by EM2WL | Dec 5, 2024 | Metabolism Reset
How to Start a Metabolism Reset in 5 Simple Steps
If you’ve been eating less, exercising more, and still not seeing results, you might feel like your metabolism is working against you. The truth is, years of dieting, stress, and over-exercising can slow your metabolism down, making it harder to burn fat and feel energized.
But don’t worry—a metabolism reset can help. By giving your body what it needs, you can heal your metabolism, rebuild muscle, and start seeing progress again. Here’s how to start your metabolism reset in 5 simple, actionable steps.
1. Understand Why Your Metabolism Needs a Reset
Before diving into the reset, it’s important to know why your metabolism might be sluggish. Chronic dieting, skipping meals, or eating too few calories signals to your body that it needs to conserve energy. This leads to a slower metabolism, fatigue, and even weight gain.
Think of your metabolism like a phone battery. If you keep draining it without recharging, it won’t function efficiently. A metabolism reset is about giving your body the fuel and recovery it needs to start working optimally again.
2. Stop Starving Your Body
One of the biggest mistakes people make is eating too little for too long. While cutting calories can lead to short-term weight loss, it also slows down your metabolism over time.
The first step to resetting your metabolism is eating enough to support your body’s needs. To figure out how much you should be eating, calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)—this is the number of calories your body needs to maintain its current weight.
Start by gradually increasing your calorie intake to reach your maintenance level. Yes, the scale might fluctuate initially, but this is your body adjusting to getting the fuel it desperately needs.
3. Prioritize Protein
Protein is your best friend during a metabolism reset. It helps build and repair muscle, which is critical for boosting your metabolism. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning the more you have, the more calories your body burns—even at rest.
Aim for 0.8–1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily. Include protein-rich foods like:
- Lean meats (chicken, turkey, beef)
- Eggs
- Greek yogurt
- Tofu and tempeh
- Legumes and lentils
Pro tip: Make protein the star of every meal to keep your metabolism fueled and your muscles happy.
4. Start Strength Training
Cardio might burn calories, but strength training is the real game-changer when it comes to resetting your metabolism. Lifting weights helps you rebuild lost muscle, increase your metabolic rate, and reshape your body.
Here’s how to get started:
- Focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and presses that work multiple muscle groups.
- Start with 2-3 strength training sessions per week.
- Gradually increase the weight or intensity to challenge your muscles (this is called progressive overload).
And no, lifting weights won’t make you bulky! Instead, it’ll help you burn fat, build strength, and feel more confident in your body.
5. Prioritize Rest and Recovery
Recovery is just as important as what you do in the gym. Your body needs time to repair and grow stronger, so don’t skip this step.
Here’s how to prioritize recovery:
- Get 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night.
- Stay hydrated to support muscle recovery and overall health.
- Incorporate active rest days with light activities like yoga, stretching, or walking.
Remember: More isn’t always better. Overworking your body without proper recovery can lead to burnout and stall your progress.
What to Expect During a Metabolism Reset
A metabolism reset isn’t a quick fix—it’s a long-term solution for healing your body and setting the foundation for sustainable fat loss. During the reset, you might notice:
- More Energy: As your body adjusts to eating more, you’ll likely feel more energized and motivated.
- Muscle Gains: With the right nutrition and strength training, you’ll start building muscle, which helps boost your metabolism.
- Scale Fluctuations: Don’t panic if the scale goes up temporarily. This is a normal part of the process as your body adjusts to proper fueling.
Ready to Reset Your Metabolism?
If you’re ready to take the first step, these five steps will set you up for success:
- Understand your body’s needs.
- Stop under-eating.
- Prioritize protein.
- Start strength training.
- Focus on recovery.
Want more guidance? Download my free Quick Start Guide for step-by-step instructions for getting started on your journey.
It’s never too late to reset, rebuild, and reclaim your health. Start your metabolism reset today, and let’s make this your strongest chapter yet!
by EM2WL | Nov 21, 2024 | Metabolism Reset
3 Signs It’s Time to Reset Your Metabolism
Are you working hard to lose weight, eating less than ever, but still not seeing results? You’re not alone. Many women over 40 experience these exact frustrations, and the culprit is often an overlooked issue: a sluggish metabolism. The good news? A metabolism reset can help you break free from this cycle and finally achieve sustainable fat loss.
Here are three major signs that your body is begging for a reset—and what you can do about it.
1. You’re Eating Less but Gaining Weight
If you’ve been slashing calories, skipping meals, or turning down dessert at every opportunity, yet the scale keeps creeping up, your metabolism could be in survival mode.
When you consistently eat too little, your body adapts by slowing your metabolism to conserve energy—a process known as metabolic adaptation. Over time, this can cause:
• Fatigue: Your body lacks the fuel it needs for everyday activities.
• Muscle Loss: Your body breaks down muscle for energy, which further slows your metabolism.
• Weight Gain: A slower metabolism means fewer calories burned, even at rest.
What to do:
Instead of cutting calories further, focus on eating more whole, nutrient-dense foods and gradually increasing your calorie intake to support your metabolism. This process, known as a “metabolism reset,” helps your body feel safe to burn fat again.
2. You Feel Constantly Exhausted and Burned Out
You might think your tiredness is just part of getting older, but chronic fatigue can be a red flag that your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs. If you’re eating healthy, exercising regularly, and still feeling like you’ve been hit by a truck, your metabolism may not be functioning optimally.
Symptoms of metabolic burnout include:
• Waking up tired even after a full night’s sleep.
• Crashing in the afternoon or struggling to stay motivated for workouts.
• Feeling irritable or overwhelmed by everyday tasks.
When your body is undernourished, stress hormones like cortisol spike, which further slows fat loss and can even lead to weight gain, especially around the midsection.
What to do:
Focus on fueling your body properly by eating balanced meals that include protein, healthy fats, and fiber. And don’t forget to prioritize recovery—sleep, hydration, and active rest days are essential for repairing your metabolism and rebuilding lost energy.
3. You’ve Hit a Plateau or Regain Weight Faster Than Ever
You lose a few pounds, only to hit a frustrating plateau—or worse, the weight comes back almost immediately. This is a classic sign of metabolic adaptation, often caused by years of yo-yo dieting. Each time you go on a calorie-restrictive diet, you lose muscle along with fat. Over time, this decreases your muscle mass, which lowers the number of calories your body burns at rest.
The result?
• You burn fewer calories doing the same workouts.
• You gain weight more easily, even when eating less.
• Fat loss becomes harder with each passing year.
What to do:
It’s time to focus on strength training to rebuild lost muscle and boost your resting metabolic rate. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning the more you have, the more calories you burn—even while resting.
What Is a Metabolism Reset?
A metabolism reset is about giving your body what it needs to function optimally. It involves:
1. Eating More: Gradually increasing your calorie intake to maintenance levels so your body stops fighting against fat loss.
2. Strength Training: Building lean muscle to support a higher metabolism and a stronger, more toned body.
3. Balancing Hormones: Improving sleep, reducing stress, and eating enough to support your body’s recovery processes.
The goal is to create a foundation where your metabolism works with you—not against you. It’s not about quick fixes but about long-term, sustainable results.
Ready to Reset Your Metabolism?
If any of these signs sound like you, don’t worry—you’re not alone, and there’s hope. The first step to breaking free from the diet cycle is to understand your body’s unique needs and take action to heal your metabolism.
Want to learn more? Download my free Quick Start Guide to get started with simple, actionable steps you can take today. Or check out my workout app, where I provide strength-training plans designed specifically for women over 40.
It’s never too late to reset, rebuild, and reclaim your strength. Let’s make this your strongest chapter yet!
by EM2WL | Dec 21, 2022 | LIVE Broadcasts, Metabolism Reset
When it comes to how you feel and look, it’s important not to ignore what’s going on inside in attempts to “fix” the outside. A metabolism reset is a process of nourishing and repairing your body from within in order to reap the exterior benefits. But how can you measure your progress as you go through the reset phase?
While you may not always see outward changes right away, there are certain cues that indicate the progress of your metabolism reset. Let’s take a look at five ways you can measure your metabolism reset progress.
Muscle Regained
If you are going through a metabolism reset, chances are that you have already lost muscle due to dieting or other lifestyle factors. During the reset, you should expect to see some of that muscle regained, however, this may not be visible without a DEXA (or similar) scan. Depending on the length of your reset and your starting body fat percentage, your body composition may undergo some visible changes as well.
Weight Stabilization
Weight gain (if any) has stopped, and you’re eating at your “goal” calorie level. If you have been steadily gaining weight prior to or during the reset, then tracking whether or not this has stopped can be an effective way to measure progress. Even though the scale isn’t the only indicator of progress, it can still provide useful information about changes in your body composition over time and whether or not the reset is working for you.
Improvement in Hair/Skin/Nails
During a metabolism reset, it is common for hair skin nail (HSN) health to improve drastically as micro- and macronutrients are made available for repair and growth processes within the body. This can also occur when hormone levels become balanced and as gut health improves from consuming nutrient-dense foods that support digestive system functioning properly and efficiently.
Appetite/Energy Has Regulated
If you were experiencing ravenous hunger and cravings before starting the program and/or feelings of fatigue throughout the day then tracking how these symptoms have changed since beginning can be another great way to measure progress! Generally speaking if cravings have decreased/stabilized and energy levels have increased then this could again indicate improved hormonal balance from proper nourishment!
Strength Gains
Lastly, strength gains are another great way to measure metabolisms reset progress! Our muscles respond best when we show them love through movement, exercise, and…FOOD — so if you’ve been consistently working out throughout this phase (and eating enough food!) strength gains should start going through the roof! This could look like an increase in weight lifted or reps completed but either way, it’s a sure sign that things are moving in the right direction. Tracking changes in strength over time will help give insight into how well muscles are recovering after workouts due to adequate nutrient uptake which again points towards efficient metabolic functioning!
Adjust your Focus
Measuring progress during a metabolic “reboot” isn’t about focusing solely on external factors – like weight loss – but rather looking internally at how our bodies are responding to proper nourishment after years of being deprived from essential nutrients needed for optimal functioning. By understanding these five key indicators we can assess progress along our journeys more accurately while avoiding disappointment over false expectations the diet industry has been shoving down our throats for decades!
Ultimately, if we focus on what’s happening inside then eventually those outside changes will follow – even if they do take time before becoming visible! So don’t forget – RESET IS NOT A FAT LOSS PHASE – prioritize your healing by addressing “what lies beneath” first & celebrate ANY and ALL small victories (in the areas listed above) along this amazing journey!
Good luck! : )
by Keysia Linares Marzullo | Apr 29, 2022 | Binge Eating, Diet Mentality, Intuitive Eating, Metabolism Reset, Nutrition, Videos
Are you looking to lose weight, but don’t have time to hit the gym? Are workout videos your go-to solution? Though they may seem like an easy way to get in a workout, not all videos are created equal. In fact, many of them can actually be quite ineffective when it comes to weight loss. But don’t worry – we’re here to help! Read on for our tips on how to make your workout videos more effective for weight loss.
Part 1
Part 2
The Truth About Workout Videos: How To Make Them More Effective For Weight Loss
Once upon a time, working out at home was reserved for the Richard Simmons, Jane Fonda, leotard, thong, leg warmers, aerobics, aerobics, and more aerobics era. But with the explosion of Beachbody and other late-night infomercials (are there other infomercials?), most of us have grown to accept a visual of more muscular-looking individuals using dumbbells on our home workout screens.
This new era of workout videos provides instant access to some of the top trainers of the industry today: Jillian Michaels, Kelly Coffey-Meyer, Jackie Warner, Cathe Friedrich, Chalene Johnson, and so many more. The convenience of working out at home can be a fantastic thing for the motivated individual or the person who enjoys the “feel” of being in a class setting (minus worrying that one might be judged by classmates – gasp!! “can you believe she’s wearing those pink pajama pants?!”).
With the (over)abundance of workout vids, we might assume that ripped, superfit types (as seen on the videos) are also in plentiful supply. If you are one of the growing numbers of at-home exercisers (like me), you may be wondering when your ripped-ness will arrive. Or, perhaps you glumly think that you’re the only person who works your butt off with these annoyingly-ripped-freaks-of-nature yet still look like you gave birth last week. Grrrr…How is it possible to work your buns off yet still not be able to fit said buns into those skinny jeans? To collect bucket-loads of sweat from doing 30-Day Shred (for 120 days!), yet have no semblance of becoming “shredded” any time soon?
This is typically because, as consumers, we tend to equate sweating with results. Moving nonstop during your workout, doing endless reps, or cardio moves between lifts will surely provide the sweat. Unfortunately, the amount of sweat you leave behind has little to do with the reshaping of your body. As great as it feels, your body will eventually adapt to ANY workout you repeatedly do, and you’ll stop seeing results. So should you toss your hopes of getting fit at home and run to the nearest gym? Not necessarily. It’s always great to work with what you’ve got (and I, for one, am not willing to shew my pink PJs just yet).
Here are five ways to make any DVD worthwhile:
Lift heavier
Make any DVD work harder by simply picking up a heavier weight. Even if you only have one or two DVDs to work with, increasing the weight you’re lifting is a quick plateau prevention/fix. Just because the people on the screen are using five-eight pounds doesn’t mean you need to. Pick a weight that challenges you (i.e., you can’t do MORE than two reps beyond the amount you’re supposed to be doing) and will bring you the results you’re after. You’re all good, even if you come up a few reps shorter than “the crew.”
Most home workout DVDs have far too many reps for the desired results. For strength gains, lift as heavy as you can for up to seven reps. For muscle building and definition, lift for eight to 12 reps, and for endurance (cardio), perform 12+ reps (or as directed by the DVD). For best results, alternate all three rep ranges using weight appropriate for each range.
Take Notes
To have tremendous success with the previous tip, be sure to take a moment to bring a pen and pad with you to the workout area. Jot down the exercises done in the vid and how much weight you used. Whenever you discover that you could’ve kept going, put an asterisk or other symbol (like an up arrow) to let you know to go up in weight next time. ALWAYS lift heavier if you can safely do so.
You’re not doing yourself any favors by using the exact weight amounts for months at a time, no matter how much sweating is going down. Also, keep track of how many reps you did so that you can adjust the next time around. If you could do 12 pounds for 15 reps, you know that you’ll need to go heavier if aiming for eight to ten reps next time around. Keeping a journal of your workouts (exercises, reps, sets, and rests) is key to successful training, whether at home or the gym.
Press Pause
Pressing pause is perfectly acceptable if the DVD moves too fast (this will become incredibly relevant when increasing lift poundage). It becomes tough to lift heavy enough weights when doing circuit-type workout vids (a weight move followed by a cardio move – or weighted moves with no rest between sets). This may tempt us to believe that we can’t go heavier, but this is far from the truth.
While I would typically recommend doing a workout via a professional, as written, the first few times around, this becomes significantly less relevant the 88th time the video is done. It’s OK to stray from the pro at this point and pause the dang thing so that you can get some severe muscle involvement happening. Using the rep ranges discussed above, base your “rest” periods on the amount of weight and reps that you’re doing — just as you would in the gym.
The goal of endurance needs very little rest (30 seconds or less) between exercises, muscle building requires slightly longer (30-60 seconds), and strength requires the longest (60-90 seconds). If the crew is doing 15 reps and you’ve chosen to do only six, consider the “extra” time they are pumping out reps as part of your rest period.
Re-Purpose “Strength” DVDs
Most DVDs suggest dumbbells that are far too light have too many reps and not enough rest to be considered a proper “strength” workout. No problem. Why not change how you view your vids and accept the faster-paced workouts for what they genuinely are…cardio! Most so-called strength videos on the market are just glorified HIIT workouts. So why not treat them as such.
Metabolic cardio and HIIT are all the rage these days anyway, so using your old circuit workouts for cardio helps you cash in on this trend. This also works well as an alternative for those who can only make it to the gym a couple of times per week. Plan your lifting days for when you have access to heavier equipment at the gym and your cardio (via video) on the days that you can’t make it.
Swap Out Moves (or Equipment)
Let’s face it. Doing the same moves day in and day out for three years isn’t gonna “shape and tone” anything no matter how many times your DVD coach has told you so. Just as we get comfortable when we know what move is coming next on the DVD (or what words for that matter!) so do our bodies. And let’s just say that changes don’t happen when you’re comfortable…well, not good changes anyway.
Now that you’ve been taking notes on your workouts (ahem?) you can use that same notebook to plot out ways to shake things up. Again, I don’t typically recommend taking a program written by someone who creates them for a living, and adding your own perceived “improvements.” However, if you know at exactly which pitch of the background song that a particular exercise will start…you stopped seeing results from that move many moons ago. There are safe swaps that can be done to most moves so that you are keeping with the general theme of the program’s intent. For example, you can sub the move for a variation of that same move: plie’ squat for regular, step-ups or rear/side lunges in lieu of front lunges, hammer curls instead of traditional, etc…
Work With What You Have
You could also swap out equipment used in the vid, for equipment that you own but rarely use. I can’t count the number of messages I’ve received from women asking if it’s “OK” to use hubby’s Bowflex, Nautilus, Smith machine, etc down in the basement…umm, YES! Don’t be scared to put someone else’s dust-collecting equipment to use – I did and it changed my life! The Gold’s Gym setup that I currently use in “Kiki’s Cave” is also formerly-known-as “Father’s Day Gift/clothes dryer” lol.
Work with what you have. Does your teen son have an iron gym? Does hubby have an old bench and rack? Score! Have some crazy as-seen-on-TV gadget that you just couldn’t pass up? Use. it. Variety is the spice of life, and just may help you get excited about working out to your old DVDs again. Sub out the old-is-new-again equipment for similar body-part movements. Bench press during pushups. Use a rowing apparatus (lat pull-down, rowing machine?) for bent-over rows…or better yet, do pull-ups! Grab a Frisbee or gliding disc and do sliding lunges in place of regular. Use your Kettlebell in place of dumbbells, or sub Kettlebell swings (or sandbag cleans – see vid below) for another cardio move for circuit vids.
Take inventory of items you’d love to use, but never do, and allow your mind to wander. The possibilities are endless.
Not everyone can afford the time or finances that a full-time gym commitment requires. Workout videos provide a convenient alternative for busy moms, housewives, or students that simply can’t make it to the gym regularly (or at all). With new formats popping up daily — whether via DVDs, downloads, or free sources like YouTube and Fitness Blender — you can make this growing trend work in your favor (and keep getting results!) with a few simple tweaks.
Do you work out with videos? What are your tricks for keeping the results flowing?
Links
Download Your FREE Quick Start Guide
Sign Up For The FREE Women’s Fat Loss Webinar
SUBSCRIBE To Our Youtube Channel
Download our Workout App
by Keysia Linares Marzullo | Apr 16, 2022 | Binge Eating, Diet Mentality, Intuitive Eating, Metabolism Reset, Nutrition, Videos
In our last post, we talked about intuitive eating, what it is and how it can benefit you. In this post, we’ll discuss intuitive eating for weight loss. When it comes to weight loss, there are a lot of different methods people try. Some popular approaches include counting calories, eating low-carb or keto, and intermittent fasting. But what about intuitive eating? This approach eschews tracking or limiting food intake in favor of tuning into your body’s natural cues for hunger and fullness. Is intuitive eating a good option for those looking to lose weight? Let’s take a closer look.
Intuitive Eating for Weight Loss? Here’s What You Need to Know
Intuitive eating is not a weight loss method.
Many people ask the question, “will intuitive eating work for me?”,
If by “work,” you mean weight loss? If by “work,” you mean, “will I lose weight from eating more intuitively?” the answer is no. Sadly, if you think you will be able to eat whatever you want, when you want, and look like a fitness model in a magazine. It just doesn’t work that way. I would not do intuitive eating with a weight loss intent because that is not the purpose of intuitive eating.
As I mentioned in my previous post, Intuitive Eating: What is it, and How Can It Help You?… Intuitive eating is a method to heal people who struggle with a diet mentality and/or are recovering from over dieting. This helps reset the mind and body from things like binge eating, restriction, and the thought process of every food item being either “good” or “bad.”
We must first remember that everything has a mindset component associated with it. Whenever you get to the point where you are consumed with losing weight and start to have your identity wrapped around it, you usually start to run into issues thinking that weight loss will solve all your problems and make you happy is not the right path. In fact, it usually ends up having an adverse effect.
When we finally step away from looking for the all-in-one solution is when we can actually start finding the answers instead of compartmentalizing our lives. When it comes to seeing each individual thing for what it is, what it can be, and the purpose that it serves for you, you can lean wholly into that purpose.
Watch the video above as we dig more into this topic of intuitive eating and why it is not the best method for fat loss.
Links
Download Your FREE Quick Start Guide
Sign Up For The FREE Women’s Fat Loss Webinar
SUBSCRIBE To Our Youtube Channel
Download our Workout App
by Keysia Linares Marzullo | Apr 10, 2022 | Binge Eating, Diet Mentality, Intuitive Eating, Metabolism Reset, Nutrition, Videos
If you’re struggling with your weight or have a history of yo-yo dieting, then intuitive eating may be able to help. Find out what it is and how it can help you reach your goals!
Intuitive Eating: What is it, and How Can It Help You?
I’m just going to put it out there. If you want to lose fat, you have to be in a caloric deficit. How do you know if you’re in a deficit eating intuitively? Is intuitive eating good for weight loss? Will intuitive eating make me fat? Can intuitive eating work? There’s so much confusion around intuitive eating and its purpose. We tend to see many questions and misinterpretations about intuitive eating and when to use it in our journey. We often see this happen when someone says, “will intuitive eating work for me?”; usually, there’s something behind that word “work .”
First and foremost, if you want to know if intuitive eating will work for you, you want to ask yourself that question. What do I mean by work? Are you using it for binge episodes, to lose weight, or go on a journey of self-love? There are so many different reasons why people head down the path of intuitive eating that it’s crucial to understand what intuitive eating is and what it isn’t.
I have found that when asked, “Is intuitive eating going to work for me?”, usually they are referring to a weight loss technique. With Eat More 2 Weigh Less, when I’m referring to intuitive eating, it’s typically for someone in the “Chill Phase” or the metabolism reset phase. Those are the main two times that I would recommend that somebody venture into intuitive eating. The reason for that is that although there are five phases of EM2WL, typically three of those, you’re keeping a tight rein on what you are eating. When you’re tracking your food and keeping a tighter rein on what you’re eating, it’s a little bit harder to eat intuitively because you may want to eat something that will not fit in your calories or macros.
Who Can Benefit From Intuitive Eating?
If you … Are Healing From A Diet Mentality.
The best time to use intuitive eating is when you are trying to heal from a diet mentality. Diet Mentality is when someone is constantly thinking that getting smaller and being thinner will solve all of their problems – a thought process that has infiltrated and cultivated our society, even now. If you’re of that mindset, then that’s when intuitive eating could be a path you should set out on, to become okay with the fact that getting smaller is not the absolute solution to all problems. Diet mentality tells us that there’s this quick and easy solution to something that has been plaguing us for our entire lives. “Try this 2 week, 30-day, 90-day diet and lose X amount of pounds!” When you start constantly chasing after all of these fad diets and thinking that you can solve weight loss issues overnight, that leads to this constant feeling of shame and failure when you don’t succeed in a diet when in actuality, most diets are failing you.
If you … Struggle with Binge Eating.
Another instance where intuitive eating would be an amazing route to go on is if you struggle with binge eating. This typically carries over from dieting because we often don’t realize that restriction typically begets binging. You see people constantly trying to like stick to this perfect way of eating, constantly restricting calories, removing things from your diet that you actually like and enjoy, or just eating too little food. It’s going to work until it doesn’t, and then when it doesn’t. So when you’re constantly struggling with these binges, whether it’s a binge-purge cycle in the traditional sense of actually purging the food manually or a purge where you eat a lot of food and then you’re trying to burn it all off with exercise. There’s also restricting yourself so much that it leads to an all-out binge. So if you’re stuck in that cycle, that’s when intuitive eating can help because one of the biggest benefits is learning how to honor your hunger cues.
If you … Categorize Your Food In Extremes.
The third reason why intuitive eating would work for someone is to help them understand that every food serves a purpose. One of the things that we don’t tend to realize when it comes to dieting, is that we start to slowly categorize food. We’re trying to fit things into a very tight window of opportunity or a tight amount of calories, points, or whatever the case may be. You start looking at something with a lot of points versus a few points, high calorie versus low calorie, high carbs, and low carbs, constantly swinging in these extremes of high and low. So we start to develop this good and bad philosophy about food. Anything with a high amount of calories, fats, carbs, points, or whatever the demon ingredient is of the year is, we label as bad. Lower amounts we look at as good. When we start to live in this good and bad food mindset it puts us in this good/bad position regarding our behaviors. We begin to think that we are good when we undereat and bad when we overeat, eat foods that we love, or things considered “unhealthy”.
Intuitive eating can work wonders for you as you begin to cultivate this mindset around the fact that something can be healthy and high calorie/fat and can be good for you but be on the “bad list,” simply because it’s good for you mentally. Some foods’ entire purpose is to light up your taste pallet and make you happy. Sometimes the purpose is just happiness for that moment or taking a bite and truly savoring how something feels versus bypassing taste to hit some data point. This also means accepting that health and weight loss are not always synonymous.
If you want more info on how health and weight loss are not always one and the same, check out my youtube video Why Dieting Doesn’t Work | The Truth About Healthy Eating
The fitness industry often tells us that losing weight is the epitome of health but that isn’t always true. There are health benefits to losing weight, but there are also health repercussions to getting too lean as well. We look at women in the media and magazines who are doing fitness competitions, then doing photo shoots right after those fitness competitions that appear in our Instagram feed or magazines. And because they’re gracing the cover of a “Health Magazine,” we cannot mentally detach those images from what’s happening and understand that person was most likely at their leanest they’ve been all year. That physique may have been something that they’ve been working towards for three, six, nine months. and at the peak of that leanness, they were the unhealthiest that they had been all that year. They are now seeing negative repercussions of it, like not having their period anymore and losing essential body fat that their body needs. Most know this and plan to put back on their essential fat after the competition and go off and live happily ever after. However, we will continue striving for that image of them that we see in the magazine.
Having that intuitive eating period helps you see things for what they are. Learning to step away from the diet mentality, honor your hunger cues, get away from the good versus bad mentality, and learn to love yourself, right where you are. Loving yourself is crucial. It doesn’t matter if you’re a size 2 or 22, you can hate yourself and hate your body, just the same. When we step away from the thinking that size will magically make us accept ourselves, then true healing can begin. Even if all the commercials are saying the opposite and telling us that once we get to XYZ size, we love ourselves again. That is never going to happen. So if you don’t love yourself as you are, it will not magically happen when you get to be another size.
It’s one thing to have a goal for the sake of having a goal and achieving things that you thought you couldn’t. However, thinking that the goal of losing weight is going to solve a bigger, deeper problem is that is when we need to take a step back and do more of the inner work to find out what we’re seeking.
With that being said, if any of the reasons above are you then I highly recommended going down a path of intuitive eating or taking a chill phase, as we call it. Let that phase do what it is intended to do.
Links
Download Your FREE Quick Start Guide
Sign Up For The FREE Women’s Fat Loss Webinar
SUBSCRIBE To Our Youtube Channel
Download our Workout App
Recent Comments