That is the question for many every January 1. The holidays are behind us and spring is ahead of us.
We hear it all the time come January, “I’m on a diet.” And secretly we wish we were able to diet also, but we can’t really seem to get it together. It seems “they” have the willpower and “I” do not. As a nourishment consultant I don’t believe in diets. I believe in changing our food habits, which start with changing the habits of our minds.
Being on a diet is not a way to live, nor is it the way to have a healthy relationship with food. The suffering I see in people’s eyes when they proudly proclaim they’re on a diet and have lost xx number of pounds is the first clue that they don’t really feel good about it, but instead feel they have to do it. That’s the first sign that something is wrong, the have to. How many times a day do you do something and use the label I have to? And now you want to burden your food choices with I have to as well?
Diets tend to be us trying to fit into something outside of ourselves. A structure, so to speak, that has not been designed for our particular lifestyle. Especially at the beginning of a new year, that feeling of “I have to change” comes on strongly. Instead, why don’t we take the approach of trying to start some new habits that eventually become part of our daily life and foodstyle? Because there is no lasting quick fix.
Diets are not always bad, though. They can be necessary for a short period of time. It can be a way to get started on a new foodstyle if there is a plan for what happens after the diet. Without that plan, most diets tend to get us even more confused about choosing our right food and instead, we end up stuck in the old food choices. To make a change, we need to see the steps of creating new choices that actually work for us on a consistent basis in our daily lives.
When I work with my clients, the most important thing I do is help them see that they can live their lives and be healthy at the same time. Let’s dedicate this coming year to learning how to best use food as a way to nourish ourselves, to being in the right relationship with our food, and being empowered by our food choices rather than overcome by them.
We will continue with articles that help you onto the next step, give you information, tips and tools that you can apply. Some will work for you, others you will have to adjust to work for you personally. This is the important part, there is no one answer. There is no one diet. We as women need to learn how to treat the uniqueness of our bodies as uniquely as we are in body, mind, and soul.
The first step: Learn to listen to yourself. You already know how to listen to everyone else around you. Now it’s your turn. Most women have very good intuition when it comes to dealing with others, and mothers especially tend to have some very clear messages “coming in” on a regular basis. Why not also listen to the needs coming from your own body?
How do we listen? By acknowledging a feeling. Don’t think that it’s more than that. That slight discomfort in your chest or belly is probably not because you need something to munch on; it could very well be that there’s something munching on you. So when you hear that little voice that says, “I need something,” acknowledge that you do indeed need something, but it may not be a snack or more food.