Denton County Living Well Magazine May/June 2020 | Page 37
E
at when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full.
Can you do that? It’s hard. But, like everything, it’s
a skill that can be learned. Of course, it’s easier to
try another diet that will work for the short term. If
you’re lucky, it may last for the long term. However,
the best way to lose weight is to stop the diet mentality.
Breaking out of the diet mentality helped me feel good
about my body, connect to it, develop better eating habits,
and achieve freedom from food. During my pregnancy 18
years ago, I gained almost 70 pounds. I wanted to lose all
the baby weight to once again fit into my little shorts and
jeans.
Even though I lost everything in six months by restricting
myself and counting calories, it’s been hard to maintain
the weight. Losing weight is not as hard as keeping it off.
Through the years, I’ve experienced episodes of stress,
emotional eating, and cravings due to everyday situations
and life events. Add hormone fluctuations during my pe-
riod and being in the years of
pre-menopause to the mix and
it’s been challenging not to gain
weight. Can you relate?
Several years ago, I learned
how to calibrate my body by
connecting with it by recogniz-
ing true hunger versus cravings,
becoming aware of my thoughts
at a particular moment, and
by learning to manage those
thoughts and the emotions that
are created by them. I didn’t
know I was practicing intuitive
eating, but with these efforts, I finally achieved freedom
from food.
can’t eat certain foods because of a medical condition, be
mindful. But make sure it’s a choice you do for you. If you
want to eat foods like ice cream, cakes, etc., you learn to
have the choice and give yourself permission to consume
those foods. Not because you “can’t”, or it says somewhere
that today that’s not on the menu you’re supposed to follow.
We live in a society where most individuals are disconnect-
ed from their bodies. It’s time to get back to yourself and
accept your body. Intuitive eating helps with this concept.
Mindful Eating vs. Intuitive Eating
I’ve written before on mindful eating, which is, among other
things, paying attention to what you’re eating and the ex-
perience of that moment without judgment. Also, it’s good
practice if you’re a multitasker because you have to stop
doing everything and enjoy your eating moment. It helps
you develop better habits and opens your senses when
choosing food. You will see now that it gets a bit confusing
because it overlaps with intuitive eating. Let’s see.
While intuitive eating includes
some of the characteristics of be-
ing mindful, it’s more complete.
You learn how to stop having
the diet mentality, manage your
emotions with being kind to your-
self, and accept and respect your
body as is. You’ll also develop
the habit of being more active
in terms of adding some form of
exercise such as walking, etc. It
also helps you become aware
of your body in terms of hunger
versus satiety; become aware
of your thoughts at that moment
helping the emotional versus physical component (mindful),
while helping you to develop freedom around food.
That is why I don’t do any diets. I don’t believe you have
to restrict yourself from food. It’s better to develop the skill
of making a choice of having something or not. And it’s
fun! Often, individuals tend to blame themselves if a diet
goes wrong and feel awful after deviating from the plan.
After eating something they weren’t “supposed to,” they’ll
beat themselves up. Usually the thought of “I failed” follows
with intense feelings of failure, which activates a cascade
of events. It’s not a tool to lose weight, but if you practice the concepts
that are involved, you may lose weight. If you eat only
when you’re hungry and not because of an emotion that
was developed by a thought, you won’t overeat because
you’ll be more attuned with yourself. I will talk a bit more
about overeating in another article.
You can develop a good relationship with food. Of course,
if you’re intolerant or allergic to different ingredients or “Fall in love with taking care of your body.”
~Unknown
Remember to always consult your physician before trying
anything new related to your health.
Julie Alvira, M.D., MBA Healthcare Management, is the founder of Coach
Dr. Julie, LLC – Physician Life and Weight Loss Coaching Services. You
can find her on Facebook as Coach Dr. Julie or via email at
[email protected]. www.coachdrjulie.com
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