What the Diet Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

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)

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

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

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.

To Count or Not To Count (calories, that is) – That is The Question

A conversation started between me and some other people on (and off) Twitter today.  It all started when my friend at Miz Fit Online blogged about what she eats, because a lot people are curious and want to know.

She talks about how personally she doesn’t count calories or points, doesn’t go hungry, doesn’t think about macronutrients, but instead  ’eats clean.’  She says:

“The cleaner you eat the more calories you can consume while not gaining weight.”

 In short, for her, eating clean is:

 “High quality foods which are as free as you can get them of not-found-in-nature additives.”  

And I do the same.  

She also says how people are sometimes surprised that she doesn’t eat like a bird.  And I don’t eat like a bird either (people are often shocked when they see I eat like a ‘normal’ person).

In her post, Miz Fit also said:

“a calorie isnt a calorie isnt a calorie & I learned to read labels.”

and that is SO true (no matter what some people say about it only being calories in vs. calories out — the type of calories DO matter).

I made a comment on her blog post  how I eat and think a lot like she does.  Then I went on Twitter and posted part of my original comment:  

“I too NEVER count calories, don’t go hungry, DO go for taste, REAL taste of REAL food.”

Well, that got some people talking.  And it got me thinking.  

People dieting, or trying to maintain their weight, often ask me the question:  To Count or Not to Count?

They want to know:   What should I count?  Should I count calories, fat grams, carbs, points, etc?  

So, here’s what I think:

Everybody needs to find what works for THEM.  We are all different, we have different needs, lifestyles, jobs, and we all like different foods.  Yes, it is better to eat broccoli than french fries from a fast food joint — but you already know that.

Though I don’t count calories or points, it took me a while to get there.  I do eat “intuitively,” and it took me a while to get there.  And I listen to my body to know what to eat……but it took me a while to get there.  I can eat a bowl of ice cream without devouring (or wanting to devour) the whole thing, BUT (you guessed it…) it took me a while to get there. (more on that below, because I can take you there faster!)

I know a lot of you DO count points, calories, fat grams, etc.  

And if that’s what makes you feel comfortable and what works for you — then that’s okay.  

You won’t, and really can’t, count calories your entire life (who wants that?).  But I know, especially in the beginning,  you may need or want to.  It helps you stay on track and keep control.  I get that.  I’ve been there and done that.  So I really understand.

But you don’t have to do this your entire life.  

You can get to the point of where I am today.  You can eat intuitively, know what your body wants, and eat “guilty” foods without losing control.  It can be done.  You just need to take one step at a time.  And you need the right TOOLS to help you along the way.

I do have clients that are following diet plans, like Weight Watchers, or South Beach, or whatever.  And that’s okay.  It makes them comfortable in the beginning.  Because if I just say “listen to your body” they don’t understand how to do it.  Working together I get them to a place where they can listen to their body and not count calories or points anymore.  And they never go back.

Okay — so now you’re screaming:  ”But I want to know HOW I can get to that place!”  

HOW can I lose weight without counting calories or points?

Well, it just so happens that I’m putting together a program that teaches you.  It gives you the tools so you can start to live a life without counting.  It won’t happen overnight, because we all know that a “quick fix”  won’t work in the long run.  

I took me a while to get there, but you can take what I learned, experienced, and have taught my clients — to save you time, energy, and yes, even money.

Because it doesn’t have to take you years.  It doesn’t have to take forever.  And you don’t have to wait until “someday” to eat comfortably like a “normal” person.  And it doesn’t have to be hard.   Learn from me and I’ll show you the way.  The road is right there, you just can’t see it.  I’ll help take down those roadblocks so you CAN see the road.

It just takes knowing what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and why.  

So stay tuned as I will give you the tools.  And you don’t have to build a mansion with them.  Just a small house.  A nice, comfortable, clean house.  You can do it.  I know you can.  Because I have, my clients have, and the hundreds of other people I’ve helped in workshops and seminars have.  

And if you have to count calories or points right now, that’s okay.  It really is.

The Inside Scoop on Losing Weight