Episode 98 – Natural Eating with Lisa Kehler
- Lisa Kehler
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Feel better now! If you struggle with food this is why you want to explore Natural Eating with me!
You’ll eat to feel better, physically and emotionally.
Scarfing down a box of chocolates on the couch because you’re sad, lonely, mad or tired just won’t make sense anymore. What will make sense is figuring out what that craving and urgent need to eat and only eat is really telling you. Finding the space in the urgency to figure out what you really need to find peace again. This is how that chocolate bar doesn’t turn into three and a bag of chips to boot.
You’ll stop thinking about food all the time.
Hunger will be but a body cue, not a crisis like dieting has drilled into us. You’ll stop fearing hunger because choosing to satisfy that hunger IS natural eating! Once your body has the repeated experience of knowing it will get fed and satisfied, hunger won’t feel so urgent and scary anymore. You won’t fear losing control because your body will be nourished, not in that starvation state that leads us to eat uncontrollably once we “give in”. This is feeling in charge of your eating.
You’ll never count calories or points again.
Internal wisdom, hunger and fullness signs will be your natural guides for when, what and how much to eat. You’ll feel your body has different needs on different days, depending on a bunch of things that you’ll come to notice. You’ll know to consider how you need to fuel yourself for the hours ahead, you’ll know which foods relax you, energize you and help you think better and choose accordingly. You already know the difference between a baked potato and a French fry and you’ll use that knowledge, only in a gentle way – a way that says you can satisfy that French fry craving on occasion without guilt.
You’ll get why a child leaves half a cookie behind without looking back.
One day you’ll forget to eat half a cookie. (Prepare yourself, it will freak you out when you find a half eaten cookie in your bag or desk.) You’ll begin to trust you can stop eating anything if you decide more won’t leave you feeling good – physically or emotionally. You know (and I mean really believe) you can have more of anything later when you’re hungry again (or not). It will never be your last cookie eating opportunity.
You’ll choose veggies because your body feels and works better when you do.
Sometimes you’ll choose an extra helping of veggies at dinner, because it’s going to leave you feeling better and you WANT to, not because you’ve run out of points. You’ll enjoy a small salad again with dressing and other tasty toppings, instead of stuffing yourself with bags of naked lettuce. Savouring your vegetables prepared in a tasty way (yes that usually means some fat) will turn them from just zero point foods to stuff yourself with to foods that you choose and appreciate for nourishing your body.
You’ll lose the guilt around eating.
Sometimes without any guilt at all you’ll choose dessert without considering skipping a next meal, running around the block a few times or vowing it will be the last piece of cake you have. You might check in halfway through savouring your cake and realize you’re satisfied with half and decide to stop. And because it just tastes so good you might decide to eat the rest of it. Either way you’re at peace and moving on to something else. You’ll see how eating what you really want and savouring it leads to less food and more pleasure naturally. Food you love eating!
You’ll enjoy living freely and peacefully not worrying about how to manage your eating everywhere.
Let’s face it, where there’s food there’s fun (unless you’re on a diet, then there’s only stress). You won’t be tempted to stay home and miss out on life because of the food. Natural eating principles and mindful eating tools are portable, always handy. Eating out, drinks with friends, family events, potlucks, trips, buffets and holidays won’t require strategic planning or dread because food won’t be an issue anymore! Savouring food with zero guilt and being present will bring more pleasure with less food.
You’ll be even more in awe of your body.
And guess what? You’ll learn that your body is wise and trustworthy. With attention you’ll feel how a rich meal keeps you satisfied longer and how choosing a lighter meal later is the prefect balance for feeling good instead of lethargic and uncomfortable. It will have nothing to do with having “blown all my points at lunch). Comfort and self-care, not guilt, will guide you in choosing what comes next. You’ll notice that an unusually active yesterday has left you hungrier today. And you’ll satisfy your hunger knowing why it’s there instead of freaking out and running to buy more celery.
You’ll talk to yourself with kindness and self-compassion.
The desire to take care of yourself around food no matter where you are will be natural. Choosing self-compassion over guilt will get easier when you make choices you don’t feel the best about. We all do, it’s part of natural eating. You’ll just learn for next time and take care of yourself in the moment instead of beating yourself up…and most importantly move on knowing that you’ve already returned to natural eating and your body will figure it out.
You’ll need to find drama elsewhere, another focus – one that nourishes you.
You’ll need to find drama somewhere else – this is part of your work too, a really important part actually. Eating more than you intended won’t send you to your knees sobbing, the treadmill, the convenience store off to plan your next diet. You will be amazed at how your time and mind/heart space is freed now you don’t think about food, dieting and weight 24/7. You can actually start listening to your heart and do those things you wished you had time and space for. It will be important for you to consciously choose how you want to spend your precious time moving forward – in a way that nourishes all of you.
You won’t feel guilty about eating anymore, you’ll enjoy food again and you’ll find so much peace and excitement about life without restriction.
Click here to learn more and connect with Lisa Kehler, Registered Dietitian (RD), Life & Wellness Coach.