue or summer pool party.

 

While I can’t give you a crash course on becoming an intuitive eater in this blog, I can provide you with 2 steps to take towards an intuitive eating experience this Memorial Day holiday weekend.

 

Ready! Here they are:

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1. Set your intention before you leave your house to go to the barbecue or party that you will be fully present and aware when making your food choices. That means surveying the food offerings, deciding what you REALLY would love to eat that would truly satisfy you, put it on your plate and go sit down. Remind yourself that you will not be influenced by what others around you are or are not eating, and you will honor your true food preferences.

 

2. Eat and focus on your every bite. How does it taste and feel in your mouth? Is the taste, texture, aroma, and appearance pleasant? If not, don’t feel pressured to continue eating it. Put it aside and find something that appeals to all your senses. When you are comfortably full, stop eating and spend the rest of the day/evening socializing and enjoying great company and weather.

 

Your turn to take action: What is your intention for eating this holiday weekend? Write it below and commit to it.