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Many of my clients are fearful about gaining weight from being out of routine and comfort eating during this time. I validate those concerns, controlling our weight may be considered a mechanism to cope with the uncertainty around us. Our daily lives have been cancelled, but one thing we still have control over our food intake and our weight, right? Paradoxically, exerting rigid control over our daily food intake often results in the opposite and un-desired effect, binge-eating or loss-of-control eating. Our relationship with food is like any relationship, it’s damaged when we try to control it too much.
Instead of setting un-realistic expectations for our eating pattern (please don’t cut carbs!), I advise my clients to:
1. Adopt the habit of scheduling out how their day in advance with a general idea of the foods that will be consumed that day. Allow for flexibility if the plan changes.
2. Ensure to eat at least 3 meals and 2-3 snacks/day.
3. Add in lots of self-care activities into your schedule: walks, Zoom sessions with friends, streaming the Disney channel if that’s your jam.
Lastly, one of the biggest milestones in becoming an Intuitive Eater is understanding the role of daily self-compassion and this could not be more pertinent now. These are weird times. People in our communities are sick and dying every day. If food is comforting to you, let yourself eat as much as you want. If weight gain is your biggest fear right now, smile at how lucky you are.
And when the pandemic is over and everything is back to normal, you may find you don’t want to go back to the pre-Covid days of soya-bean pasta.
Get in touch with Joanne below:
Instagram: @antidietanswers
Website: www.antidietanswers.com