Once again, the holidays are around the corner which means that if we're lucky, many of our favorite holiday foods are too!
While eating past a comfortable fullness level can happen at any time of year, it's fair to say that it's more prominent during this time of year.
Eating past a comfortable fullness is never a nice feeling because of the physical sensations it causes in the body, but they do pass.
Do you know what makes these physical sensations worse?
Coupling them with judgment and stories about what eating past fullness means about us.
Many are unkind to themselves when they eat past a comfortable fullness and will describe themselves as 'disgusting', and 'out of control' and believe that they are a 'failure' or lack self-control as if they have done something truly terrible.
Let's get something straight. Eating past fullness happens to all of us sometimes. Remember, if you are new to intuitive eating, this will likely happen more often. This is natural after long periods of deprivation and rules around food.
Diet culture and religious dogma have taught us that eating past fullness is 'bad' and even 'gluttonous'. So many of us fear fullness and have internalized that it should be avoided at all costs.
The reality is that fullness is simply a physical sensation that the body experiences similar to feeling hot or cold, feeling sleepy, or needing to pee.
It's only when we attach judgment to the physical sensation that we get into murky waters.
Does that make sense?
Whatever the reason, if you are someone who judges yourself for eating past a comfortable fullness, I invite you to lean into this physical and emotional discomfort from a different perspective. Instead of jumping into judgment, neutrally observe the experience.
Even if your immediate response is judgment (which is okay), take a deep breath to notice how the judgment feels in your body and then lovingly and consciously choose something different. You may need to do this often, but that's totally okay too.
Even consider some compassionate, affirming statements like,
"I am aware that I'm full now, and that's okay."
"I'm noticing my discomfort and I'm choosing not to judge it."
"Eating past fullness is something I did, it's not something I am."
Statements like this remind us that we're not defined by these actions.
When we begin to untangle the physical sensations of fullness (or any other eating experience) from the layers of guilt, shame, and judgment, we open the door to learning more about ourselves, especially our patterns and habits.
Now, doesn't that sound like a more pleasant and satisfying place to be?
Do you struggle with eating past fullness and with the judgment that often follows it? I believe you can have a different experience. Remember, I'm here to take your hand if you need some guidance. This journey was not meant to be done alone.
How I Reversed My Fatty Liver Disease Without Dieting
So often weight loss is prescribed to improve or reduce the risk for illness or to help manage existing health conditions. Unless you have a Health At Every Size (HAES) aligned physician or have had the "no weight loss" talk with your medical practitioner, weight loss is often hailed as the cure-all for it all.
In January 2018 when I had some intermittent pain in my lower back, my nurse practitioner (NP) sent me for an abdominal ultrasound. Thankfully, all looked mostly okay so they attributed the pain to a pulled muscle. However, one thing the report did show was that I had nonalcoholic non-fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
While I was told I had a mild case, I was also told that if I didn’t make some serious changes, it could lead to more dire issues later like cirrhosis of the liver. I was told and also read that I am not the typical body person who’s diagnosed with this disease (meaning I’m not in a larger body and I eat a fairly balanced diet) but nonetheless, I had it.
Despite my "mild" case, I was still quite upset and was determined to find a way to either reverse the condition or at the very least reduce the risk of it getting worse.
In addition to some tweaks to diet, all the research I read cited weight loss as the “solution” to cure this condition. As a HAES advocate and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, I know that intentional weight loss often does more harm than good, so I remained rooted in the HAES research studies that encourage implementing (or adding) more engaging health-promoting behaviors.
I also consulted with a fellow HAES practitioner and she confirmed that the changes I planned to make would very likely help to improve my condition.
My plan included the following:
Gaining a deeper understanding of the gentle nutrition guidelines (IE, Principle 10) and how to more effectively integrate them into my diet, especially my fiber intake
Cultivating a meditation and mindful self-compassion practice to help manage stress
Practicing yoga more regularly
Increasing my joyful movement endeavors to include more intuitive cardio
My NP followed up with annual blood work and agreed that I wouldn't have to do anything else unless some irregularity surfaced there.
Well, fast forward to April 2021 when I needed to have another abdominal ultrasound for something unrelated. That report was unremarkable, and the report also showed NO sign of liver disease at all. It appears I was able to reverse my NAFLD. The best part was that I was able to do this by following the principles of HAES and intuitive eating (IE) NOT by intentionally pursuing weight loss.
While I realize that not everyone may be able to reverse a condition by following the HAES/IE principles, copious amounts of research show that intentional weight loss is not the answer because it often leads to increased binge eating, rebound weight gain, and poor mental health.
Instead, focusing on consistent self-care, managing stress, and practicing the principles of intuitive movement/HAES is often very effective in helping to heal our bodies and restore metabolic health (i.e. blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose) and mental health, etc.
While I'm thrilled that my NAFLD reversed itself and thank God for this, I'm equally as happy to share my testimony so you can see that it is possible to heal from a medical condition where weight loss is typically recommended by following the HAES/IE principles.
Since the research is so overwhelmingly clear that intentional weight loss (which is approximately ~97% ineffective) or dieting often leads to rebound weight gain, I never recommend it to my clients or anyone else who’s trying to restore metabolic health, reverse or decrease the risk of contracting a long-term illness.
There is another way and it's never dieting. Of course, you may still have your doubts and, honestly, I would expect that because this is not a mainstream practice. However, please keep in mind that most physicians don’t know about HAES or don’t believe in HAES so they are usually pro-weight loss. This can lead to stigmatizing medical care which has many potentially harmful effects. I’d also encourage you to learn more about size inclusivity in health by visiting the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) website.
Watch my LIVE video about this in the No Diet Sisterhood!
Need support with this?
Been diagnosed with a medical condition and your practitioner has advised you to lose weight or want to start a joyful movement program but cannot get started? I bet some support would help! Schedule a free 20-minute connection session to discover how coaching can help.
With love and compassion, I'll meet you wherever you are in your journey.
5 Movement Tips to Help Quiet Diet Mentality Thoughts
I'm sure we'd all agree that it's been a long year! There is great news on the horizon though as more people are receiving the COVID vaccine, flowers (and allergies) are in full bloom, and it's getting warmer outside for most of us.
As we return to "normalcy" let's all remember that it's natural to be a little anxious if we haven't done something for a while. If you are feeling a desire to get back to movement (or anything else), expect that there may be some hesitancy, especially if you've been laying low during the pandemic (which is totally fine).
Some of this hesitancy may also be some diet mentality creeping back in, especially if you've gained weight during the pandemic (which is also totally fine). Remember, diet culture is all about shrinking our bodies to conform to an impossible standard, "fixing" our bodies’ trouble areas, and going outside of our bodies for guidance. As intuitive eaters, we learn that we already have an internal GPS that can guide us. The further we move away from the rigid rules, the more amplified that intuitive voice will become.
Please know that you are not obligated to exercise. However, if you want to but are feeling some resistance, these tips may provide some guidance so you won't overcomplicate or overwhelm yourself.
Pro tip #1
Some movement is better than no movement. As always, rigidity around how much time and what type of movement isn't as important as moving!
Pro tip #2
You have permission to create a movement plan that works for your life and fits into your schedule. Do the best you can to remain flexible.
Pro tip #3
Strengthen your intentions by focusing more on listening to your body instead of meeting your fitness goals.
Pro tip #4
Remember that movement isn't about perfection. Perfectionism causes INACTION.
Pro tip #5
Minimize self-sabotaging behaviors by keeping movement simple and uncomplicated.
Struggling with this? I've often struggled to make movement a priority in my life too. If you want to explore why this may be, download my free quiz What's Getting In Your Way of Exercising with Ease?
Or if you're looking to jump right in to get beneath the procrastinating, overcomplicating and diet mentality thoughts around movement, enroll in my Joyful Movement at Last! program. Community can make all the difference!
What Diet Culture Gets Wrong About Maintaining Nourishing Habits
Do you feel like a failure when you fall out of a nourishing habit?
So often people like failures when they realize they’ve slipped out of a nourishing habit(s). Many of my clients often feel frustrated and even bewildered by this. They know what makes them feel their best, but for some reason, they just aren’t doing it or aren't doing it with regularity. Following the frustration and bewilderment are also feelings of guilt, shame, and often, further inaction.
While I know first-hand how disappointing this can be, I have a provocative proposition for you. What if instead of continuing to focus on what you’re not doing, you acknowledged that it’s an opportunity to recommit instead?
Healing a relationship with food, body, and movement is about moving closer to the people we are meant to be. It's also about remaining flexible instead of rigid so we can evolve and flourish. Keeping your heart open and acknowledging that habits elude us for a variety of reasons like
They're no longer nourishing us because we've outgrown them
Realizing expectations were set too high so they were not sustainable
Acknowledging that different types of self-care and/or boundary setting is needed
is essential for sustainable change.
Whatever the reason, these are opportunities to reevaluate, ask your body what it needs at this time, and then compassionately and non-judgmentally recommit to yourself again.
Diet culture preaches that we need to be "disciplined" and "accountable". While these qualities can be helpful in fostering change, when they are used as weapons to keep us "on the wagon", they're often counterproductive! This is especially true with movement which is why I created my Joyful Movement at Last! program.
As always, taking the compassionate approach is advised not just because it feels better but because research shows it's more effective in creating sustainable change. To me, that's what a recommitment is. It's a gentle way to start over by reassessing your needs and realigning them with your core values.
Understanding that making adjustments along the way is a necessary part of the healing process is essential for success. Doing this will help to cultivate and strengthen your habits to meet your ever-changing needs.
What nourishing habit would you like to recommit to?
Remember, you don't have to do this alone. Let’s have a conversation so you understand how coaching can support you in your healing journey.
Why Losing Weight for Medical Reasons Still Isn’t the Answer to Getting ‘Healthy’
Time and time again I hear clients and read comments in online spaces about people feeling that they need to lose weight for 'health' reasons.
Some may have even been told by a medical professional that weight loss is the only way to correct their declining health issues.
Years ago, when my cholesterol was consistently going up and my high blood pressure was undiagnosed, my doctors had recommended weight loss too, so I understand how concerning this can be.
If you've been told you need to lose weight because your metabolic health (i.e., blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar) is declining, I want to share a few important points as a reframe.
First, you've done nothing wrong to make any of it happen despite what you may have been told or what may have been implied. Remember that a previous history with dieting, genetics, movement, and stress play a significant role in this equation.
Second, instead of blaming your body, thank and appreciate it for giving you some important information that you can now address and begin to heal from.
Third, remember that even if weight loss was going to solve all your health issues, how would you maintain that loss without engaging in deprivation, food restriction, and compensatory exercise habits?
Fourth, while I know that research isn't very 'sexy', there are plenty of research studies indicating that following intuitive eating/Health At Every Size (HAES) often helps to normalize metabolic health naturally without dieting or restricting.
Fifth, I get that the knee-jerk reaction is to immediately think that losing weight is the answer that will solve all your worries, research also shows that weight loss is not sustainable long-term and also that weight stigma plays a significant role in overall health outcomes.
Sixth, reflecting on your own experiences with intentional weight loss will remind you that it's not typically sustainable and even when it is, it's with tremendous effort and often leads to poor emotional health. Let's remember that our mental health is equally as important as our metabolic health.
The bottom line...
If you want to work toward rediscovering balance in every sense of the word, my professional advice is to stay on your intuitive eating/HAES path. A recent diagnosis or health scare is NOT the time to diet (nor is any other time). Instead, it is the time to start or continue cultivating more compassionate, self-care focused habits that are sustainable. Over time, that is what will very likely bring your levels back within a normal range again and also improve your emotional health.
Helping women to cultivate more compassionate, self-care focused habits like giving themselves full permission to eat without the emotional restriction (guilt, worry, etc.), integrating gentle nutrition into your daily life, and rediscovering movement without slipping back into diet mentality is my jam.
Schedule some time with me so we can have a conversation around this so you can finally stop worrying! You don't have to do this alone. Getting this sorted out will make a difference in your life.
What We Don’t Need During This Pandemic
I've seen sh*t everywhere about eating and weight gain due to this crisis. Memes about eating X instead of Y to avoid weight gain. Or fear mongering about eating "too" much sugar... blah, blah, etc. In addition, many are worried that they’re eating to comfort themselves (aka “emotionally” eating) too often. Others are out of sorts because they cannot go to their gym to workout. I also understand that some may want to try to control their food because that's all they feel they can control during this pandemic. Please know that I understand and appreciate all of these fears. While these fears are expected because the world is obsessed with weight and staying "in shape", it doesn't help anyone, especially those recovering from disordered eating or from an eating disorder.
While these messages are sometimes meant to be funny or "helpful", they could be hindering your recovery in the following ways:
1) They reinforce the belief that weight gain and fat are bad which perpetuates fatphobia and weight stigma.
2) They reinforce the diet culture message that our value, attractiveness and health are tied to our weight which isn't true.
3) They reinforce that there is a "right" way to grieve which doesn't allow us the grace and space to go inward to discern what our individual needs are.
Please allow yourself the space you need to get through this crisis without ruminating on the fears of weight gain because the gym is closed or because you're cooped up inside eating more "comfort" foods than you're comfortable with.
We're all in a "do what you gotta do" mode and we needn't feel ashamed or embarrassed about it, ever. There is nothing wrong with finding comfort in eating, lying around being "unproductive", crying or anything else you may need to be doing right now. In terms of your food and body image are concerned, whatever you're choosing is okay and there needn't be any judgment around it. We need to remember that while we don’t know exactly when this will end, we do know that it won’t last forever.
Our jobs right now are to:
Follow the safety and CDC guidelines in our respective areas
Be kind and compassionate to ourselves and others
Have intense gratitude that we're alive
Find opportunities and/or use our gifts in the midst of the rubble to help ourselves and others get through this safely
That is the only way the world is going to heal from this.
Now more than ever, we need to keep trusting and listening to our bodies because they are in shock and need us to care for them. We need to trust that whatever we're doing is what we need to do to survive this.
If this is you...
If you're struggling and are noticing you're counting carbs, points, compulsively exercising, or restricting in any other way, I urge you to be curious instead of judgmental. If you know it's not what you want to do but you don't have the proper support in place to change your behavior, please schedule a connection call with me. We can schedule a private session(s) to talk through it and get you back on track with your intuitive eating practice. We can even schedule a meal support session if you're feeling shaky eating on your own.
When things settle down, and they will eventually, we'll all get back to our lives and be so proud that we allowed ourselves to do whatever was necessary to thrive during this unprecedented time in all of our lives.
Before you go…I'm cooking up something great to help support my followers who are struggling with food, body image and catastrophic thinking during this crisis. Please respond to a short 3-question survey so I know what you need. I will have more information including payment details and expected outcomes for you asap!