Hello! How are you today? Today, right this second? Good I hope 
Running… I finished the book Fast Girl on audio during my run today. Overall, I think it was a good book and interesting story. I kind of would have liked more details on the escort part of her life. Maybe that’s pervy but interesting, right?!
Post-Run I hit the store after my run real quick for some grapes. I cannot stop eating them. Can’t stop won’t stop.
Plus I scored this cold brewed iced coffee. I plan on drinking them all tomorrow and then running across the county. Can anyone put me up for the night along the way? Thanks.
While I was at the store I thought about what else I wanted before I left. I was craving beans. I like beans.
I grew up with the sound of a bubbling lid clicking over a big boiling pot of pinto beans on the stove at least once a week. My family would have the beans with meals a few times a week before my mom made a new batch.
Anyway.
I grabbed a few cans of beans – garbanzo, kidney, pinto – my favorites right now and had them with lunch. And this brought me back to my thoughts on eating what you love without getting fat.
I discovered Intuitive Eating years ago, probably about 6 years now actually. I read the book and even had some one on one sessions with one of the authors. Intuitive Eating is the concept of listening to your body’s cues and signals to get to a happy weight and healthy place both physically and mentally.
One of the hardest steps of Intuitive Eating is getting rid of any “FORBIDEN FOODS”. There are no foods that are off limits (unless you’re deathly allergic of course and then that’s common sense). The point is you should be able to eat what you crave, what your body wants.
This is a scary and challenging concept to anyone who has lived under certain food rules for a long time. When you’ve convinced yourself that eating cookies or peanut butter or cheese is going to make you fat – it’s hard to eat that food like a normal person again.
If you give yourself permission to eat whatever you want – what is going to stop you from eating French Fries nonstop for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day?!
What if you want a strawberry shake every single night? That is going to make you gain weight. You can’t listen to your body! Your body can’t be trusted with all it’s cravings for Cheetos and Skittles and Nutella straight out of the jar!
Yes, if you eat nothing but fries and Oreos all day every day you might gain weight. Maybe. But you’ll also feel like sh!t. And that is a big part of Intuitive Eating too –> listen to your body.
At first when I gave myself full permission to eat whatever I wanted I did overdo it some. I ate two and a half donuts at a time, instead of enjoying one. I added chocolate chips to everything – PB toast (heated in the microwave, try it), protein shakes, yogurt, cereal. Yes, even cereal.
And it was okay. It got old. The thrill of these forbidden foods lost their luster. I craved other things like salty foods and crunchy veggies and brown rice.
The fear that you will only crave your absolute favorite treat foods, but that’s rarely the case. You probably have preferences toward certain healthy foods too. And listening to your body is important.
How do you feel after you eat a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread versus a box of crackers and a diet Coke?
How do you feel after you eat 8 chocolate chip cookies? Okay 9.
How do you feel after you eat a fancy salmon dinner on date night?
How do you feel after mindlessly eating a large popcorn by yourself at the movies? (I feel a little proud, but also bloated.)
How do you feel after pizza night versus tofu stir fry night?
Pay attention to how you feel and that will help gently steer your ship.
But also – respect your cravings. Sometimes I crave chocolate in a ‘get the hell outta my way and give me some chocolate’ kinda vibe. Today I was craving beans and sugar plum tomatoes.
Sometimes I crave fro-yo with bananas and nuts, other times I crave pizza with roasted veggies dipped in hummus.
The point is you should listen to your body and mind. Get 100% rid of any ‘off limits’ foods.
Tip: Remind yourself about all the healthy foods you like and stock up your fridge with them. Make it easy for yourself to eat healthy things. Take your time in the produce section of the store and see what looks good to you. You don’t have to buy kale because it’s the cool thing. Eat the fruits and veggies YOU like.
Let yourself truly enjoy the treats and cravings. No judgment. No binging. Just enjoy it.
Question: What is your favorite “healthy” food today?
The post How To Eat What You Love and NOT Get Fat appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.
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