At the end of a long and busy day I was considering what to do for dinner. A certain restaurant and favorite meal was suggested. Something that tastes delicious that I really enjoy. I would have called this category of meal a "cheat meal" back in the "working with a health coach" era. (I need a new name to replace "cheat meal" suggestions welcome)
My thought process was "yeah that's delish and can be a yummy way to enjoy the 80/20 rule, but it's 9pm and eating a cheat meal for lunch or early dinner my body bounces back and feels okay but eating a cheat meal at 9pm my body doesn't have enough rebound time before bed and it tends to make me feel yucky, so let's skip that option for tonight and find a meat and veg dinner."
Spot on. As a "food freedom folk" myself, I have been in and witnessed others evolve from restrictive eating into total abandon, and then into a middle ground where you actually pay attention to what your mind wants, what your mind doesn't want, and what your body wants and doesn't want. While I do think labeling foods is a slippery slope for some, others may be able to think of certain foods as toxic/bad without any problem...with it without labels, the nutrition content and make up is what it is and it either does or doesn't help your body or make you feel well. It's a process to learn to pay attention to that. It's important to see it all from a bigger picture viewpoint. Great article! Look forward to your article on our "psyche and beliefs around food and our perception of ourselves".
Gosh Peta as always, so well articulated. At 66 I can say that my perspective and relationship with food has changed and evolved for sure. As an adolescent after a major emotional trauma and onward through teenage years, the eating disorder provided absolute control in a life where I felt I was free-falling in all other areas. The discipline with different eating programs through my twenties provided the same and replaced the eating disorder. In my thirties I had three pregnancies back to back that went full term and I had severe morning sickness from conception to delivery and only gained about nine pounds with each baby (they were all over seven pounds at birth) and the guilt over that through gestation was horrific even though I couldn't control that. I have evolved into a much more relaxed relationship much how you describe. What was constant through my life though, was the acknowledgement that the human body is a miracle and a gift, to be immensely respected as it is also the only vehicle with which to travel through this lifetime, and that was the backdrop always. Now, out of that respect I am for the great majority of time putting food in that honours that, so I am feeding this gift, this body, I was given with respect being mindful of what makes it able to function optimally. But sometimes I am not feeding my body, I'm feeding my soul, my nostalgic child within, and comforting the emotion that has bubbled up to the surface. I know the difference, I know it's a one-off, and because 95% of the time I'm respecting my God-given body, I let it go, because different things need to be fed and nourished and sometimes it comes in the form of a large bag of sodium laden potato chips that I know will give me heartburn, or a creme brulée that will make me a wee bit nauseous, but they do the trick and then I'm back on track.
I have been struggling with this transition for a year and your concept of body luxury/discipline and definition of food freedom is what I’ve been trying to wrap my head and heart around.
Especially the section about not feeling guilty for wanting vitality and a body to be a certain size. I feel free from reading your take on all of this… a sense of peace after feeling kind of out of control after having so much control.
Such a great read! Thank you for sharing xx
At the end of a long and busy day I was considering what to do for dinner. A certain restaurant and favorite meal was suggested. Something that tastes delicious that I really enjoy. I would have called this category of meal a "cheat meal" back in the "working with a health coach" era. (I need a new name to replace "cheat meal" suggestions welcome)
My thought process was "yeah that's delish and can be a yummy way to enjoy the 80/20 rule, but it's 9pm and eating a cheat meal for lunch or early dinner my body bounces back and feels okay but eating a cheat meal at 9pm my body doesn't have enough rebound time before bed and it tends to make me feel yucky, so let's skip that option for tonight and find a meat and veg dinner."
This thought process felt so good!
I had the Cheat Meal Voucher in my wallet,
I held the shiny golden ticket in my hand,
and chose not to spend it at 9pm,
put it back in my wallet to spend another time.
This feels good!
Spot on. As a "food freedom folk" myself, I have been in and witnessed others evolve from restrictive eating into total abandon, and then into a middle ground where you actually pay attention to what your mind wants, what your mind doesn't want, and what your body wants and doesn't want. While I do think labeling foods is a slippery slope for some, others may be able to think of certain foods as toxic/bad without any problem...with it without labels, the nutrition content and make up is what it is and it either does or doesn't help your body or make you feel well. It's a process to learn to pay attention to that. It's important to see it all from a bigger picture viewpoint. Great article! Look forward to your article on our "psyche and beliefs around food and our perception of ourselves".
Gosh Peta as always, so well articulated. At 66 I can say that my perspective and relationship with food has changed and evolved for sure. As an adolescent after a major emotional trauma and onward through teenage years, the eating disorder provided absolute control in a life where I felt I was free-falling in all other areas. The discipline with different eating programs through my twenties provided the same and replaced the eating disorder. In my thirties I had three pregnancies back to back that went full term and I had severe morning sickness from conception to delivery and only gained about nine pounds with each baby (they were all over seven pounds at birth) and the guilt over that through gestation was horrific even though I couldn't control that. I have evolved into a much more relaxed relationship much how you describe. What was constant through my life though, was the acknowledgement that the human body is a miracle and a gift, to be immensely respected as it is also the only vehicle with which to travel through this lifetime, and that was the backdrop always. Now, out of that respect I am for the great majority of time putting food in that honours that, so I am feeding this gift, this body, I was given with respect being mindful of what makes it able to function optimally. But sometimes I am not feeding my body, I'm feeding my soul, my nostalgic child within, and comforting the emotion that has bubbled up to the surface. I know the difference, I know it's a one-off, and because 95% of the time I'm respecting my God-given body, I let it go, because different things need to be fed and nourished and sometimes it comes in the form of a large bag of sodium laden potato chips that I know will give me heartburn, or a creme brulée that will make me a wee bit nauseous, but they do the trick and then I'm back on track.
Thank you SO much for writing this piece.
I have been struggling with this transition for a year and your concept of body luxury/discipline and definition of food freedom is what I’ve been trying to wrap my head and heart around.
Especially the section about not feeling guilty for wanting vitality and a body to be a certain size. I feel free from reading your take on all of this… a sense of peace after feeling kind of out of control after having so much control.
I am so glad Gen. It can be so crippling but also SOOOO freeing. X