Stop Dieting!
Updated: Feb 11
Hey all you dieters out there! Stop dieting! Diets are nothing more than a set of rules that limit you and lead you to feel guilty when you break them. That starts a cycle of feeling down about yourself, feeling unworthy, and for some people, feeling like you have to punish yourself. This is NOT a healthy mindset. At Infuse Your Future we believe in NOURISHMENT, not punishment.
So, ready to try something new? Instead of dieting, EXPERIMENT.
Before you eat something ask yourself:
Why am I eating this? Is it because I’m hungry, or am I actually angry, bored, overwhelmed, lonely, or tired.
Do I really want this? Am I eating this to please a friend or family member. (Think grandmothers and aunts, or even office colleagues. Those pumpkin pies and donuts don’t pop up on their own.)
2. While you eat:
Chew each bite at least 10 times. This allows you to savor the tastes and textures, and helps digestion by breaking up the food more and slowing down the routine.
Breathe between bites. Slowing things down and breathing help put your body in a relaxed state. We digest our food better and have a more enjoyable experience when we're relaxed.
Smile at your food and be thankful for it (even if it’s salad or anchovies!) This primes our minds and bodies to enjoy our food more, be more relaxed, and thus aid in nutrient absorption and overall digestion.
Don't eat with distractions like screens, movies, etc. This will trick your gut into thinking you're not full when you are, causing you to eat more than you need and gain weight.
3. After you eat, ask yourself:
What is my energy level? Is it low, so-so, or high?
Experiment with different foods, different meals, and monitor your energy levels before and after the meal. Do you like how you feel? If the answer is yes, invite yourself to keep it on the menu. If the answer is no, allow yourself to ditch the food and end that experiment. At Infuse Your Future we’re all about filling our pantries with nutrient dense foods that we love and that make us feel amazing!
And this doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it can be FUN. For instance, say you love French fries. Do an experiment. For 3 days in a row go out and buy French fries. Don’t feel guilty or naughty about it. Feel ADVENTUROUS!
Now, before you sit down to eat the fries ask yourself, “How do I feel right now? Am I happy, sad, anxious, depressed, excited, confused, what? (As an aside, if you’re one of those people who HATE feelings and doesn’t want anything to do with feelings then consider using the smiley face system or a number system. For instance, on a scale of 5, if you are grouchy or bloated after eating you’d rank that food a 1, or a Sad Face. If you are super energetic and ready to solve world hunger after you eat, rate that a 5 or a smiley face (well maybe a 10, that one would be worth double points!).)
Then eat the fries. And I challenge you to eat them ONE AT A TIME, and chew at least 10 times before you swallow. Then, taking a nice slow breath between fries, notice all the feelings and sensations that come up. Did you feel tingly, perk up, or snowball down a black hole of depression? What textures did you notice? How do you like them? And if you want to uplevel your experience journal the feelings in an awesome notebook. (Make sure the notebook is cool. This will make the process more fun and therefore more likely to succeed.)
This is my journal.
And I want to take a minute to ponder the importance of SAVORING each bite. As Charles Eisenstein says, “We overeat, not because we enjoy food too much – it is because we don’t enjoy it enough.” The more we can savor each bite, give it our full attention, be in the moment with each bite, the more satisfying our meal will be and we’ll get fuller faster and with less food than when we inhale it while engrossed in a movie or rushing to our next life event.
When you’ve finished your meal or snack ask yourself, “How do I feel?” Write that down. Set a timer for 2 hours later and again ask yourself, “How do I feel?”.
Repeat the experiment every 2 or 3 days. Each time pick just one food, remember to chew your food thoroughly while eating, SAVORING each moment and noticing the textures and flavors, then take a couple of slow, deep breaths between bites. Journal how you feel before you eat, right after, and 2 hours after your meal/snack.
Make sure to experiment with healthy foods as well. For example, try eating an apple or a salad at the same time every day for 4 days and keep track of how you feel.
Keep a list of the foods that give you “solving world hunger" energy and the ones that turn you into the grinch and fill your diet with foods that make you feel AWESOME!
So, whose up for the challenge?! My call to action is to experiment with at least 1 new food this week. Let us know in the comments which foods you chose and how it made you feel. Be sure to share this with others so they can Infuse their Futures as well.
Thanks for reading! If you liked this blog or want to support my journey, please share it with people you know, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on the upcoming episodes.
Finally, if you'd LOVE to invest in yourself by working with a coach, contact me at CoachingwithDrC.com. We'll work together to understand your goals, uncover what's preventing you from achieving them, and help you get great results!
Take care!
Photo by Andres Ayrton from Pexels