Mindful Eating While Eating Everything?
So, you want to have your cake and eat it too? Same. And there’s nothing wrong with that! In this blog, I’m going to discuss how to functionally, unapologetically, and simply eat what you’d like while maintaining comfort, confidence, performance and aesthetic goals. I will also share my personal journey with food and control. My suggestions are based on my personal and professional experience.
My goal is to take the mystery and restraint out when making food decisions. Also not to give any more rules to women around food and fitness, but offer suggestions that you decide you want to try or not.
If you have health and medical considerations or dietary preferences, I’m sensitive to that and your food and drink choices are unique to you. Talk to a Medical Doctor or Nutritionist for support and suggestions.
I’m not a Nutritionist and you may prefer to discuss your dietary needs with a doctor or certified nutritionist.
I hear a lot of shame from women around food and cravings. “Ughhh I know I’m not supposed to eat cookies, but I ended up having three!” - “Muffins are bad, but I’m going to eat less calories today so I can have two later!” - “We deserve to eat these chocolates.”
While sweets may not be your craving, you can insert your food or drink choice and see if you might catch yourself saying something similar.
Cravings are very real and can be honored. Women who are pregnant, menopausal, or around their mensural cycle especially have cravings due to shifts in hormones. So do women who are in puberty, perimenopausal, or are not eating enough nutritious food in general. Basically everyone has cravings at some point in their lives!
[TLDR Skip to the bottom of the page for skills for mindful eating!]
Its all ok!
We can learn to manage our food cravings by choosing to give into them, or not, and feel empowered in our choice to eat what we want.
🤷🏻♀️But first, how do we relate to food and drinks and our own bodies?
I’ll honestly share my story here even though it’s not favorable and kinda embarrassing … but I understand the a food and body image struggle!
Growing up I was a young competitive athlete in dance, softball, and basketball. I physically matured on the younger side (yes, my first period was when I was 10 years old and like many early bloomers, I didn’t know what a period was and this came as a surprise). I was outright confused and ashamed by a young - growing - hormone - filled - body and had harsh physical expectations for myself based on society and how I saw myself in comparison to my peers in athletics (and superstars on MTV). Lets face it, Brittany Spears and Christina Aguilera I wanted to have a body like yours in my youth🤦🏻♀️!
I became very aware of looking different... My new breasts, body odor, and acne, oh my! I felt awkward.
Plus, on top of this, I was dealing with family conflict that seemed it would never resolve. I always felt I needed to figure out some way to change the situation, whether it was myself or my family doing something wrong.
I worked hard at problem solving myself. By becoming smaller, controlling my eating, being like-able by people who were popular never seemed to just create more problems. I ended up in uncomfortable situations, moved further away from my values, and became more dissatisfied than before. My disordered eating and self esteem got worse.
This grueling cycle went on for years (seriously, until my late 20’s! And I even still have to check myself!). It wasn’t until years of cognitive based therapy and inner wisdom that I have tools to address this ‘little girl’ inside who makes an appearance every now and then.
Today, I listen more to myself and I work to accept myself and my environment as it is. I control what I can and have learned my limits based on how I want to feel.
I continue to learn about the foods that make me feel my best and fuel me so I can think clearly and feel satisfied without deprivation or depression. I choose to eat the way I do and try my hardest to forgive myself and move on even when there are times I don’t eat or drink ideally.
Now, this is where my coaching suggestions come in… Here, I’m going to share how to experience the food and drink you crave. These foods are usually surgery, salty, and fatty and don’t do much for our fitness or overall performance.
However, they do remind us of comforting times, may be gifted to us around the holidays or special occasions, or are wanted because they are straight up delicious.
Why would we completely cut out something that makes us feel memories of the past or are so yummy?
If you are struggling with disordered eating or think you may have an eating disorder, contact your primary care provider or speak with a credentialed therapist. You are not alone and help is available.
Mindfull Eating is a Skill!
1. When you have a craving, Don’t ignore it.
Instead of ignoring your cravings, get curious about them! Resisting them may make you think about wanting that food even more. You can explore your options.
Ask yourself if this is a food you actually want? Sometimes the memory of the food is more satisfying than the food! Maybe you’ve discovered when you eat that food now it often upsets your stomach, hurts your teeth, or makes you feel worse than the memory of it all together.
Ask yourself, how bad do I really want this? 1-10?
Is there another option that would satisfy me? Buy or order the food, or a food similar to the food you crave to maybe satisfy that craving. When you eat the food, sit down without distractions, and eat it slowly. Love that food.
Get curious, for example, “If I drink at the party tonight, what will I sacrifice tomorrow.”
2. Know how much to eat.
If you know you are going to buy a certain food around an occasion or during menstruation, for example, choose the best option and quantity. Only buy what you are able to eat at that moment and avoid over buying the craved food if you know you have a tendency to overeat or prefer over nutritious food options.
If eating food with a plate, fork and knife, cut food in half. After eating half ask yourself how you feel and get more if you want, save the rest for another time.
Get curious, how do I feel after a few bites. Am I satisfied? On a scale of 1-10 how full am I, aim for a 7/8 feeling contend and stomach is not uncomfortably full or crampy feeling.
3. If you want to satisfy a craving, but are too ashamed of eating ice cream.
Am I the only one who has feelt embarrassed to buy only ice cream at the grocery store? Get curious about that, if you do. Maybe you keep thinking about that pint and want to try scooping out one serving and being present to how delicioius it is.
You can also make ‘ice cream.’ (I learned this one from GGS, thanks for the advice!) If you like and have protein powder, in a blender add 1 or 2 scoops of protein powder, about 1 cup of ice with ½ cup water to and blend. If you want it thicker add less water, more ice or frozen fruit. You can even add cocoa nibs and cinnamon for flavor and texture.
4. Eat a complete meal and then the food you crave.
You can reference Diets Don’t Work for an example of portion sizes that make up a complete meal as well as satisfaction cues, so you know when to stop. Sometimes we crave certain foods when we’re lacking nutrients from certain food groups. For example, if we don't eat enough fats, we often crave sugar.
Consider all of these as possible options for having the food or drink you’d like in a way that leaves you feeling satisfied, empowered, and pleasured. You may have other ways you’re working on mindful eating. Also, you may end up overeating a food you crave and end up not feeling so great. Give yourself love and care, as you would a friend, after an instance and know that you have the chance to come back to your mindful eating the next day, this takes practice as everything! It get’s easier!
For support on fitness and wellness in your life contact Brie
