Up until two years ago, I tried every popular diet out there. I was a yo-yo dieting fad addict. I read every article on what to eat for a flatter tummy and what to avoid to look hot in a bathing suit. The crazy thing was I didn’t even need to lose weight. I was a size 3 for most of my life and the only muffin top I knew of was on my plate. I had this embedded vision in my mind that in order to look hot and have the right stuff going on I had to dress and eat like the most adored celebs out there. So what better way than to try water fasts with lemon, right? Or what about that famous diet where I nixed nearly everything but meat and cheese for a while? Ga-ross. Hell, I even went vegan for nearly a year.
After exploring holistic health and nutrition, I’ve realized how important it is to ditch the diet mentality and listen to my own intuition. Eating with my intuition means I listen to what my body tells me. I started asking myself questions like: Am I thirsty? Am I hungry? Am I full? I started paying attention.
I used to go out to eat often and it was like my entire meal was planned for me before I even arrived. I knew I’d be offered a drink first, an appetizer second, a meal third, and then last they’d hit me up with the devil of a dessert menu while I’m sitting there unbuttoning my jeans just to sit comfortably.
I started doing these body check ins’ by allowing myself to feel instead of telling my body what it needed, and I stopped pummeling specific foods in my mouth because I thought it was best, or worse because I thought it was “in”.
Here are my 3 things I’ve learned along the way while trusting my intuition:
1. My body knows better than my mind: That’s right, I no longer tell my body what to eat or when to eat. Instead, I trust my body and that it already knows what it needs. It’s my job to listen to that intuitive instinct and be in tune with what my body is yearning for.
2. Diets Flat Out Suck: I started thinking how can we all play by the same dieting rules if we are all unique and different. I know people who are allergic to one food but can tolerate another. We may have the same organs and functionality but truly our body processes fuel differently. I find that my body runs better without dairy or sugar. For some, they may wake up to a glass of milk every morning and feel amazing. In order to come to the realization that diets flat out suck I had to invite the notion into my way of thinking that not one diet fits everyone. Healthy doesn’t exist in black and white protocols. Health is discovered in a unique and intuitive process.
3. I have a better relationship with food: I don’t hate food and I definitely don’t deprive myself of it. I have grown to respect food and my body and honor nutritional value over the long list of diet do’s and don’ts. I focus more on what makes my body feel good after I eat rather than just during. By doing this, I’ve learned that sometimes I really need an emotional outpouring rather than a binge on chocolate.
I not only eat intuitively but I live intuitively because I’ve ditched the stressed out diet fad lifestyle along with the need to fit in and belong to what is popular in the dieting world. By doing this, I’ve actually gotten to know body on a much deeper level. I finally live a stress less life free of routine rules and ways of thinking and all it took was listening to my intuition. I had to trust myself, and my health just became the bonus.
Photo via: http://inspiredtype.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/trust-your-gut-intuition/ (No copyright infringement intended.)
About the Author:
Michelle Marie Wisdom is a Certified Holistic Health Coach who supports her clients through a unique emotional and physical detox coaching program which enables a stress less and live free lifestyle. Michelle incorporates the use of essential oils and an individual diet discovery process throughout her coaching methods. Michelle encourages a think outside the box mentality and her coaching skills reflect that. You can learn more about Michelle at www.michellemariewisdom.com or follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/michellemariewisdom
