Are you “trying” to diet and not succeeding?
Have you lost weight on a diet, only to gain it back?
Are you using food as a reward for a bad day, bad week, or bad anything?
Are you being too restrictive and end up binging on all the wrong foods for your body?
Are you actually making yourself sicker with your food choices?
If what you are doing is not working…. It is time to think outside the box.
We all know diets don’t work for the long-term. As healthy as eating healthy is, trying to be perfect with your food choices 100% of the time sets you up for stress and failure.
No matter how hard we try or how strong we think we are, the very foods we are trying so hard to avoid start to look increasing more appealing the more we deprive ourselves of them.
How would it feel if you loosened the diet rope a bit? What if you told yourself 90% of time I will eat for fuel, for my body, and for my health. The rest of the time, I will eat what I want, in moderation, as long as it does not make me feel sicker.
Say that out-loud and see how it feels. Do you feel relief, sadness, joy? Do you feel excited, free, and less boxed in?
90% – Eat For Fuel
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Make the most optimum choice you can make for your body.
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Choose high quality, organic whole foods with essential nutrients.
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Think of food as fuel.
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Fuel up when your tank is on empty
10% – Eat for Joy
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Eat what you really want with no sense of guilt.
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Enjoy your joy food on social occasions and celebrations with friends and family.
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Eat with awareness of joy; let the experience put a smile on your face.
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Use this as a chance to see what foods may actually causing you more symptoms, like pain, headaches, stomach issues, etc.
Make a list of your favorite joy foods and your favorite fuel foods. Ideally, within a one-week time period, 90% of the time you’re fueling up and 10% of the time you’re eating for joy.
Keep in mind, food should always have a sense of joy, even when you are eating for fuel.
When you have a healthy relationship with food, you’ll be helping your body remain in balance.
When you take the guilt and shame out of food, you empower yourself to have total control over your food, without willpower and deprivation and that makes for a happy mind and body.
Final note… can you make some food swaps? How about taking one of your favorite joy foods and see if you can swap it out for something similar, but with more nutrients and more fiber.
For example… you love ice cream, but don’t want to eat it all the time. How about making a “nice-cream” with a frozen banana for creaminess, frozen berries for antioxidants, a scoop of flax seeds for fiber, some frozen kale for greens (you won’t know it is there), and some protein powder thrown in. Blend until smooth and top with fresh fruit, unsweetened coconut chips, nuts, or cacao nibs. Voila! Healthier ice-cream. Easy, right?
There are many ways to think outside the box. Get creative!
Not sure how to get creative with food while still eating healthy? That is where I come in. Set up a call so we can personalize your food choices for your body, your cravings, and your needs.