I’m sure my story is not unique. I’ve been dieting on and off for years. Decades. Funny thing, I’m not even what most people would call overweight. I have a petite build and never weighed more than 115 pounds until I reached my forties. Since then, I’ve gained a few extra pounds each year. I’ve read every diet book ever published; I’m a member of two gyms; and I have the glycemic index memorized. Then a few months ago I saw this quote on Pinterest, and everything changed.
You see, I’m the queen of body-shaming. I’ve been so preoccupied with the numbers on the scale that I’ve reminded myself daily that I’m ugly. Fat. Unworthy. I didn’t even realize I was speaking self-degrading comments. Until I saw this quote and realized that I’ve built my house with words of hate. So in a last-ditch “dieting” effort, I visited a nutritionist. And she suggested I read the book Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole.
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The principles of this book are straight-forward. Stop dieting. Chronic dieting actually damages you metabolism and prevents you from losing weight permanently. Honor your hunger. Go ahead, eat if you’re hungry. Make peace with food. A particular food is neither good nor bad. Stop thinking in black and white. And my favorite… respect your body. Yep. Build your house with kindness.
These are just a few of the book’s principles. As you work each step you realize that an obsession with food only gives it more power. Ditch the calorie counting and learn to eat normally – this will set you on the path to attain your healthy weight. The mindset is difficult to grasp at first. Old behaviors are hard to change. But I’m gradually learning to embrace “gentle nutrition,” as some refer to intuitive eating.
Just this past week, I went 7 days without counting a single calorie. My only “rule” – try to make healthier food choices than I usually do. That’s it. And guess what? Although I actually lost 2 pounds, the real victory was the freedom I felt. I give this book 
The biggest compliment is a little share – pin the photo below!
