I've been struggling to publish my Intermittent Fasting Post - not because it's not finished. It is. But I think because I needed to get these words out first. Because I love sharing health and nutrition information with you and if you learn something new, discover something that sticks or make a change that helps you be a little bit healthier, I'm happy. But more than anything, I want this to be a space where you learn to love your body and treat it with respect by incorporating healthy practices into your life. And if you have kids or loved ones, my desire is that you're modeling for them - showing them that you make healthy choices that show up in every aspect of your life rather than that you can have success on a diet. Because here's the truth:
No diet, no amount of weight change, and no success or failure counting things, restricting food groups or altering your eating times will make you love your body.
You see, in my practice, I'm not in the business of weight loss (there are plenty of people on the Internet who can show you how to do that) - I'm in the business of knowing your body and making changes to shift it toward health. In order to making lasting changes of any kind, knowing your body is key. This comes in two phases for me: knowing how your body functions and getting to know your lifestyle factors.
Body Functions:
What levels of macronutrients does your body like? (NOTE: THIS IS NOT COUNTING MACROS)
How much exercise does your body handle?
Where is your stress coming from (physical, mental, emotional)?
What's your digestion like?
Are there any other factors going on? (nutrient deficiencies, hormone changes, imbalances or challenges, inflammation issues, or food sensitivities or intolerances, etc.)
Lifestyle Factors:
Who are you feeding and how often?
Do you like to eat out? What are your favorite kinds of food?
Do you have a budget for food?
What do you do for work?
What does your daily schedule look like? What do your weekends look like?
What type of personality do you have - do you value rules or value freedom? Do you like structure or crave variety?
Every one of these factors makes a difference when you're looking at developing an eating plan or lifestyle plan that can make it long-term. And when we make this shift, oftentimes this results in weight loss (if it's needed or desired). Am I opposed to weight loss goals? Absolutely not. And diets of many kinds can be useful tools in meeting weight loss, muscle building, body composition, and fitness goals, and that's one of the reasons I want to share the bones of many of the popular diets that are being buzzed about now. But this is always in the short term. Long term success in maintaining a healthy body and physique comes from the everyday lifestyle choices that you make.
And finally, to end this rant…I'm the mother to three amazing and beautiful little girls- and they see. They watch, they observe, and they see - me and my husband and our eating habits and practices and if we’re constantly counting, tracking, and restricting. And what I want for them (and for all kids) is to see and learn healthy habits. I want them to know what healthy foods are and what they do for their bodies and how they make them feel. I want them to recognize that when they eat too much sugar or processed foods, these are the things that happen to their body and this is how they feel. I want them to make that connection - their food choices to their energy levels, their digestion, their ability to concentrate, etc. I want them to know that being healthy at any point does not mean being on a diet. I don't want them to be consumed with food and body - I want them to enjoy life and friends and good food. I don't want them to think they have to list and track and obsess over food in order to look a certain way. They're going to get plenty of pressure for that kind of thing from the outside world - I want them to come to the world equipped with the knowledge of the power of food and the vision of healthy choices that have been modeled for them.
And most of all, I want them to know they are loved and valued and that their outward appearance and or their ability to perform does not change that. And I want you to know that too.
So now that that's off my chest, I'll publish my post on Intermittent Fasting y'all have been checking the site for since Friday :)
