“Food is not our enemy!” I read that and realized what a powerful statement that is. So many people I talk to on a regular basis about weight management or fat loss seem to honestly feel that they are at war with their food.
Every season (or perhaps more realistically every day now) there are new weapons introduced… fantastical new fad diets guaranteed to win the BATTLE of the bulge, FIGHT fat gain or DEFEAT the evil cravings! It is thoroughly tiring just reading about all the negativity directed at something that is so natural for us…the simple pleasure of eating. We need to eat, we should love to eat and if we follow a simple plan we will be able to once again enjoy this God given gift. One of the simplest plans is to eat when you are hungry. One of my favourite authors wrote “Don’t fight your hunger. Instead respect it, and respond to it with nutritious food…(but) trusting our bodies to tell us what we need is scary for most…we are afraid that if we throw out all the diets and eat when we are hungry, we’ll never stop and end up in the Guinness Book of World Records.”
Sadly so many people don’t even recognize the basic signs of hunger anymore or choose to ignore…most try to get through the day by restricting caloric intake, not taking time to eat regularly throughout the day and then gorging themselves with fewer meals consisting of all the bad choices. Starving your body will not give you the desired effect either. In fact a starving body will burn lean muscle tissue, slow your metabolism and decrease your overall rate at which you do burn fat! Doesn’t sound like much of a success plan does it.
Good habits take time but are they ever worth it. We have the choice and ability to make the necessary changes. Eat, eat, eat and eat some more. It works. Better choices and smaller meals more often. Trust your body, trust yourself.
Here’s to your Health!
Leeta


2 comments
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April 14, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Theresia
You are so right! We’re so fortunate to live in a time when NUTRITIOUS foods like strawberries, oranges, romaine lettuce, apples, sweet potatoes, broccoli, mangoes are available pretty much year-round. We have no excuse for NOT eating healthy. We choose what we put into our mouths! I eat 6 small meals a day and YES, I snack but I choose foods that perform a specific function, that add nutrition to my body. I FUEL my body throughout the day so I’m always alert, mentally and physically. Saying yes to food after years of DIE-ting and finding out what worked for me…PRICELESS! I’m worth the effort! Make a committment to start enjoying eating healthy foods that help your body become and stay healthy, it’s a pleasure we’ve long denied ourselves.
April 14, 2011 at 4:52 pm
myrnalynn
Theresia, you are a great example of wellness! You are truly ageless and one of the most energetic people I have met. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!