I have certainly struggled with this one off and on for many, many years.
Things will be going well when I am suddenly overwhelmed by the strong desire to lose weight. It can be triggered by a photograph, a glimpse in the mirror, someone’s comment about the way that I look, clothing, or even a friend losing weight. I don’t need to tell you that it’s pervasive in social media and in the constant bombardment of new weight loss drug ads and conversations.
However, when it comes to intuitive eating, there are several issues with this. When the desire to lose weight is turned on, it will inevitably affect the way that we eat. This can look like restricting calories, skipping meals, “watching” our carbs, and an onslaught of other dieting voices and rules. It can also look like the last supper mentality: We told ourselves it’s time for another diet, so now we must eat whatever we can get our hands on before the restriction begins.
Lastly, the change can also be subtle and quiet. In some cases, mental restriction can begin to alter how we eat (and feel about ourselves) without even knowing it’s happening. Ultimately, when the desire is turned on, we are no longer letting our bodies guide the eating process.
It is actually impossible to eat intuitively while simultaneously trying to lose weight. The two do not go hand in hand. However, and this is the wild part, once we ENTIRELY let go of the pursuit of weight loss, something extraordinary happens: We are finally free. We are free to eat what we want, we are free from the rules and the heavy burden of changing our body’s size, and we are free to let our bodies guide the process.
This part can be so, so scary (I know, because I’ve done it – several times). It can be terrifying and feel out of control and like it’s the absolute wrong thing to do. But the reality is that pursuing weight loss will continue to hold you back in life and with your relationship with food.
Letting go also doesn’t mean you’ve “given up” or that you will gain 100lbs. Instead, letting go of weight loss while you learn to implement and interplay the 10 principles of intuitive eating will give you the food and body freedom you are looking for.