Eat Without Guilt » diets

Why Waiting to be Skinny Could be Hazardous to Your Health

Dinneen — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 22:38:36 +0000

Over the past couple of years I’ve had the opportunity to talk to women around the country, and around the world. I’ve spoken to women in living rooms, at conferences, at talks I give and workshops I hold. I’ll even add that I’ve “spoken” to women on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. and of course, working with my clients — both in person and over the phone — I’ve spoken to hundreds, if not thousands, of women.

And one thing I see over and over again are women putting their life on hold – waiting until they hit some magic number (whether it be a pants size or the bathroom scale) to find happiness.

Whether a woman is from the Birmingham Alabama or Birmingham in the U.K., San Jose California or San Jose in Costa Rica….there is a mindset that is holding many of us back from living a more meaningful life. Too many women are putting their life on hold until they hit that magic number to start living, and unfortunately they miss out on a lot of while waiting for their lives to begin. We use the “if only” scenario:

“If only I could lose 20 pounds…”

“If only I could fit into my skinny jeans…”

“If only I were thinner, taller, better looking…”

“If only I could resist that fattening dessert….”

If only….

The issue is not on your plate. And the solution is not in some diet. It’s about looking at and and re-evaluating your entire life, not just your weight.

Do We Really Have it All?

All too often I meet women who have it all: a great career, a loving husband, wonderful children, a house, and a great personality. Yet they tell me they DON’T remember many times in their life because they were too busy dieting, hating their body, and waiting for that magic number to appear on the scale.

Are you waiting to be skinnier to really begin living YOUR life? A lot of us are. And I used to be there. And I can tell you this obsession with our pants size and the scale is a waste of time.

When you find peace with food, your body, and stop the obsession – THAT’S when the weight starts to come off, and for good. That’s when the yo-yo dieting finally ends and we get to the weight we’d like to be.

We all know how to lose weight, and serial dieters are often good at that. But they have a difficult time keeping it off. Those 5, 10, then 50 pounds creep back on. But to truly taste and enjoy food, eat from a place of pleasure (and not gluttony or even denial); to come from a place of trusting yourself and your body – that is a LIFE. And that is when you lose the weight.

But to get there – to a place where you realize you are not flawed, you are not broken, and you are not a bad person – you need to look deeper into why food and/or hating your body takes the place of fulfillment in your life.

Your purpose in life has never been to lose the same 10, 20 or 50 pounds over and over again. With the right tools you can stop your struggle with food, end the war with your body, and find out what you’re really hungry for (hint: it’s probably not food) and you’ll be on a path to joy, peace, and a sense of self that no diet plan or low-fat food can give you.

So find your way back to your whole self, not just the one who steps on a scale.

But do get healthy, do get back to a weight where you can feel sexy, confident, and full of energy. But do it in a way that supports you, not denies you the way constant dieting does.

And getting to this place of peace cannot always be done alone. Whether it’s from a support group, friends, a therapist, or a weight-loss and body image coach, it’s empowering to know you’re not in this alone. Getting support to help you understand your habits, your way of looking at food, your body, and your life are important.

Remember, your life is worth more than the number of calories you consume during the day, or the number of reps you do at the gym. You should design the life you desire. And before doing that, you have to look at what’s been holding you back.

And then you will taste something amazing, bursting with flavor and aroma. Something that food or a diet could never replace – the taste of life.

Is Snacking Really a Diet Trap?

Dinneen — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 01:34:34 +0000

I’ve been spending a few weeks visiting my brother outside of Dallas, Texas and to my surprise, my pants are feeling a bit looser (yay!). But when I say it’s a surprise, I really mean it.

I’m one of those people that need to ‘schedule’ my eating, or I’ll get ravenous. Just ask anyone…when I’m hungry watch out! My blood sugar drops and I get a bit (or a lot) cranky. So I always have a snack with me, especially when I know I’m going to be out all day and may not be able to eat at my regularly scheduled time.

So being away from home, my schedule is totally off, including my eating times. I like to eat three square-meals a day. I’m not a big fan of snacking, but I do so when I feel my tummy getting hungry so I’ll grab something (preferably healthy & with some protein) to hold me over (so I don’t pig out when dinner time rolls around!).

And though I’ve eaten more than my far share of beef these last few weeks (hey, I’m in Texas….they know their beef!), not to mention the hamburgers, chicken tortilla’s, and frozen chocolate bars, my stomach feels lighter.

So what the heck is going on?

I know for a lot of my clients, they’ve heard over and over again that snacking is good for you. And sure, snacking CAN be a good thing. But all too often, these ‘snacks’ become as big as regular meals. And I find too many people eat all day long (but in their head they’re just ‘snacking.’)

We’ve literally become trained to snack all the time. And we can eat, or drink, almost anywhere, any time of day, and purchase food (even prepared foods) everywhere we turn.

We’ve also become trained NOT to feel our hunger. We’ve been told over and over again by experts, the media, and food company that we need to snack.

Back to my story — I’ve realized that although I’ve been eating a bit more ‘forbidden’ foods these last few weeks. I have NOT been snacking. AND…I’ve been eating when I’m hungry, and yes, stopping when I’m full. When my body says, “Okay Dinneen, it’s time to fill me up with some food so I can have energy and feel better,” I sit down and eat a real meal. I’m not picking all day at food. I’ve been listening, really listening, to my hunger signals.

Here are some other tidbits I’ve noticed over the last few weeks that will help YOU not to fall into the snack-trap that can unknowingly pack on some unwanted extra pounds:

1) Eat Enough Protein. After just a few weeks working with my clients, I often find they’re not eating enough. Yup, that’s right….they’re not eating enough. When trying to lose weight, this can surprisingly be an issue. Sure it’s great to cut-down on the chips, soda, ice cream, and apple pie a la mode when trying to shed some pounds. But what dieters do is fill up mostly on veggies, fruits, and so-called ‘diet’ foods. Now at face value that might seem okay.

But what often happens is you’re eating too many fruits & vegetables, and not enough protein….and not leaving room for some special treats from time to time. So our bodies use up the fruits and veggies pretty quickly — especially as we often kick our exercise up-a-notch when losing weight — and our bodies get depleted. We also need to remember to get enough protein. Sure, healthy protein is better, but even eating beef can really do your body good. I’ve been getting my fair share of protein lately, but squaring it off with enough vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Now before you freak out, I’m not advocating the Atkins diet — but I do often find that we (especially Americans) eat too little protein, or not the right kind. So be sure you’re meals have a good portion of healthy protein.

And for you vegetarians, vegans, or raw foodies out there — yes, eating lots of fruits and vegetables IS a good thing. But we also need to be sure to get enough protein, even if it’s in the form of whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds or other non-meat sources.

2) Filler Up by eating Three Square Meals. Don’t go skipping breakfast or not eating lunch simply because you want to save calories. Yes, you do need to make sure you’re not eating too many calories, but don’t get caught in the feast or famine thinking.

In addition, it’s been recently shown that trying to spread out your calories for the day — rather than sitting down to regular meals — may throw off your body’s internal clock. Which just makes it more difficult for your body to recognize hunger and satiety cues — to the point that you no longer ‘feel’ or understand what it’s like to be hungry, but you also never feel quite full. (More on that on tip #4).

3) Have a Purpose. aka, keep busy. Don’t you ever notice when you’re bored, or not really enjoying what you’re doing, all you want to do is eat? Sure, you might think you’re hungry, but many times it’s just because the food ‘is there’ or we’re bored…so we eat. While I’ve been in Texas I’ve had a purpose: helping take care of my brother. This has included doing errands, driving him to doctor appointments, physical therapy, or to the supermarket. I’ve been busy. But not just busy as in ‘things to take up my time’…I’ve been busy doing things that make me feel useful, and give me a sense of purpose.

Ever notice when you’re really involved in a project that you really enjoy, time just goes by and look at the clock and realize you haven’t eaten in hours? Or you’ve missed lunch? (okay, maybe that doesn’t happen to you…). This is often because we eat when we’re not really physically hungry. But when you’re involved in something you really like, you don’t have time to get bored.

You stop and realize your stomach is growling or you’re body needs some food for energy. It’s kind of a way of ‘training’ your body to speak for you….and not your mind. Because all too often we think we’re hungry and getting signals from our body, when in reality it’s our mind telling us it’s hungry . Our mind isn’t hungry, it’s that we’re bored, angry, frustrated, or just looking for something to keep it busy.

Which brings me to…

4) Listen to your BODY. Do you find yourself eating, simply because the clock says 12 noon, or it’s time for your favorite tv show, or because the kids are home from school so ‘it’s time to eat’? Now there’s nothing wrong with keeping a regular eating schedule. I do. But on days when I just don’t feel hungry at 12 noon, I stop and ask myself “am I really hungry?”, and think about my plans for the next few hours. If I’m not hungry, and have the time to eat 30 minutes or an hour later, I’ll wait. However, if I’m at my office and know in an hour I have a call with a client, I’ll have some lunch even if I’m not quite fully hungry. But I’ll eat accordingly. I’ll eat just enough to fill me up and keep my body running, and if I need a snack later on I’ll grab one. But I don’t kid myself that my ‘snack’ is a meal replacement. It’s not. It’s merely something small to keep my energy levels up.

5) Grazing is for animals. Okay, now there’s nothing wrong with grazing. But grazing can turn into ‘eating a whole meal’ without even realizing it.

So if you DO snack, yes, it’s okay. But sit down at a table, even use a small plate, and pay attention to what you’re eating so you’re focused on the food. Don’t go grab a granola bar and eat it while walking around the house or sitting at your office desk. Okay, I realize that’s not always feasible. But back in the day when I worked in the corporate world, when I did have a snack I would sit at my desk, away from my computer, and take 5 minutes to sit and focus on my food. Even if it’s just an apple. But really paying attention to that apple (instead of reading emails) can make a big difference.

And like I mentioned earlier, it has been suggested that eating regular meals is better than grazing all day long. And if you think about many other cultures where the obesity rate is lower than here in the U.S., oftentimes they don’t snack. Or they only snack from time to time. It’s not a daily thing.

6) It’s OKAY to feel hunger. We’re often afraid to get hungry, thinking that if we do we’ll devour the whole plate of chocolate chip cookies. But that’s not the case. Unless you allow yourself to get too hungry or ravenous, those are the times when you want to eat everything in site. But having some hunger is a good thing. Yes, it’s a good thing. It’s your body’s internal cue of when it’s time to eat. So don’t fear hunger — honor it. Sure, it can take some time to realize the point when hunger turns to ravenousness, but over time you’ll start to interpret the signals better. But in order to do that, you need to FEEL hunger.

Now this doesn’t mean you need to be really hungry every time you eat, whether it be a meal or a snack, but give your body enough time to get hungry so you can know what it feels like. I’ve had many clients admit to me that they’ve never felt hungry. They’re so afraid of hunger that they’re constantly eating and snacking all day to ward it off. So learn to listen to your hunger, honor it, and you’ll learn how to read it’s signals better and better.

So though snacking can be a good thing, just be aware that’s it’s something to hold you over until your next meal. Eat three square meals a day, eat balanced meals, get enough exercise, have a sense of purpose in life, listen to your body — the ingredients to ANY happy life, whether you want to lose weight or not — and you’ll feel better, look better, and wonder why you didn’t do this all along.

So what are you’re thoughts on Snacking? Do you do it regularly, sometimes, or never at all? Do you feel it helps you keep your weight in-check, or do you think it could be a trap allowing you to eat too much and not really feel your hunger signals?

What the Diet Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

Dinneen — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:14:22 +0000

I’ve seen too many women spend years dieting, spending hundreds (more like thousands) of dollars on weight-loss programs and diets. And having self-esteem issues because they just ‘can’t follow the diet.’

Well, you might not like hearing this, but…

The multibillion dollar diet industry thrives on your failure. They need you to keep coming back to them for business. The diet and weight-loss industry is built on repeat business. It would be a very short-lived business if we all succeeded the first time.

And let’s face it, if they could really show you how to lose weight AND keep it off — you wouldn’t have to keep purchasing their products, attend their meetings, and buying their special foods.

And some of the “big name” diet and weight-loss organizations are owned by food companies ….(makes you think, huh?).

Americans alone spend over $55 billion (yup, Billion!) dollars a YEAR on weight-loss products. And as a nation we keep getting heavier and heavier. I think the ‘industry’ is doing something right — to put money in their pocket.

And let’s face it — diets don’t work. There are different statistics out there, some even saying that 95% of all people on a diet gain the weight back within a few years. I can tell you from my own personal experience this has been true for me.

In addition, diets do NOT teach you how to trust yourself. The basic message of a diet is: if you trusted yourself, you would start eating at one end of your kitchen and chew all the way across the U.S. (okay, I’m exaggerating, but you get the idea). But basically they tell you that if you trusted yourself you’d never stop eating. So, you need to trust them and their ‘rules.’ And do what they say, as opposed to learning to listen to yourself.

Another thing that is that weight-loss should not be the goal. It should be the by-product of learning how to listen to your body for when it’s hungry, what is needs, and what it wants. In other words –a healthy relationship with food, weight and your body. Because when you lose weight….you don’t lose the reasons WHY you turned to food in the first place.

Let me repeat that: when you lose the weight, you don’t lose the reasons why you turned to food in the first place.

For these reasons, and many others, is why I started Eat Without Guilt in the first place. I struggled for so long, yo-yo dieting, feeling like a failure, that I had no willpower, that I just couldn’t follow the “rules”, and that if I could ONLY just lose weight I would be happy, joyful, peaceful and content. Losing weight would make me not only happier, but a better person. Boy was I wrong.

I want to help as many people as I can break free of the diet and overeating cycle and live a healthier, more satisfying life. And to set you free so you can continue it on your own. And to learn how to support YOURSELF.

And that’s just one of the reasons why I created an Intuitive Eating Success Class – to set you free and give you the tools to continue it on your own…for life. Without having to pay me over and over again. I’d love nothing more to have you in my course, and then see you continue on your own without my help (I’m not kidding!).

You see (especially women) we are so good at supporting everyone around us that we tend to put ourselves at the bottom of the list. We are constantly under pressure, overwhelmed and have many demands at both home and at work. We expect ourselves to be superwomen….and everyone else does too. So for many, this translates into having an unhealthy relationship with food. The only way we know to give ourselves a break or a ‘treat’ is to eat something.

I want women (and men) to get back on the path to returning to your own natural instinct to eat when you are hungry and stop when you feel comfortably full or satisfied. So you never have to spend a dime on weight loss products again. Ever.

My intuitive eating course, and my eat without guilt philosophy, is not a diet or plan. Instead, it’s about regaining the pleasure and enjoyment of eating without guilt and punishment. About learning how to listen to yourself and your body. How to discover if you’re really hungry, what you’re hungry for, and to bring complete awareness to what you are eating. How to begin creating lasting peace with food.

About how to uncover your automatic response to emotions – and how to steer it away from food (because so many of us turn to food for emotional reasons, not physical ones. Or we’ve been dieting or overeating for so many years that we no longer ‘know’ the difference between to two).

It’s about helping you respect your body and do what’s right for YOU (not what the newest ”study” or weight-loss guru says).

That’s what I’m all about. Helping people get back to learning how to trust themselves again. And be really comfortable around food. And not dieting and feeding the diet industry. But to learn how to feed ourselves, our body and soul, and treating ourselves with kindness….NOW, not when we lose the ‘weight.’

So, what are your thoughts? Do you agree, do you think I’m being too negative (about the diet industry)? What has been your experience with diets? I’d love to hear your thoughts — and yes, even if you don’t agree with what I say. That’s the main reason for this post! To start a discussion…

(for information about the upcoming Intuitive Eating Success class, just click here)

Will Work For Food

Dinneen — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:30:53 +0000

A few weeks ago I had a bit on an epiphany. It was after lunch. I had eaten a small lunch so a few hours later was hungry and decided to have some of the nuts my husband had bought.

But these weren’t a can or container of nuts. These were “real” nuts. You know, the kind with the shell still on them? There were Brazil nuts, almonds, and walnuts.

So I took a handful and started opening them one-by-one with a nutcracker (let me remind you I haven’t done this in years). As I was doing this I realized I was putting effort into eating.

In other words, I had to WORK to get my food. And anyone who has opened nuts with a nutcracker knows that it takes time. With the time and effort it took, after about five minutes I had eaten about only 7 or 8 nuts. But it was just enough time for my body to tell me it was full. I wasn’t hungry anymore so I put the unopened nuts away.

Just then I realized that if, instead, I had opened a can of nuts – the ones with the shell already taken off – I would have eaten about 40 of them (or even more) in the five minutes! Think about how easy it is to just munch on nuts and before you know it half the container is gone!

So by working for my food, I ate less.

The same for dinner that night. I had an orange after my salad and pizza (yes, I DO eat pizza!). As it’s winter and I don’t get much Vitamin C, I decided to have an orange. Again, same story. I had to peel that orange to eat it.

Okay, I know that’s not a lot of work. But I could have easily just poured myself a glass of orange juice and within 10 seconds be done with it. But by peeling the orange, I had to do a little work. In addition, by eating the fruit itself, I get all of the fiber and nutrients that get lost when processed into juice.

By having to do some “work,” I had time to actually focus on my food, enjoy it, and think about where it came from (as it was still in it’s natural state).

We just eat so mindlessly today. We need to put little (if any) energy into getting or eating our food. Today most of us just open a box or put something in the microwave. Much of our food is “convenient” so we put almost no effort into it.

Now I don’t think you should go out and hunt for your food like the cavemen did. However, I do want to make you aware of how EASY it is today to just pop something in the microwave, open a box, or call for take-out. (Yes, I do each of these myself sometimes, but not all the time).

We need to take a step back and realize that our environment is affecting our weight.

Losing or maintaining weight is not just about eating the right foods at the right times. It’s also about being aware of your environment and how it affects not only your food choices, but your efforts to lose weight.

The Magic Answer to Your Weight Struggle is Closer Than You Think

Dinneen — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:03:32 +0000

It seems every time I turn on the TV, there’s news of some celebrity, personality or public figure and their battle of the bulge and war on losing weight and KEEPING it off.

Many of us can relate. Even Oprah. Yes, Oprah

I wrote about Oprah’s weight gain (and losses) last year here in my blog. Many people in the spotlight, like Oprah — and even past winners of the reality show The Biggest Loser — can’t seem to keep the weight off. They lose, then gain, lose, and then gain again. And it’s the same for many of us!

What the heck is going on?

For one thing, we keep looking to external factors to determine what and how much to eat. We’ve spent years listening to others to tell us what to eat, so we’ve been disconnected from our bodies.

If we listen to our bodies correctly, it tells us what to eat. The problem is, we’ve been listening to the “diet gurus” and other people for so long that we no longer know what to eat or even trust ourselves around food.

When I first lived in France, I was amazed how people just “knew” what to eat. There wasn’t this constant talk about calories, portion size or fat grams. They just knew.

But how did they know?

Well, for one thing, they listen to their INTERNAL cues. They listen to their bodies and trust their bodies to tell them what to do. They listen to their hunger and fullness cues, and to what their body is craving.

So how to listen to our own internal cues?

Be Mindful When Eating

In order to get back in touch with our internal hunger and fullness cues, it is important to be mindful when eating. Using our senses when eating is a great way to get back in touch with our bodies. With today’s hectic lifestyles, we’re too busy rushing around and eating food on the run. So slow down a bit and start to become more mindful when eating.

Don’t Restrict Foods

When people go on diets, they start eliminating certain foods or a food group — like carbs, for example. Once you go off the diet it’s normal to over-indulge in foods high in carbs. This is because the body has been missing the nutrients and craves them intensely. It’s the same for any foods. The more and longer a food is restricted, the more intense the craving.

At first, one might feel out of control and that they cant be trusted around the food. But over time the craving will subside and return to normal.

So stop looking for the magic answer to your weight loss. The answer is actually inside you — you just need to look inward and bring it out.

Want to learn how to listen to your body and eat intuitively, stop when satisfied, and eat only when hungry? Then join me on a FREE call happening on Tuesday. To get details or register right now by clicking here.

My goal is to help you in your journey to get healthy, lose weight, and feel wonderful in your body!