Every January I do a ‘wellness week’, and most of the time it is focused on fitness. Mostly because that is something I have prided myself on, being able to stick to a fairly rigid and challenging workout routine. On the other hand, my diet and commitment to eating well has been more of a rollercoaster. Sure, I eat a lot of veggies and salads, but I also LOVE sweets and snacks! Over the years I’ve been pretty bad about yo-yo dieting and being too restrictive, which usually ends with me overeating the thing I wouldn’t let myself have. I also tend to overdo it on holidays, when I travel, etc and then punish myself by being super restrictive the second I get home. It’s something I’ve struggled with for some time, and I’m sure I’m not alone here! Working out has been a way for me to combat that side of me – I often think of a workout as a way to simply burn off the calories I’m eating, instead of using fitness as a way to build strength, improve mobility and keep me heart healthy.
This issue was glaring over the holidays, as I had rolled my ankle and wasn’t able to do the kind of workouts I’m used to doing. I ate like I normally do over the holidays, but because I wasn’t able to “burn it off” with workouts, I just felt guilty… and I’m sick of it! So instead of focusing so heavily on workouts (which I will continue to do), this year I really want to put more focus on finding the best balance with my eating habits. Instead of cutting things out, I’d like to learn to eat more intuitively – that way I can still enjoy foods I love without being so hard on myself after the fact. I’m hoping that by doing this, I won’t feel the need to “overdo” anything *ever* – even when I travel or during the holiday season. By practicing more mindful eating habits, I’m hoping to find a more healthy balance between food and fitness.
To be perfectly honest, I haven’t made a lot of headway with this yet. With nowhere to go and no real motivation it’s been a struggle to get on the right track! Especially when the world seems to be falling apart all around us. I’m trying to give myself some grace, but also do want to start taking steps in the right direction! I remembered Megan Roup (of The Sculpt Society) shared a book on intuitive eating that she loved last year, so I just ordered it and started it on Saturday. If you are already doing this, would love to hear your thoughts about it! What are your health goals for 2021? Are you focusing more on diet or fitness?
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I read Geneen Roth’s book years ago and it made sense {and has worked.} I struggled with a “feast or famine” relationship with food and then I started eating intuitively. For example, when I want a cinnamon roll, I eat the goey inside, leaving the drier outside and I am completely satisfied. And because I now regularly have “the best of the best” part of any food/meal, I am consistently satisfied and never really go overboard anymore during holidays or on trips. It’s a nice balanced place to be. Best wishes!
Intuitive eating makes SUCH a difference in never binging, overeating, or fluctuating weight again! It takes *years* for it to feel easy though! There are lots of great resources on Instagram and I recommend the original intuitive eating book as well. It’s so worth the work!
I’m with you in that I need to focus more on nutrition and my mental state surrounding food… I’m working on eating combinations of foods that keep me satisfied but keep my metabolism going! I’m also going to increase my strength workouts!
Love your content – looking forward to hearing more about your intuitive eating journey!
Great post! You are definitely not alone and I appreciate your honesty on this subject. We need to stop being so hard on ourselves!
I totally relate to this! I always struggled with yo-you dieting and then a few years ago got to the point where I was restricting everything! I also heard about intuitive eating through some Registered Dietitians I follow on instagram and it has been a game changer for me! I feel so much better when there are no ‘rules’ and I have realized I do actually enjoy eating healthy, but I allow my self to eat a cookie or fries or pizza whenever I want and finally do not feel guilty! It’s funny, I am actually eating more but because I am less stressed I feel like my body finally relaxed and I am at a comfortable weight for my body and feel great! You will love it!
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