Undieting in Real Life - Part 3
Tune Into Your Body
By learning how to listen to the language of your body you’ll jump off of the dieting treadmill forever. New diets will come and go but they won’t phase you at all…because you’ll know exactly how to feed your unique and beautiful body.
Your body is your best friend, not your enemy. All of the signals it gives you (like cravings) aren’t trying to take you “off course”…they’re an attempt to find balance. By learning this language, you can better understand why that chocolate bar, bag of chips, or gummy bears seem so appetizing
Your body is brilliant! It might just be talking in a language you don’t understand yet.
Sometimes your cravings need to be interpreted. Check out the cravings chapter of my book to understand yours more (the link takes you to the chapter :)
HOW TO TUNE INTO YOUR BODY –
Recognize struggle, cravings, and other body signals as information instead of something to “power through”
What this looks like in real life –
How you’ve been eating worked for a long time (many months or even many years), and then recently…cravings have re-emerged or you’re just not feeling as satisfied after a meal as you had been.
This is your body asking, as politely as it can, that it would like something to change to create a better balance.
This may be due to the seasons changing and your body now wants warmer or cooler foods. Or a small nutritional deficiency has emerged, and your body needs more of something (magnesium, protein, fat, etc)
Or, you might notice that you’re now craving something sweet or salty after a meal. Or many evenings you’re suddenly craving and hungry.
Tune in and listen to your greatest ally, your body
When you get a good feeling after a meal - pay attention
If you eat a meal and feel empty or hungry – pay attention
Be curious and let yourself start to see these patterns.
Your body is looking for you to listen and be curious
Replace your willpower with curiosity!
You don’t have to understand why you’re craving something at first, just recognizing the symptom is powerful. Your body just wants to be heard
Noticing and recognizing is very powerful. The answers will come, just be patient. And a nice “Thank you body for telling me that” can go a long long way toward health <3.
The power of pleasurable Eating
Dieting culture steals pleasure away from our eating. It makes pleasurable food “sinful” or guilt-ridden. So, it begs the question – can I enjoy the food I eat AND be healthy?
The answer is yes. And it’s Undieting at its best.
Undieting means never depriving yourself of the food that you love. It also means feeding your body with beautiful nutritious food, so you feel healthy and energetic.
Eating nutritious food doesn’t mean you can’t ever have chocolate cake. I eat a nutrient-dense diet that also includes chocolate cake. And it’s not an only-on-my-birthday kinda chocolate cake. I’d eat chocolate cake every single day if I want to.
But usually…I don’t want to. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE chocolate cake. It’s just that I don’t crave it very often.
This is a key principle of Undieting - I don’t deprive myself of chocolate cake, so it doesn’t have a powerful hold on me. It’s never a treat I “reward” myself with if I’ve been “good”.
So, what stops me from eating chocolate cake every day?
First – I feel better when I eat other food, and I like feeling better. And secondly, I have cake anytime I want it and when I have it, I enjoy every single bite. I sit down and let each bite melt on my tongue. I am fully present with it and relish in its deliciousness. And when I’m done, I’m done. I don’t care about having more for a while. It’s not something my body requires on a regular basis.
Food gets really powerful when we deprive ourselves of it. When we label certain foods as “good” and others as “bad”, we don’t make the “good” foods more tempting…we make the “bad” ones irresistible.
So…now you might be thinking “well, darn it, Lisa, if I can eat anything I want, I’d only eat potato chips and cake!”.
Actually, you won’t. Okay, you might eat a bunch at first if you’ve been depriving yourself, but that’s usually short-lived.
Keep this in mind – Healthy eating can be pleasurable and pleasurable eating is much healthier than any diet.
PLEASURABLE EATING – STEP 1
In a nutshell - eat slowly & with enjoyment.
This means - sit down at a table with your lovely meal, notice the smells, and how delicious it looks, and taste it. Then, put your fork down, chew, and savour it. Really really savour it.
Try this with a regular old meal…and try this with your favourite previously-thought-of-as-sinful food (since no food is really sinful). Notice the experience of savouring it. And, notice when you’ve had enough.
Stop when you’ve had enough…even if your plate isn’t empty. Finishing your plate was a rule of your parents, it doesn’t need to be a rule now. Just put your leftovers into a container in the fridge and enjoy the rest at another time.
Let your body decide when you’re done. It will always manage your portions perfectly :).
To be totally honest, this is the only step you need. Eat slowly and enjoy your food.
But! If you want to take it a step further or you’re struggling with a diet-centric brain, try Conscious eating.
CONSCIOUS EATING
Conscious eating is a more intense version of Step 1. With conscious eating, you can eat ANYTHING you want (don’t worry about food quality at first)…you just have to eat it consciously. This means only eating food (including snacks) at a table.
This method involves asking yourself two questions:
1. Do I want to eat this?
2. Do I want to change what I’m doing so I can sit down and enjoy this?
If you say yes to both questions, grab that food and find a nice place to enjoy it. And enjoy every single bite.
Seems simple, right? It is, and that’s where its power lies.
We eat unconsciously ALL. THE. TIME. And conscious eating shines a spotlight on all of the food we aren’t even aware we’re eating (or we’re aware we’re eating…but it’s hard to stop).
Here’s some feedback from my clients over the years:
“I had no idea that I eat so much food off of my kid’s plate!!”
“I didn’t realize that I nibble off the cutting board while I cook dinner”
“I eat directly out of the chest freezer; I had no idea”
“I used to eat a full bag of potato chips in front of the TV at night. Now, I only enjoy 5 or 6 chips at the table to satisfy my craving. In 2 weeks I haven’t even finished one bag!”
Every single client who’s tried this has found that they’re eating in a way that they never realized. Every single one.
Conscious eating can be hard while also being amazingly powerful. Try it for a week (or just a day) and see what new insight you find.
Undieting is a simple yet powerful concept. By enjoying the food you eat and noticing how you feel, you’re putting your body in charge of your health. And your body is your greatest ally.
Soon, you’ll start noticing which food/meals light your body up. These foods will become more powerful and you’ll eat them more often.
And, you’ll notice the food/meals that make you feel tired and sluggish. These foods will become less powerful (even the ones you currently love) and you’ll eat them less often.
Yes. It’s that simple to walk away from the dieting industry and embrace Undieting. With one bite at a time ❤️.
Got any questions or comments? Comment below, jump to our private Facebook Group, or the Ask Lisa page :).