It’s important to honor your body and honor your cravings, but it can be hard if you’re used to dieting. Going with the flow and being spontaneous can help you get in tune with yourself, but to do that you have to be able to stop planning, scheduling, and preparing. If plans change, it’s okay.
Yoga is one way to improve your relationship and communication with your body. Yoga is an hour (or however long) to think about absolutely nothing. It’s an hour to feel your muscles and be strong. One of the major themes that I hear repeatedly in yoga classes is that it teaches you to appear and feel calm, even when under intense stress. Holding those poses gives you a stamina that translates into your daily life.
Which brings me to eating for pleasure. I’ve found that the meals that are the most satisfying are the meals that I’m craving at the moment.
For example, if you are craving a scone for breakfast, eat the scone. Round it out with a piece of fruit on the side. The combination of fats (butter) and carbs are filling and delicious. If the scone is what you really wanted, you’re better off eating that and not thinking about other foods after the meal rather than eating the oatmeal but wanting the scone all morning.
Take time today to listen to your body and give it what it needs, whether that’s a nap, a walk, or a nice piece of fine chocolate.
Stay tuned for more of the things that I’ve been enjoying recently, with pictures!
How will you honor your body today?
It’s awesome that you’re trying to honor your body, because it does so much for you! Ya know, it’s amazing what our bodies do for us, and yet we think so negatively sometimes– I had to learn too that instead of saying to myself, “Gosh I hate my sticky arms,” I should be saying “Thank God I have two arms that can carry things and help me live a wonderful life.”
Wonderful words, Maggie – I’m glad that you’re feeling more “at ease” with your body, your hunger, and with life. Stay on the positive path!! 🙂
I honored my body today with an adequate amount of nourishment and with yoga.
Love it! it is not easy for me to listen to my body, either. or at least not the past year. i’m trying to be more positive in general this year, and think more about the good things i’ve forgotten about or take for granted
Thank you for sharing this! This is something I’m working on as well — listening to my body, honoring it, being tender with it. I, too, am recovering from an ED (more on my blog about that) and am glad to hear that I’m not alone not only in my success, but also in my victory. Thank you again for your vulnerability. You go, girl!
I definitely know what you mean about this. I too have this issue, and I am often jealous at those, like Bobby, that can just simply STOP, simply STOP and listen to their hunger level.
Have you read the book “Intuitive Eating?” I would highly recommend it. It has really helped me with learning to listen to my body!
I loved this post! I tried eating something new every night for dinner last week. The food was great, but never what I really wanted. I think you’re totally right. Our bodies will tell us what they need and want. We just need to listen.
I envy Bobby as well. It is not that easy for me to honor my body and simply eat when I’m hungry, but I’m working on it!
Yay for yoga – I’m so glad it’s helped you. I’m trying to do more. Thank you for sharing and for your honesty. I for one totally appreciate it, and the timing of this post could not have been more perfect for me!
so glad that you enjoyed the non-planning and intuitive eating!!! 😀
Bravo to this post! I’m a BIG planner too and I’ve noticed sometimes that can get in the way with me just living my life. I’m so glad to hear you have been honoring your body and eating what you want, that’s HUGE be proud!!
This is such a great post, and I couldn’t help smiling as I read it. Intuitive eating is the way to go in terms of your health and actually experiencing the pleasure of flavor in food! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Whooohooo! that is a great post and i love the way you have been thinking! i’ve also always been a big planner and have been able to break out of the rut being here at my new job and being busy all the time…not knowing when or where i’ll be able to eat!
thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!
Wow, so good to hear this is working for you. After I read Intuitive Eating, I really started paying attention and also allowed myself to eat what I want instead of trying to please 50 other people and their opinions…..I like, you, discovered I eat a lot less when I’m NOT focused on “feeding” myself at unnatural intervals….feels so much better.
Keep it up.
😉 KO
what a great post. so glad to hear you’re doing so well.
and hey, if a scone fills you up better than something else, and you really enjoy it- that’s awesome. i haven’t had a scone in years and am totally hankering for a chocolate chip one now 😀
i’m trying to eat more intuitively. i tend to eat because i’m supposed to, and the right ratios of fats, carbs and protein even if it’s not really what i want. i’ve turned eating into a science project and don’t always focus on how pleasurable it it… time to get back to that!
Wonderful. Eating for pleasure is something I actively try to do but sometimes its tricky… VERY much envy those people that can get by in today’s world with actually listening to their body without effort.
ED background – you think I didn’t know?! It takes one to know one! 😉 I’m so glad you’re doing this for yourself. Rob is the same way as Bobby and I’m in complete awe of him. He’s not always doing volume eating, trying to get stuffed, only to be hungry later because of the lack of fat.
I’m so happy for you. How lucky to have such a loving support in your life. You deserve it so so much Maggie. Much love to you girl.
incredible post! that is such a positive food outlook, i really want to get to that state where i can forget about food for hours, eat when hungry and eat what i actually feel like. I totally agree with your yoga comments, it totally can translate into everyday life (eg. i use to get really panicky when i felt very sick, yoga taught me to calm down and breathe deeply through whatever pain, i would then calm myself & sometimes just sleep through the sickness! It is awesome!!)
anyway thanks for sharing, this post truly was very inspirational to me!
thanks for sharing this, i would definitely be interested in a post about your background if you were willing to share!
omg i love this post!!!
i have been having a LOT of trouble honoring my cravings and listening to my body lately.. it’s nice to know i’m not the only one who thinks it’s a struggle. i’d much rather work on having my mind n a healthy place and just let my body follow.
thank you for this post, yay!
Maggie, this is a wonderful post. I am so happy for you for your discovery about the scones. I find the same thing about nice buttery foods. 🙂 You are a very healthy eater, and if it takes a few scones to bring your mind to a healthy, happy place, then I say bring them on.
Hi Maggie! I agree with others that this was a wonderful post. I am so glad to hear about this positivity!
Beautifully said. This is something I really need to work on, and I will try to remember your words when I do.
wonderful post! it really makes you take a step back and think about your eating style. I think that is something that we can all work on, and help make us a little less stressed 🙂
I just found your blog through Facebook, and thought I’d check it out… LOVE IT!
I absolutely will honor my body today. No doubt.
That’s great! I think a lot of the planning takes some of the enjoyment out of eating what you crave. It makes it more like a mission: plan, cook, eat, repeat. I love your new pleasure attitude and would love to hear more as you go!
Great Post! I feel like I get stuck in routines with my eating as well. I always assume I’m listening to my body but now I’m not sure. Its harder to do when I’m at work and it feels like eating is the only time I get a break to myself during the day. Its much easier to ‘listen’ on the weekend when theres not pressure to take breaks and its more of a relaxing atmosphere.
Ditto, ditto…great post. I honored my body today by dropping down to pigeon when I just couldn’t do triangle pose in yoga. Luckily my class is so supportive that I know I can do what my body is asking for without being judged. I showed compassion to myself and accepted what my body had to offer at that moment.
It’s been good for me to read this, thank you for sharing these thoughts. I think it is easy when you blog every meal to become slightly obsessive (I know I have in the past), and I too, have always struggled to listen to my body’s cues. I am still working on it and tend to be a scheduled-eater because otherwise I will snack and then not stop. I’m trying to forge a better relationship with my body and it’s good to know that it can happen. Thank you!