I have GAINED WEIGHT…
If you’ve been a part of my community for a while, this statement probably comes as a surprise. And yet, it is true. As someone who has advocated for intuitive eating as the most effective way for me to be healthy, fit and happy, it was VERY enlightening to explore why it "stopped working".
So what happened?
What’s also true is that my weight gain also corresponds to a time where I felt like my emotions were too big for me to handle (also something I was not used to anymore as someone who coaches emotional agility for a living), like I couldn't contain them in my body.
It was the first time I’ve felt this type of overwhelm in YEARS. And naturally, I turned back to food for comfort. It was all very subtle, but after a while, I started noticing that I was craving food whenever I felt distressed… The Haribos had made their comeback.
Now to be clear, I don’t think there is anything wrong with eating sweets or chocolate. The reason this was something for me to address is because I had a history of emotional eating and haribos were my go to when I felt at my lowest.
Only this time, I was thankful for the Haribos...Because they acted like a SMOKE DETECTOR and let me know that I was not paying enough attention to my emotional needs.
What am I doing about this weight gain?
I'm doing a lot, actually, but it has nothing to do with calorie counting or dieting. I'm reminding myself to start eating (again) as I love myself. This means I listen to my body, I pay attention to my emotions and make sure I use coping mechanisms that are not food to navigate them and practice all the steps which helped me break decades of emotional eating, yo-yo dieting and disordered eating. You can find out how I did, step by step, in my book, STUFFED: how to feel so good about yourself you won't have room for cake.⠀⠀⠀
I am being very mindful that I am not acting or talking as if I am trying to punish my body.
Now readjusting is pretty straightforward because I have done so much work over the years and my body, mind, and heart KNOW that this is the only way that works for me, and it also remembers that DIETS HAVE NEVER WORKED. And they never will.
Now, if you also know, in your heart, that the dieting culture has never worked for you, PLEASE take this as a sign to get off that toxic train.
If you want help getting started, my book "STUFFED: how to feel so good about yourself you won't have room for cake" is a good first step. Also, feel free to reach out if you think 1-2-1 support is what you need.
I'm rooting for you. #progressnotperfection
