Diet mentality is pervasive and insidious.
Because of this, navigating the topic of weight loss is understandably fraught with all kinds of conflicting emotions and push-back.
Weight loss gets associated with dieting which is commonly associated with the toxic cycle of deprivation and then bingeing. This can then lead to low self confidence, b.s. stories about lack of will power, hateful self talk and negative body image.
Can I just say that there’s a big part of the story that’s missing in this conversation.
Processed foods.
These products are engineered to be hyper-palatable, addictive, toxic and they seriously mess with your hormones and internal signals.
Neglecting to acknowledge the damage that processed foods have on the system is causing the perfect storm or diet hell that so many people are finally pushing against.
You may have heard the term intuitive eating brandied about. Intuitive eating and tuning in is actually a big part of the work I do with clients.
But it never, ever happens before we’ve removed processed foods from the diet.
Someone eating a whole foods diet with a balanced metabolism can confidently tune in and listen to the signals that their body is giving them.
Attempting intuitive eating without first looking at the quality of the food going in to the body is going to result in serious weight gain, uncontrollable cravings and the inevitable vicious loop of hateful self-talk and body shaming.
Intuitive eating is NOT for someone that is still eating a processed food diet.
I never thought that I would call myself a weight loss coach. When I started off on this journey it was with the noble intention of preventing disease before it took root.
It turns out that prevention isn’t very sexy.
I can count on one hand the amount of people that have reached out with their eye on prevention over the last 8 years.
What people are looking for is a sustainable and healthy way to manage their weight and reduce their inflammation.
Weight loss brings people to the conversation.
Once the door has been opened and they begin to (truly) nourish their bodies; folks invariable notice how great they feel.
Basically we’re just sneaking prevention in through the back door… I’m cool with that.
The moral of this story is that a body that is nourished with whole foods without the messed up messages that come from chemicals, preservatives and sugar will be able to trust internal signals of hunger and satiety. But getting to that place of balance will require a little work.