WARNING this blog post could be triggering for people eating disorders or disordered eating. I lovingly request that you do not read if you are suffering from an eating disorder or you feel the content could be triggering for you. <3 I wanted to share my story with you and let you know how intuitive eating helped to heal my relationship with food and my body.
Are you like me? Well... How I used to be...
I used to calorie count, take diet pills, calorie restrict to the point where I as drained and had very little energy - I would go to sleep early just to skip meals. This was NOT healthy, but I wanted to be skinny! I even remember having only 1200 kcals over a 3 day period.. on purpose, now I will eat that in one meal if I choose to! Oh, how much I have learned and developed over the last 10+ years!
I am painting you this picture, not to glorify weight loss, or the pursuit of being thin. I am sharing this story because this is the reality for so many women out there, perhaps you can relate to this too? The desire to be skinny, the desire to look like those women on the magazines (p.s. the models don't even look like the models on the magazines!). Now I have opened my eyes to diet culture and how prevalent and damaging it is to so many young girls. Teenagers are being hospitalised because they have developed anorexia nervosa and put their life at risk and it has to stop!!
Diet culture.. the desire to look a certain way despite us all having a unique genetic makeup.. the media proclaiming how to get your summer body in 10 days - All of it has to stop!
Fast forward 10 years... after a rocky relationship with food that followed me to university, I re-trained myself to trust myself around food again - All foods are allowed. :D
By learning to listen to myself and my internal cues around food, my thoughts, feelings and emotions, I am now in-tune with my body and my needs. Now I have ditched alllllll diets, and have learnt to eat intuitively.
I don't spend every minute obsessing over food, or how much I weigh.
My value is much more than the number on the scales and yours is too!
I am a kind person, an advocate for those who need help, I am compassionate, caring, loyal and have a big heart. I am an explorer, a dreamer, a loving partner and so much more than my mass under the pull of Earth's gravity.
You are more than that too!
There is so much more to life than calorie counting, if you've spent your life yo-yo dieting, missing out on social events or beating yourself up around food, perhaps it can help you too.
As a registered healthcare professional who has been through one diet after another, after yet another, I am now better placed to help my clients who are where I have been. Except, this time, I am full of the knowledge of how to do this and support my clients.
Now I have discovered the wonderful world of intuitive eating, I praise the thought-leaders Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Retch who coined the idea in the States and I also am so inspired by all the other non-diet dietitians out there today; spreading the positive message of listening to number one instead of all the diet culture noise that surrounds us.
Things can change for the better.
Love,
Kirsty x
If you're fed up of dieting and want to have a healthier and happier relationship with food and your body, book a free discovery call to see how I can help you (UK residents only)
DISCLAIMER
Please note: The information in this article is not a substitute for professional medical or dietetic advice - if you have concerns regarding your health, please speak to your doctor. See the full disclaimer here.
ABOUT DIETITIAN KIRSTY
Dietitian Kirsty is a registered UK based dietitian and the founder of Your Health and Lifestyle Ltd. A company designed to support people with their fertility journey through evidence-based nutrition advice. In addition to being passionate about supporting the next generation, Kirsty enjoys supporting women with reconnecting with their innate intuitive eater, practicing self-care, and discovering food freedom.