Eating and weight loss do not have to go together…did you know that?
Diet culture would tell us otherwise.
If you live in the western world where everyone seems to want to lose weight at some point, it’s hard to avoid the message that we have to worry about what we eat so that we can lose or maintain weight.
They seem to go hand in hand, eating and weight loss.
The truth is, the more you think about losing weight, the more you eat.
This happened to me.
When I was accidentally dieting (because I seriously didn’t know it – most people don’t), I would think about what foods will help me lose weight, how much I should eat to lose weight, when to eat so I lose weight, etc.
The more I thought about eating with weight loss in mind, the more I ate.
It’s totally whacked how that works!
The reason it works this way is because our brain is always looking out for danger.
Weight loss as a goal is dangerous to our brain.
It doesn’t matter HOW MUCH we want to lose weight… the brain registers it as DEPRIVATION, STARVATION, AND POSSIBLE DEATH!
Getting out of that mindset – that we have to lose weight, or what will this food do to me weight-wise – is the best way to take care of ourselves. If you desire to lose weight, the first thing you have to do is to NOT focus on weight loss.
Rather, think about why you want to lose weight, and how you want to feel.
Intuitive eating brings us back to ourselves. It dims the noise of diet culture, body shaming, comparisons. It quiets our inner critic.
Intuitive eating allows us to tune in to the body itself and asks it what it actually needs.
Can you lose weight when you tune into your body?
Yes, of course… if that is what the body wants to do… it will do so naturally.
Should you focus on weight loss during your intuitive eating journey? Or… ever?
No. You should focus on how you want to feel.
Everything else will follow that feeling because it’s actually what you want, not the number on the scale.
Your intuition is your guide.
Listen to it. Trust it. Follow it. It’s been waiting for you to do so.
Ready to move forward in your health and wellness journey? Contact me today! I look forward to hearing from you.
