Have Your Pizza and Eat It Too

The other evening I went out to dinner with my husband when something really struck me that I wanted to share with you…

I looked over at the next table and saw a young girl who had a piece of pizza on the plate in front of her.  I saw the mother trying to coax her to eat, but the girl was just too interested in looking around, saying hi to other people in the restaurant, and she even got up to check out flowers in the restaurant.

Then she went back to her seat, started talking to her brother, and then finally (after about 5 minutes) she took her first bite of pizza.

And then it hit me — that’s what Intuitive Eating (also called mindful eating) is all about.  About getting back to that place where *life* is more interesting and fulfilling that food isn’t so important anymore.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love food and I really enjoy eating.  And when I sit down to eat most of the time I’m hungry.

But in our culture, we are so attuned to food being used as a solution to our issues, to food being used as a recreation, to food being used as a social tool, that we have seemingly forgotten that foods primary purpose –is  to nourish our bodies. AND that eating can be (and should be!) physically pleasurable.

But for so many, food often plays other roles and seems to have taken precedence over many other things in our life.

But food shouldn’t be a substitute for pleasure in life.…it should be a part of it.  And just like this young girl at the Italian restaurant — she was so interested in other things that the food was no longer so important.

You see, intuitive or mindful eating gets you back in touch with your actual needs, and gives us permission to once again experience the pure pleasure of eating.   It’s a common sense, hunger-based approach to eating, where you are encouraged (and learn HOW) to eat when and only when your body tells you it is hungry.  But for many of us, dieting has made a sort of ‘disconnect’ in those signals.

When someone is disconnected to her internal cues of hunger or fullness, it is easier to be trigged by external triggers to eat — such as emotions, stress, being tired, because the clocks says it’s 12 noon, opportunity, and/or perceived ‘rules’ of eating.

If someone has rigid rules for so-called healthy eating, she is more likely to succumb to overeating, as a consequence of breaking the well-meaning rules.

With intuitive eating, instead of focusing on dieting, you’ll to focus your attention to what you love.  Because if you love your LIFE, you’ll want to take care of your body.

So aim to be like the girl I saw in the restaurant — where food is a part of life and life’s pleasure, but it doesn’t control you or your day.  No matter what your way of eating, you can apply an intuitive approach to it–it’s about a way of living and relating to food, not about a food plan.

And for those of you who would like to learn further, and get back to that place where food is just food, where you don’t eat with your emotions but instead with your stomach and inner guidance — I have a new class that will get you there.  It’s an 8-week course that will change the way you think about food, help you break free of the dieting and overeating cycle, and take back control of your weight and your life.  And it’s starting at the end of this month.

All the details are here, if you want check it out:

http://www.IntuitiveEatingSuccess.com

The course is definitely not a diet or eating plan, but instead a way of experiencing life which allows you to be present and aware so that you are able to listen to your body and choose food based on nourishment and self-care.

I’m so passionate about this and feel the message is an important one for any woman who wants to handle her relationship with food, her weight, and her life in a healthy way, and to become truly whole. If that is you, you will not be disappointed, I promise.

Will Work For Food

When Food Becomes the Enemy

Note:  This article I originally wrote  for the blog of Miz Fit Online as a guest post last year (you can read the original post here).  But it’s message and usefulness has not changed, so I wanted to share it with you this week.  -Dinneen

As a weight loss coach and mentor, I help many women lose weight, look better AND feel better, and I’m constantly meeting women who struggle with food and their weight.  And I get it, as I’ve been there myself.

For years I struggled to lose weight, and even when I was finally  “thin,” I spent many more years eating low-fat, low-calorie, and low-tasting foods.  Food and eating was not an enjoyment for me.  Any food I ate that was remotely decadent or a “bad” food, left me feeling guilty and eventually lead me to overeat.  And so started a vicious cycle of dieting, losing weight, putting it back on, dieting again, and on and on.

What I ate either helped me lose weight, or gain weight, or so I thought.  It wasn’t until a trip to Italy, and then a few years later living & working in France, did I learn that I could enjoy foods without guilt, lose weight and stay slim.

My world was literally turned upside down.   And so was my life.

And so began a journey of education, self-awareness, and self-growth that led me to the extraordinary life I live today.  I can eat the foods I love, and still stay healthy, and yes, slim.

As a weight-loss coach and mentor I help women and men lose weight, get healthy, and feel good about themselves.  And part of that is helping them with their relationship with food.

You see, it wasn’t’ until I changed my relationship with food was I able to lose weight and keep if off, and without deprivation.  Even Oprah Winfrey has had ups & downs with her weight and, in my opinion, she will not keep it off until she has a healthy relationship with food. (for more about my thoughts about Oprah and her weight, visit my blog post from last year).

In my business I’ve come across women (and young girls) who suffer from an eating disorder.  Eating disorders arise from a variety of physical, emotional, and social issues, all of which need to be addressed for effective prevention and treatment.

This week is the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.  If you suspect, or know, someone suffering from the disease please visit the website of the National Eating Disorders Association.  There you will find an abundance of information and resources to help support those affected by eating disorders.  It is there to help a friend, family member, colleague, or loved one get help.

In the United States alone, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males suffer from an eating disorder, and approximate 15 million more are suffering with a binge eating disorder.*  More people die every year from an eating disorder than any other mental illness.  Yes, it’s that bad and that prevalent.

Also, statistics say that more than one in three ‘normal’ dieters progress to pathological dieting (that is, it becomes a very unhealthy obsession with food & weight).

So help spread the word. I see too many women, of all ages, obsessed with their weight and their bodies – and they look fine!   In my mission to help women lose weight and be HEALTHY, it is also my mission help women feel good in their body, no matter what the scale says.  Now that is something to be proud of.  I sure am.

So check out the National Eating Disorders Association, and help someone who needs it.

* 2010 figures, source:  National Eating Disorders Association

Do You Know How to Listen to Your Hunger?

You’ve probably heard over and over again “eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full.”

Good advice, but often people tell me that they don’t even know what hungry feels like.  They either feel hungry all to time, or can’t decipher if their “hunger” is true hunger or emotional hunger.  Many people on their weight-loss journey have lost their ability to even know what real (ie biological) hunger feels like.

And it’s more common than you think.

The Clock Strikes 12

For some people it’s simply because they’ve never allowed themselves to be hungry.  They eat all the time.  Or they eat simply because it’s meal-time.  The clock say’s 12 noon so they just eat.  They’re not really hungry, but they’ve been eating at this time for so long they actually think they’re hungry.  But their body isn’t giving them the signals.  They have just been on autopilot for so long, that they believe they are hungry but in reality their body is not.

Food, Food Everywhere

We live in a society today where food is around all of the time.  Any time of day, any day of the week, you can easily get food.  So we can eat at all hours of the day.  And there’s no longer eating ‘hours’ for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  It is completely acceptable to “eat” at all hours of the day.

This was something different I experienced living in France.  If I wanted to eat lunch, whether it be in my office at work, or on the weekends while strolling around town – cafeteria’s, restaurants, canteens, etc where only open during lunch hours.  And I would be hard pressed to find a vending machine anywhere.

Other Voices

There are other ‘voices’ of hunger like eating to fill emotions.  And emotional eating is one of the top reasons diets fail.  But when you divert your attention from whatever is causing you angst (like a bad day at the office) by eating, you’re often just making the problem even worse.

And the food can act like a drug. Eating can take the edge off what ever is going on, similar to the way a drink does for alcoholics, but unfortunately this tactic is a temporary fix at best.  After you’re done eating, you still have to deal with the original problem.

Tuning In

But know that the first step to “finding your biological hunger” is to listen to it.

Now it sounds/feels different for different people.  Remember, we are all unique so just like eating patterns, biological hunger varies for everyone.

In the beginning, you might be able to recognize ravenous hunger (when you’re so hungry you could literally eat anything), but have difficulty recognizing gentle hunger pains.

So here are some tips to help you recognize when you are hungry:

-      mild (or loud!) rumbling in the stomach

-      light-headedness

-      headache

-      very low energy, feel a bit faint

-      uncomfortable stomach pain. It feels really empty

-      irritability

-      difficulty concentrating

Another tool to use is the Hunger Scale.  It’s a way to help you identify your hunger and get in touch you’re your body’s inner signals.

If you’re not familiar with the hunger scale, it a scale of 1 to 10.  With 1 being extreme hunger (you feel so hungry you could literally pass out) to 10 being beyond full (like after eating Thanksgiving Dinner). The neutral point is five.  At 5, your body has enough fuel to keep it going and you’re more or less satisfied.  You could eat a bit more, but physically your body is fine.

Every time you eat, check your hunger level.  Ideally, for you to be truly hungry, you should be at a 3 or 4.  If you’re 5 or above, you’re not biologically hungry.

So begin to really listen to your stomach, and not what the clock says, not what your ‘head’ is telling you, and not because you’re feeling some type of emotion.

It’s all a part of what’s called intuitive eating. Eating when you’re really hungry, stopping when you are full, and listening to your body.  If you can start listening to your true hunger signals and eat because you are physically hungry, then you are slowly on your way to honoring your hunger and

Part of eating intuitively is knowing what hunger feels like, honoring it, and giving it (and your body) the proper nutrition it needs.

Want to learn more about listening and honoring your hunger, how to stop when you’re full, and how the heck to really listen to your body and give it what it needs? Want more insight into knowing when you’re truly hungry? Then be sure to register for my upcoming f.r.e.e. call where I’ll be covering this and MORE.  Learn how YOU can listen to your hunger and your body and lose weight in the process.  Get all the details here.

A Powerful First Step to Ending Comfort Eating

Are You On the Roller Coaster Ride of Eating?

 

Are You a Food Victim?

This article was written by yours truly, Dinneen Diette, and previously posted as a guest post on Mizfitonline.com  

It received such amazing feedback that we decided to post it here.  We hope it will help inspire you too:

“Dinneen’s main focus is helping women make peace with food and, if they lose weight in the process, then it’s the full fat icing on the proverbial protein cake (get it? everything in moderation? treats are good? no? oh, ok.)

As this week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week**, I asked Dinneen to stop by and tell us what that means to her.” –MizFit

(**Note: Eating Disorders Awareness Week was last week, but the information & insight here is valuable any week of the year!)

As a weight loss coach and mentor, I help many women lose weight, look better AND feel better, and I’m constantly meeting women who struggle with food and their weight.  And I get it, as I’ve been there myself.

For years I struggled to lose weight, and even when I was finally  “thin,” I spent many more years eating low-fat, low-calorie, and low-tasting foods.  Food and eating was not an enjoyment for me.  Any food I ate that was remotely decadent or a “bad” food, left me feeling guilty and eventually lead me to overeat.  And so started a vicious cycle of dieting, losing weight, putting it back on, dieting again, and on and on.

What I ate either helped me lose weight, or gain weight, or so I thought.  It wasn’t until a trip to Italy, and then a few years later living & working in France, did I learn that I could enjoy foods without guilt, lose weight and stay slim.

My world was literally turned upside down.   And so was my life.

And so began a journey of education, self-awareness, and self-growth that led me to the extraordinary life I live today.  I can eat the foods I love, and still stay healthy, and yes, slim.

As a weight-loss coach and mentor I help women and men lose weight, get healthy, and feel good about themselves.  And part of that is helping them with their relationship with food. 

You see, it wasn’t’ until I changed my relationship with food was I able to lose weight and keep if off, and without deprivation.

Even Oprah Winfrey has had ups & downs with her weight and, in my opinion, she will not keep it off until she has a healthy relationship with food. (for more about my thoughts about Oprah and her weight, visit my blog post from earlier this year).

In my business I’ve come across women (and young girls) who suffer from an eating disorder.  Eating disorders arise from a variety of physical, emotional, and social issues, all of which need to be addressed for effective prevention and treatment. 

This week, February 22-28, 2009, is the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.  If you suspect, or know, someone suffering from the disease please visit the website of the National Eating Disorders Association.  There you will find an abundance of information and resources to help support those affected by eating disorders.  It is there to help a friend, family member, colleague, or loved one get help.

In the United States alone, over 11 million people suffer from an eating disorder, and millions more suffer with a binge eating disorder.  More people die every year from an eating disorder than any other mental illness.  Yes, it’s that bad and that prevalent.

Also, statistics say that more than one in three ‘normal’ dieters progress to pathological dieting (that is, it becomes a very unhealthy obsession with food & weight).

So help spread the word.

I see too many women, of all ages, obsessed with their weight and their bodies – and they look fine!   In my mission to help women lose weight and be HEALTHY, it is also my mission help women feel good in their body, no matter what the scale says.  Now that is something to be proud of.  I sure am.

Do You Know When to Stop Eating?

Here’s a question for you.  When you eat – whether it be a meal or a snack – when do you stop?  Is it:

1) When you’ve finished everything on your plate?

2) When the box or bag is empty? 

3) When the TV show is over?

4) When you feel full?

If you answered #4 – good for you!  You probably have a healthy weight and are maintaining it.

However, if you answered any of the first three, you may need to take a look at your eating style, or more precisely, your fullness factor.

A key element in keeping your weight down is whether you use internal or external cues to signal that it’s time to put down your fork and step away from the table.

Last year researchers at Cornell University studied people in the U.S. and France to better understand how they decide they’ve had enough to eat. The researchers found that the more people relied on external cues, the heavier they were.  External cues are just what the terms says, outside signals – like an empty plate or the end of a TV show – that tell people when to stop eating. 

Those who used internal cues – like feeling full – were more likely to be of normal weight.

Not surprisingly, it was the French who most often used internal cues.  This is a key reason why they stay slim while still eating high-fat foods such as pastry and cheese.

These findings were touted as “news” but I can tell you, for me this was something I witnessed first-hand when I worked for a French travel company and also when I lived in France.

In general, the French eat until they’re full and then stop.  With they key word here being “stop.”  When they’ve had enough they don’t take seconds and just walk away (or stay seated at the table but don’t eat anymore).

The French attitude towards food emphasizes internal cues related to the pleasure of eating and minimizes opportunities from external cues. 

The Japanese have similar attitudes.  They have a saying that recommends “Hara hachi bunme”, which means “Eat until you are 80 percent full.”  Like the French, the Japanese eat slowly, enjoy the food for it’s flavor, and eat much smaller portions than Americans.

So now you’re thinking, “But how do I know when I’m full (never mind 80% full!) and when to stop?”

How to Know When You’re Full

If you don’t know when you’re full, you need to train yourself to pay attention to internal cues and diminish the influences of external cues. 

But first, be aware that it takes about 15 minutes for your stomach to send a message to your brain that you’re full.  This may be why the Japanese say to stop eating at 80% full (but I don’t know for sure – I’d love to get some insights from anyone Japanese!).

When you find yourself finishing off your plate and reaching for seconds, take a moment to stop and relax.  Talk to others you’re eating with, or if dining alone you can take the break to write in a food journal. 

You just may be surprised that after even 5 minutes, you may not want that second helping after all.

What Kids Can Teach You About Weight Loss

I watched one of the most powerful Oprah’s shows yesterday.  The subject was an epidemic that is affecting the health of America’s children, and what’s also affecting too many adults.  It’s not what we usually associate with adolescents: drug addiction, alcohol abuse, or smoking.  It’s something more powerful and affecting more kids (AND adults) than ever before: obesity.

The children on the show show took part in a day-long intervention, just like what is often needed when children (or adults) abuse drugs or alcohol.  But for these kids their drug of choice was food.  

The intervention was to get to the real reason why these kids ate.  And like Oprah said on the show, the reason they got overweight “goes way beyond junk food.” 

On the show we got an inside look of these children’s lives.  They spend their days in shame, guilt, depression, discomfort, stress or pain.  In one way or another, they were hurting inside and ate for comfort, in search of acceptance, or to cover up emotions. 

These kids also have to deal with the pressures and mistreatment from society.  As one of the children said,

“People look at my outer layers and not my inner beauty, and don’t recognize what’s on my inside and automatically judge me because of my weight.”

People talk behind these kid’s backs, treat them differently than other “normal” children, and judge them by what’s on the outside instead of what’s on the inside.

The intervention was a way to look beyond the food, and for the parents (and society) to understand what is really going on.  It’s not just about eating right and exercising.  And it’s not just about food.  Food is only a part of the issue. 

The real issue is the emptiness many people feel inside.  

As one of the leaders of the intervention said:

“Today what we are intentionally doing is inviting a conversation around food, around weight, about the emotions behind the weight — because it’s not about our weight.  It’s ‘What is the hunger for?  What are we hungry for?’”

As I watched the show I couldn’t help think of the parallel with adults.  So many adults are hungry for more than just food, they’re hungry for something more in their lives —  they’re hungry for acceptance, love, comfort, a satisfying job, or a caring relationship.

The counselors on the show then explained that before anyone (children OR adults) can begin to work on the larger issue – health – they need to tap inside and find the place where they hide feelings they cannot express or don’t express: 

“If anger is not expressed, it goes inside the body and we start to eat or numb it out,” they said.

So many people today have built-up emotions, anger, or feelings inside that they’re not letting out.  We also have many stresses.  We’re juggling work, career, family, social life, and other everyday pressures.  But instead of expressing our feelings, we’re keeping them inside and many of us turn to food to make us feel better.

On Oprah’s website, the counselors give tips for overweight teens, but  they are just as useful for adults, and most of them I use with my own clients. The counselors stress the importance of getting support and being proactive about your health.  They suggest seeing a nutrition specialist, and taking fitness or nutrition classes, as they are “great ways to empower yourself, keep you motivated, and change your life.”

I suggest you read the tips and while doing so, think about your own situation:  Why do you sometimes overeat or not eat healthy?  What feelings are you not expressing and using food to treat instead?  What’s holding you back from empowering yourself and your family?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please comment below.