Leaving the guilt to find FREEDOM and BALANCE in cravings

When I think about giving into cravings - I often think guilt trip - how about you? Let's learn to live in freedom. To embrace balance. To embrace food as fuel. To embrace what our bodies need. To be OK when we eat something sweet or have a bad meal day. Let me tell you one bad day, or "cheat" meal" is not going to ruin your health. We want to care well for our bodies with the abundance and limitations that our different lifestyles and bodies have. We want to learn to love our bodies. Learning how to process cravings in our individual lives will lead us a step closer to freedom in caring for our bodies. BE gentle with your body and your journey.

Over coming cravings is tough and can be both life giving and demoralizing. We make a decision to eat right and it lasts a bit then BAM we are right back into old habits and overindulging. We don't know what to do with the attachment that draws us to food. One thing I've learned is that

Strict diet=Failure

Smart diet =Success

When we start eating healthy we can get caught up in all the restrictions and that can create more cravings. We can then get caught up in that guilt cycle. Yet, we know our ultimate goal in health eating is to care for our bodies and our families. SO what are we suppose to do??? Different things work for different people (DON"T compare your journey with anyone else - only you have your body, only you are living your life) but a few tips I've found in my life and in working with people on their health journey are below.

We can have a smart diet, a diet based in freedom, based in care for our bodies, it is possible but we have to be willing to be patient and commit :) to let it be a journey and not a magical change. To learn why our bodies crave certain things.

1. Notice what drives the cravings - do you eat when you are emotional? Are you using food to cope? Do you eat when you have nothing to do? Do you eat out of addiction? (sugar and most processed foods are highly addictive). Do you crave foods because you have a deficiency? Does your body need more of something?

What is driving you? Getting to the root of the cravings can help you move forward. This is much more than weight loss and management this is getting to the root of motivation and being able to have control of your food intake. TO be able to know what foods fuel your body and eat those.

2. Find healthy foods you and your family enjoy - find flavor, find easy recipes, find things that don't seem "strict". Find foods that are fun and simple to make. Remember it is a journey and everyone might not like the same thing, it might take time. That is ok - take it slow, be gentle, remember each step is progress.

3. Eat 5-6 small meals a day, this will keep you from "starving" and crawling towards foods that are fast and easy. You do need to commit to having healthy options available :)

4. Choose your mindset

-stop with the guilt trips! If you tell yourself that one treat, meal, day just ruined your health, you will lose focus. One bad day, treat, weekend, vacation will NOT give you bad health, constantly eating bad will. It can send you into a guilt cycle. What helps you get out of that? try choosing to focus on the gift of your body - what has your body done today that you love? Try focusing on how you can eat better in the future. Then let the past go and move forward.

-view cravings as something given by your body. God designed your body to alert you when it needs something, listen to it, see what it needs. YOU are in CONTROL a craving doesn't mean permission to binge. It mean listen. Your body craves what you give it.

-Know that cravings are normal and you are NOT ALONE. We all have cravings. Remember you are in CONTROL.

5. Choose your Focus. Choose to focus on trying new healthy foods, focus on healthy meals, focus on learning more about healthy foods, changing your focus will provide a distraction for your cravings. Sometimes ALL we need is to stop thinking about the craving.

6. Find accountability. Find people to do this journey with. People you can be honest with, who will encourage you and help you become free in this journey. I would love to chat if you need someone to journey with.

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Much love, Remember its a journey - seek progress not perfection :)

Chelsea

chelsea.f.montminy@gmail.com