What if you could eat mindfully, without counting calories, over-controlling, or shrinking your diet down to cucumbers and celery juice? What if you could eat in a way that felt good for LIFE, not just the 12 weeks of a diet program? That's where empowered eating comes in.
Dieting is no small player in todays world. Over 45 MILLION Americans start a diet each year and 33 BILLION (AHH!) dollars is spent on weight loss products every year.
People are looking for something…but is a diet or fat loss shake really the best answer?
*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products I personally use and love!*
I have a post titled 30 Tips to Lose Weight Without the Gym. And as soon as I published it, I knew it wasn’t what the world needed.
The tips are all legitimate things to think about if you are trying for weight loss- but…
What the world ACTUALLY needs is to ask why they’re trying to lose weight, what they’re trying to accomplish, and if the driving voice behind the goal weight is love or fear laced.
For some people, weight loss is essential to health. But for others- it’s just another way that we’ve been brainwashed to think that the answer to health and wholeness is something that we have to buy.
Empowered Eating is the Key!
The mindful approach that will have you ditching the diet and taking your power back one bite at a time.
READY? Let’s get into the good stuff.
Newsflash- the secret to long term health is NOT something you have to buy.
What is Empowered Eating?
Empowered Eating is mindful eating that considers these 4 areas:
Is it love based, peace oriented, educated, & personalized?
Habits and Decisions are based out of love.
EX: I choose to meal prep because I operate better when I’m fueled vs I meal prep because I hate my body and need to lose weight.
Habits and Decisions promote peace.
EX: I pay attention to the things that I eat so I can feel good while I pursue my goals in all areas of my life VS I pay attention to every single detail of my eating because if I don’t I will lose control.
Habits and Decisions are based off educated information
It’s my responsibility to understand the things that impact my health. If I don’t understand, I research, read about or reach out to educated and non biased people who do.
Habits and Decisions are personalized.
My body is my own, what works for others might not be my best personal fit- and that’s OK. I can pay attention to what works for me and allows me to be my best.
How To Practice Empowered Eating at Home
Step 1: Lay The Foundation.
Repeat after me: “I am already whole and complete. There is nothing that can be added or taken away to make me “better”. Everything I do for my body is out of love”.
How did that feel to you? Foreign? Like a lie? Or did it feel like a breath of fresh air? Don’t worry if this foundation doesn’t feel “real” for you yet. With practice, it will.
If you’ve been living in a world where you don’t act out of love for your body, and you don’t believe in your inherent “wholeness” it will take time to reorient yourself. This work is worth the practice. Commit to centering yourself with this mantra throughout the day.
Step 2: Examine the Current FACTS.
I like to start with a few quick check in’s to make sure that the choices I am making in the kitchen are adding to who I am as a human, not taking away from who I am. But before we can make good choices, we have to know what we’re starting with.
It’s important that you know even “healthy habits” can become unhealthy when taken to extreme levels. So don’t brush this practice off before you try it.
I ask myself, are my current habits:
- Unsustainable?
- Unhealthy?
- Disrupting a part of my life that I love?
- Keeping me from a dream or vision for my life?
THIS IS WHERE WE START!!
If you answered yes to even just one of these questions, this is a great signal to slow down and pay attention to your eating habits.
To give you an idea of the ways that these show up in the day to day, I’ve listed some examples of ways that I have struggled- on both sides of the “unhealthy VS too healthy” scale.
Unsustainable:
Skipping dinner and eating Peanut M&Ms instead
VS
Eating an entire cabbage a day, everyday (10/10 do not recommend)
Unhealthy:
Paying zero attention to the food I was using to fuel my body
VS
Paying TOO much attention to the food I was consuming. It became all I thought about & planned for.
Disrupting a part of life I love:
Poor eating leading me to lose symptom free menstrual cycles (It’s a REAL THING, and it’s glorious.)
VS
Too strict of eating that doesn’t allow me to ENJOY an ice cream cone with my little boy.
Keeping me from a dream or vision for my life:
Poor habits and planning that resulted in not eating ENOUGH to support races and workout programs I was excited about completing. This was forcing my body to run on EMPTY all the time. (Why do we do this?!)
VS
Too strict and controlling in my eating habits which resulted in not experiencing peace or contentment, EVER.
*Notice we are asking questions about our habits and checking them against who we want to be & how we want to live. NOT what number we are shooting for/ size we hope to buy. Spoiler alert: those won’t make you happy.
These check in questions can have a million different answers- and they are highly personalized. What is “healthy” for some, might not feel good for someone else.
When you’re checking in, think about you and only you. Focus on the energy and feelings that come up when you consider each one and it will direct you to the areas that need attention.
Step 3: Evaluate and Look for Trends
Take a 2 (or 5 or 25) minute break to evaluate where you are in the big picture.
Be honest with yourself (no one else is listening, c’mon!).
Here are some thought provoking questions to try while you reflect:
- What habits do you have that are taking away from the life and vision that you hope for?
i.e: not knowing when to stop, not knowing what to eat, feeling guilty, not trusting your body (etc) these habits are keeping you from feeling knowledgeable, confident, peaceful,etc. - Do you tend to be on the end of the scale with too little attention on your habits or do you tend to be on the side of the scale with too much attention?
- Is there a trend you need to pay attention to?
- Are there are few habits that you feel land right in the middle with perfect balance?
- If so, is there a different kind of energy surrounding those than the others?
- Do any of your current eating habits contribute to your overall health in negative ways that you need to take note of? (HINT: think sleep quality, skin, mood, cycle health, overall happiness and peace levels etc.)
- Do any of your current habits contribute to your overall health in positive ways that you need to make sure you maintain?
Step 4: MAKE A PLAN
Now that you are aware of your current habits, you can make a plan on how to move forward.
There is usually a trend that will appear and it tends to show up in the form of paying too little attention, or paying too much attention to eating habits.
If you tend to be on the “paying too little attention” side…
All you have to do is decide to pay attention and then pick a habit that will help you do that.
For example: When I need to refocus on my nutrition habits, I get REALLY good at planning my meals for the week, and making detailed grocery lists. Having nutritious meals planned and a fridge stocked with foods that FUEL me, means that I am set up to make empowered and thoughtful decisions.
Maybe you noticed your poor decisions or lack of attention comes from feeling confused and overwhelmed. Make the decision to start learning. Get educated on how to fuel your body or ask a trusted pro for guidance.
HINT: pick one area to master at a time.
(EX: making healthy breakfast or cooking from home instead of take out)
If you tend to be on the “paying too much attention” side..
All you have to do is ask this ONE QUESTION:
Is this choice fueled by love or fear?
And ask it over and over again throughout the day to remind yourself of the big picture.
Weighing your food because you hate your body and want to control it is a fear based decision. Feeding your body things that will nourish it and keep it strong is a love based decision.
Saying no to the cookie because you are shooting for a goal weight is fear based but saying no to the cookie because you already had some sugar and need to focus on getting some other nutrients is love based.
That’s all it takes!!
These are 4 simple steps to start practicing empowered eating today! Remember- it’s a practice. This kind of eating isn’t a pass or fail- it’s a way of thinking that will become more and more natural over time. Don’t settle for a body that doesn’t operate EXACTLY how you need it to in order to SHOW UP in this life as you’re designed to.
Low energy, achey joints, unclear skin, heartburn, indigestion, bloat, pain, moodiness, anxiety, worry, fear, low self-worth all belong in your rearview mirror.
It is NOT about your weight, or a flat stomach, or a smaller pants size. It is about making decisions that are empowering to YOU and are in alignment with the life you want to live.
So what do you think? Are you ready to ditch the diet and practice empowered eating?
Kick fear out of the drivers seat and cut the radio chatter that tries to convince you that your inner wisdom isn’t wise enough to guide you to your best and healthiest self.
Take your damn power back, Sis. It’s time.
If you are looking for personalized Health & Nutrition Coaching or tips on how to make Empowered Eating work for you, let’s connect!!
Xo,
Victoria
Remember, always check with your health care professional before starting any new diet or exercise program. Any product recommendation is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Our statements and information have not necessarily been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Every body and person is different. Therefore, We cannot and do not guarantee that you will attain a specific or particular result, and you accept the risk that results differ for each individual. As with any health-related program or service, your results may vary.
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