It’s All About The Tools
Wow, don’t ya love a good thought-provoking guest post?! Thanks to Mish for bringing out such good points about dieting and the journey into an intuitive eating approach. You guys had some pretty strong feelings about how you look at your particular way of going about healthy living. It almost seemed split down the middle in the comments as far as those who feel it necessary to use a diet plan and those who would rather pay attention to their body’s cues.
I liked the post for so many reasons. I liked to hear Mish be in a place that is so freeing. I remember that feeling. After the superfunk, I too, decided to ditch the dieting. I was tired of battling myself and tired of the self-sabotage and guilt. I needed to leave it all and try to let my body show me the way to eat. It was a lofty aspiration. And what I decided recently is that I was not ready for that journey yet. See, what I realized is that letting go of the dieting mentality is hard, hard work. Yes, you can wake up one day and say, “That’s it, I’m not dieting any more. I will let my body tell me when it’s hungry and I will honor that hunger by eating healthfully”. But, when there has been years and years of a dysfunctional relationship with food, it is near impossible to have that happen overnight. It is a long road with many bumps. And if you are not prepared for that, it can be almost worse than just sticking with the dieting.
What many people don’t realize is that moving toward an intuitive eating approach is not some natural thing that just happens one day. It is also a program. It also requires tools to master it. It requires work, focus and dedication to be successful. You can see how Mish has incorporated many different tools to help her stay with this approach. She has found what is working for her, but she is absolutely working hard at it. It has been a progression and not something she just “knew how to do” instantly. Chime in here, Mish!
In essence, it could loosely be classified as a “diet program”. I know I may catch some flack for that one, but it does require a set of skills to help you understand your body and how to react to food differently much like a “diet” like Weight Watchers. There are many books out there on the subject of intuitive eating/non-dieting ( The Beck Diet for Life, Intuitive Eating, Overcoming Overeating, just to name a few) and they all suggest a set of tools,skills or a plan to get you there.
I agree with those of you who look at Weight Watchers as a lifestyle not a diet. WW does provide many of the tools needed to achieve success for a lifetime. Yes, they would love for you to count POINTS for the rest of your life, but along with that, the program teaches you how to listen to your body, eat when satisfied, honor your hunger and get proper exercise for good health so that if you do decide to no longer count POINTS one day, you can go it on your own.
I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to losing and maintaining weight. The bottom line is that you have to do what will work for you. The best part about this journey is that you can keep tweaking it until you find what’s right. Why not give intuitive eating a try? If you are willing to do the work, it may be the pot-of-gold at the end of the rainbow! And if you get frustrated, like I did, you can always go back to what you know works for you. Until you’re ready for another adventure… 
Have a great day, everyone!!
***
I’ve jumped on the Ask Me Anything bandwagon! This is so fun! Feel free to ask me anything you want to know -yes, this is my lame way of getting out of finishing up my FAQ! http://www.formspring.me/loserforlife
Questions? Email me! aloserforlife@gmail.com
18 comments
How do you deal with the people who look at you crazy, try to sabbatoge, say well I would do that, or act like you think you know it all, just because you are trying to live a healthy life and blog about it?( I have been getting this) Thanks, Kathleen
Marisa Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Kathleen, I know that’s hard. It’s an uncomfortable situation sometimes, but I started to realize that people who do that feel threatened somehow. Almost like, you’re making them look bad because you are trying to be healthy, so they feel like they need to combat you somehow. It’s weird, I know. Just understand that it’s more about them than it is about you. Keep doing what you do, if you enjoy it and it makes you feel good. And don’t feel like you have to explain yourself to those people either!
I enjoyed reading yesterday’s guest post as well as everyone’s thoughts. And I love this post. You are so right, intuitive eating does not “just happen.” It requires a lot of work and tools. I think that’s an excellent point, Marisa! And it’s something we sometimes forget…
I have never really followed a particular diet, and lost about 25-30 pounds last year “doing my own thing.” For me, it had a lot to do with portion control, how to deal with stress, how to not beat myself up after “being bad,” how to put myself first. I read a lot of books and took what worked for me from each one. And yes, I did develop my own plan and my own (loose) “rules” that I am following and plan on following for the rest of my life. So while I think I am doing pretty well with the intuitive eating “thing” at this point, it’s maybe less intuitive (and more conscious) after all…
Thanks for starting such a great discussion and for making me think!
Because I am diabetic, I really need to weigh all my food to figure out my carbs – I would hope that I could eat intuitively one day, but I like knowing exactly what I am eating!
Great post though!
I think about how long I will need to count points- but honestly I think I like the way WW has made me think about food. I chose more wisely, decide what will satisfy me rather than just taste good for that moment. I know my choices of whole foods will help me and I can see myself eating the way I am now for the rest of my life.
PS- I am addicted to that ASK ME ANYTHING! lol I gotta go check it! lol
You’re Marisa! Intuitive Eating is a process. It takes time and work. Many, if not all of my clients say its harder then following a diet. All of my clients come to me because they love the idea of Intuitive Eating, but they all want to lose weight as well. They can lose weight, but its slow and takes time. That’s the hardest part for people to accept.
What ends up happening is you get to know your body better than anyone. You can figure out what actually works for you. Its a feeling of confindence that can’t be explain…
Bottom line, we all do what’s best for us, right? I would love to be able to say that one day I will not have to weight and measure and count points, but I know myself and I know how I have behaved my entire life. I found what works for me, but of course understand that what works for me does not work for the next person.
So how’s the weather there? I know our snow MUST be melting, but it sure doesn’t seem that way.
Marisa Reply:
February 19th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
So right, Reen.
Yeah, the snow…it’s never leaving…
First off I love your blog. Very thought provoking.
This post is great. I am currently following Weight Watchers as well, and I wonder if I could ever really find success with an intuitive eating approach. Not sure about that one, but for now I count my points, choose whole foods, and try and figure out what my body REALLY needs after decades of feeding it crap!
Marisa Reply:
February 19th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Thanks, Amanda! And I know exactly what you mean – my body has been very confused by what I have put in it! LOL!
I think that every person is different. Intuitive eating is not something that comes naturally to me, even after over 12 years of maintaining my weight loss. I still think about my choices and whether or not I should eat something or not.
I’m with you – everyone needs to do what’s best for them. But, for those figuring it out for the first time, I think this would be a great way to start!
Losing is part of life that testing your strength and will power to continue. Having this trial can somewhat make you push harder to your limits.
When I really think about it..I think intuitive eating and think of Bethenny’s (from the Real Housewives of NYC..yes..I hate that I’m sourcing her!) book ‘Naturally Thin’. She gives a lot of tips that most people already know, but talks about them in an entirely different way. She uses the metaphor..a diet as a bank account, splurges and savings. I really like that idea and way of thinking as it’s not rigid and lets you use your intuition to make choices.
Marisa Reply:
February 19th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
I remember reading that book (yes…I hate that I read her book!), but I also thought it was an interesting way to look at eating.
totally. It took me about…2 years to get tapped into what my “intuitivenessment”
was for my body.
to hear what it really wanted and needed and “ran well on” but it was so worth it.
You absolutely have to have a plan. Or 20 plans as the case may be. I’d be shocked to learn that anyone just one day decided to eat better and exercise more and that simply lead to success. Even if education ourselves is our plan, that is still a plan.
The important thing is to recognize that we all got fat for similar reasons. Or we all got fat for different reasons. Bottom line is: we all got fat. And we all realized we needed to do something about it. I’m on about the 10th incarnation of the plan.
It’s never giving up that matters most.
Marisa Reply:
February 19th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
AMEN, sister!