Imagine this…
You’re out to dinner at your favorite restaurant. You sit down, get comfortable, and begin to browse the menu. What’s going through your head? How do you decide to eat?
There are two ways most health-conscious women will handle this situation.
One is heading straight to the salads section or searching the entrées for the cleanest option with the least amount of fat, carbs, and calories. Even though the burger and fries are calling her name, she couldn’t possibly order it because of all the guilt and extra workouts she’ll have to endure afterward. She eats her grilled chicken and veggies feeling deprived and still craving french fries.
Another woman might excitedly browse the menu because she’s extra hungry tonight. She feels out each entrée to sense which one sounds the best to her. She decides to order the grilled chicken and veggies because she knows it will leave her feeling energized and nourished. Plus, she just had a burger yesterday, and eating a little lighter today sounds better. She enjoys every savory bite and feels completely satisfied.
Which one do you think is more likely to go home and binge on potato chips?
This shows the drastic difference in the quality of life between a control-based diet and food freedom.
I can speak to both because I’ve lived them both! I used to dread going to restaurants because I couldn’t accurately count the calories and I’d have to exert so much willpower to not eat what I wanted that it wasn’t even fun. Now I’m free to order whatever I want guilt-free with extra fries and ranch!
Oh, and fun fact: I’m way healthier today than I ever was in my dieting days. Go figure.
How could this be? Well, ladies, I’ve cracked the code. I discovered the truth. I transcended a fear-based relationship with food, and I learned how to treat my body with love, respect, and most importantly, trust.
I know what you’re thinking. That sounds nice Katelyn, but it really sounds like some airy-fairy fantasy. I need facts. I need a system to follow!
Well never fear. Because I have one, and I’m going to teach it to you!
But first let me explain these two approaches further so you can see that even though both will produce results, one is a trap, while the other will set you free.
The first and most common approach is inspired by a problem. We see our body gaining weight and we don’t like it. We associate the weight gain with our recent eating habits, lack of exercise, and lifestyle choices. So naturally, we think, “Ok, I’ll just eat better, exercise more, and live a healthy lifestyle, problem solved!” It’s simple logic, but we all know that it’s not that simple. Change is hard because we have to give up things that give us pleasure and joy. Our willpower might start out strong, but it eventually gives way. So, the next time you’re feeling vulnerable, you have two choices: You can either give in to your cravings, feel guilty, and tell yourself you’ll be stricter tomorrow, or you can stick to your diet, feel deprived, and still craving whatever it was.
Pretty sucky right? Ya, it’s like you’re either fit and missing out everything fun and delicious, or you’re indulging and feeling guilty all the time. Most women endlessly float between these two outcomes trapped in what’s known as The Diet Cycle.
UGH! F that life… you absolutely don’t have to live that way!
Ok, so are you ready for approach number 2?
Instead of being inspired by a problem, it’s inspired by possibility.
In this approach, when you notice your weight creeping up, instead of springing into action out of fear, you start to get curious. Because you know that your actions and choices are never the root of the problem, they are merely the symptoms of preceding emotions, thoughts, and beliefs. So, you ask yourself what part of me am I trying to fill, or why am I using food to change my mood? This approach is based on the idea that the body’s most natural state is healthy and thriving and that it’s constantly communicating with you what it needs. So instead of trying to control your body with diet and exercise, you tune in and take orders. You’re able to eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full, and eat whatever you want because you value how you feel and intuitively know how to eat and exercise in order to feel your best.
Doesn’t that sound like a dream? Well, it’s real. In fact, it’s the most natural, practical relationship with food and your body there is.
But if you’ve been living with approach number one for years (maybe even decades!), then approach number two can feel intangible, or even ridiculous. After years of ignoring your body’s inner signals for hunger, fullness, or cravings you’ve eroded your inner lines of communication. In some cases, to the point where those signals don’t even exist.
No wonder the phrase “Just listen to your body.” can be so triggering!
But don’t worry, your inner lines of communication can be repaired.
That’s exactly what I do. I help women repair their mind-body connections and heal that relationship so they can hear and trust their bodies again. Whether they struggle with a lack of self-worth, emotional eating, or have been told their whole life that being healthy is hard work, I help them clear their inner blocks to natural, effortless well-being.
You see, when you end the battle with your body, it becomes your strongest ally. It wants you to be healthy and wants you to succeed at getting there. So, when you have a relationship of mutual trust, you become unstoppable!
Life is too short to be spent micromanaging something that was never meant to be managed in the first place. Your mind, body, and soul are all on the same team with a shared goal of you living your life’s purpose and being the highest expression of you! So, let’s wave the white flag and open our minds to a new approach, shall we?
Wave wave.
