"I'M AFRAID I WON'T BE ABLE TO STOP EATING _______"

Last week, I was fortunate enough to spend a relaxing week at the beach with my family. The kitchen in our rental house was filled with every “play food” imaginable. For some reason, Doritos taste wayyy better at the beach. Now that I’m back home, my body is telling me that it doesn’t want any more Doritos (or any other snack food) for a little while. It wants lots of veggies!

When you’ve been restricting foods you’ve labeled as “bad,” it can feel like once you start eating, you’ll never stop. In the process of breaking up with dieting, you may indulge past the point of satiety a few times. This is normal. Resist the urge to punish yourself. These foods don’t hold nearly as much appeal once they’re allowed all the time!

Most of us have been immersed in diet culture for years, maybe even decades. When it’s become so normalized and ingrained, it’s hard to begin to trust your body’s signals. As a traditionally trained dietitian, I’m guilty of imposing food rules on my patients and myself. My hope for my patients is that they’ll be able to let go of dieting and move toward a healthy relationship with food.

Intuitive eating is a journey. I don’t think we wake up one day and say, “I am now an intuitive eater.” As hard as I try to listen to my body, there are going to be times where we wait too long to eat and get HANGRY or eat past the point of fullness. My hope is that we can all remember this is a process and perfection is not the goal.

Want to work with me? Reach out to make an appointment today!

WHAT DOGS CAN TEACH US ABOUT BODY DIVERSITY

Anyone who knows me won’t be surprised that I’ve found a reason to write a blog post about my dogs. In all seriousness though, I wanted to use them to get a message across. Let me start by introducing them:

Finley is a greyhound, adopted from the racetrack in December 2017. She was bred to sprint short distances, and she has remained very lean despite living the “retired” life. She’s still all sharp edges and bones. Finley gets cold easily, so she especially enjoys cuddling. The cozier the bed, the better!

Dexter is a mix of breeds, but predominantly some type of scent hound. Before we adopted him in March 2014, he had obviously spent that winter fending for himself. He was not in good health. But Dexter was able to survive, likely thanks to his body fat stores. Although survival is no longer a concern, Dexter maintains a higher body mass, making him tolerant of tough conditions and an excellent hiking buddy!

These 2 dogs eat the SAME food in the SAME amounts every day. Dexter and Finley also generally have the same activity level. Look how different their bodies are! Yet no one expects one to look like the other. Finley and Dexter are both dogs, but their genetic predisposition has determined their body weight, shape, and size.

What if dogs had the same body pressures humans have? You’d have dachshunds wishing they were taller and bulldogs wanting to get rid of their wrinkles. What a shame! We love these pups exactly how they are. Thankfully Dexter doesn’t understand media messaging telling him that he is too fat, and that he should try to be thinner like his sister. I know, we are humans, not dogs. But this story is for those of us wishing we looked like someone else. You are worthy of love EXACTLY the way you are.

6 MEAL PREP TIPS FOR REAL LIFE

To piggyback on my post about meal planning, these tips are all about prepping food after you’ve got a plan set. Thanks to the society we live in, I think a lot of people automatically assume that meal prepping means taking 6 hours on Sunday to cook and perfectly portion 21 meals for the upcoming week. If this strategy works best for you and your schedule, great! For others (me!), it’s a huge help to have a few things in place for the week and prep along the way.

1. Wrangle up your food storage containers. And their matching lids! You may need to invest in new containers. I prefer Pyrex or other glass containers because they are microwave safe.

2. Prep ingredients for future meals when possible. While you’re cutting up peppers and onions for tonight’s fajitas, can you cut up extra for stir-fry tomorrow night? While you’re browning ground beef for spaghetti, go ahead and cook another pound for chili tomorrow night. That way, the meat can go straight into the slow cooker. Get as much done while you have time and your kitchen is already a mess.

3. Take recipes with a grain of salt (who doesn’t love a food pun?). Most recipes are pretty forgiving and your meal won’t be ruined if you don’t use alllll the recommended spices. You can also swap different meats and veggies. Let your creative juices flow!

4. Consider potential for freezing and reheating. Some meals make better leftovers than others. Foods with high moisture content like soups, stews, and casseroles reheat well in the microwave. If you don’t like the thought of eating the same thing 2 days in a row, consider freezing it and adding it to your meal plan next week.

5. Don’t forget the snacks. Go ahead and bag nuts, dried fruit, popcorn, crackers, cut up veggies, etc. so you can easily grab them on the way out the door. You can also buy pre-prepared snack elements like fruit, yogurt, and mini containers of guacamole, peanut butter, and hummus.

6. Set realistic expectations. You do not have to spend 6 hours on a Sunday preparing all of your meals for the next week! Just having lunch or dinner already made or even partly made can make a huge difference in your stress level. Resist the urge to compare yourself to the Instagram posts of perfectly prepped meals.

Remember, work smarter, not harder. Happy meal prepping!  

"SHOULD" I HAVE EATEN THAT WHOLE SANDWICH?

I had the day off from work yesterday and was enjoying an afternoon of what I like to call “piddling.” In between errands I stopped for lunch at a cool coffee shop in downtown Mebane. I chose a chicken salad wrap. It was pretty big and cut into 2 halves. I was really hungry, and I ate the whole thing.

It wasn’t until I was talking with a patient today about giving herself permission to eat as much as her body needs that I realized I still had a tiny little voice in the back of my head telling me that I “should” only eat half of my wrap. That voice is everywhere telling us that our body’s signals cannot be trusted. I ate the whole wrap because I was hungry. Giving myself full permission to eat as much as I need helps me listen to my body’s hunger and fullness cues. This permission also helps me leave half my food on the plate on days when I’m not quite as hungry.

Breaking the diet cycle takes consistent effort and some days are harder than others. Please know that you are not alone. We are in this together!

8 MEAL PLANNING TIPS FOR REAL LIFE

If you’ve tried countless diets, you’ve certainly been told to meal plan/prep to help you “stay on track.” Diet culture has complicated the practice of meal planning and prepping. However, having a sense of what you want to eat for meals and snacks can be a great way to nourish your body with foods that help you feel your best. Meal planning can also reduce stress and anxiety and limit overspending on food. You CAN pursue intuitive eating and still have a plan.

1. Have a repertoire. Most of us have a couple of meals up our sleeve that we can pull off in a pinch. You know what I’m talking about. That meal when dinnertime sneaks up on you again. One of my go-to’s is chili. I know exactly what goes in the pot without having to consult a recipe.

2. Pick 1 ingredient and build a meal around it. A satisfying meal usually has a protein source and a fiber source (usually some type of carbohydrate and/or vegetable). You can also use the Plate Method as a guide. Notice that I use the word guide. These are not rules. An example of this concept: A friend gives you fresh green beans from her garden. What foods can you add to make it a complete meal?

3. Ask other family members for ideas. If you’re the one in your family that does the majority of the grocery shopping and cooking, it’s so easy to fall into a rut. Try asking your partner for ideas, or, if you’re solo, ask a friend what their favorite recipe is these days. If you have kids, involving them in the meal planning process can be a fun learning experience!

4. Keep a running grocery list. I’m a pen and paper girl through and through, but I keep my grocery list on my phone. I’ll forget a paper list in the store every single time, but I’m not forgetting my phone. I also like this method because I can add to my list any time. Side note, listing foods in the order of your usual path around the grocery store is a huge help.

5. Have themed nights. Meatless Monday. Taco Tuesday. Fish Friday. Having a theme can help you decide what to have for dinner based on the day of the week.

6. Keep some staples on hand for quick meals. I’m a fan of the following non-perishable meal ingredients:

• Canned beans (for chili or burrito bowls)

• Frozen meatless crumbles by Gardein (for chili or spaghetti)

• Veggie patties by Morningstar Farms (for a snack or part of a quick lunch)

• Frozen veggies and Instant rice (for stir fry or burrito bowls)

• Instant oatmeal and frozen berries (quick breakfast)

• Pretty much all of the frozen veggie+carb blends from Trader Joes!

7. Apply a “bar” mentality. By “bar” I mean salad bar, baked potato bar, taco bar, etc. This concept works great if you’re part of a family with, shall we say, differing food preferences. Everyone chooses the ingredients they like. This can also help promote autonomy in little ones, meaning that choosing what they want to eat can be empowering!

8. Write it down. Try writing your plan on a whiteboard in the kitchen, listing it on your phone (in the notes section or a meal planning app), or in your paper agenda. For example, I use the weekly section of my planner for scheduling, so the monthly calendar-view works great for meal planning.

I hope that you found a few of these tips helpful. Ultimately, it’s important to find what works best for you!