I Initially stopped dieting when I read the book “Intuitive Eating” by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. When I read that book for the first time, I realized that I was in the trap that so many of us find or have found ourselves in. That trap looks like this: desire to lose weight, new diet, cravings and lack of will-power, loss of control and overeating, regain lost weight, and repeat. Anyone else relate to this? The authors of Intuitive Eating call this the “Dieter’s Dilemma.”
I believe that no one diet was made to fit everyone. Diets look promising: they’re designed to get into our belief system and persuade us that they will be THE answer to all of our weight/body image problems. The issue is, we start the diet (which wasn’t made uniquely for US) and we fall into the same dieting trap. Once we feel like we’ve failed, we’re full of guilt, we’ve lost trust in ourselves and we’re on the hunt for the next promising diet (after a short, exhilarating period of eating whatever we want, of course).
We all have different genes, ancestries, favorite foods, activity levels, and lifestyles. No one diet works for everyone. It’s so much more freeing to go on a journey to find what works for your own body instead of copying someone else’s plan (aka, dieting). If copying someones plan was the answer to feeling healthy and happy then why do the majority of us still deal with overeating, guilt around food, and binge eating? Dieting suggests that we restrict certain foods, which only makes us crave them more.
Instead of going on a diet, try listening to your body by:
Placing your hand on your stomach and asking yourself what sounds good to eat
Listening to your hunger signals, and eating when you’re actually hungry
Satisfying your non-food need with non-food sources of nourishment: if you struggle with emotional eating when you’re not hungry, ask yourself “what feeling would I get from those first few bites?” For some, it might be “comfort.” For others, it might be “rest” or “feeling grounded.” Instead of using excess food to feel heavy & rested, give yourself actual rest by taking a hot shower, getting into your pajamas, and reading or watching your favorite show. Try sipping tea, and maybe lounging with a loved one.
Eating the foods that you actually like and giving them your full attention (eating without distractions, sitting down).
Truly savoring your food. Savor the flavor, the feel, the sound, the richness, the texture, and the smell. Fully enjoy your food for the absolute most satisfaction.
Like I said in the beginning, I initially stopped dieting when I first read “Intuitive Eating.” I’ve continued to stay away from dieting because I’ve seen time and time again how burdensome diets are for the women I work within health coaching. I’ve seen the false hope they give. I’ve also seen how FREE my clients feel when they’re no longer dependent on diets to feel their best!
Paige Schmidt is a Certified Holistic Health Coach and works with women to enjoy their calories, not count them. Paige works on helping women end the destructive cycle of dieting. By working with Paige, women rediscover an inner listening to their bodies wants & needs. They leave her coaching program feeling full of joy, comfortable in their own skin, and able to feel calm around food. Her clients finally feel full. You can find her on her website, Facebook and Twitter. You can email her about her coaching program’s here.
