How to lose weight or regulate your weight

Years ago a beloved teacher told more cookbooks are sold in the world than Bibles.

I believe it.

Cooking and eating together can be deeply connecting. A universal language of sorts.

At the same time, Diet, Nutrition, Food, Weight Loss...can be a religion of its own, don't you think? Type, "How to lose weight" into a search engine and you'll find pages upon pages of links to articles, programs, meal plans, and books.

Weight loss and weight regulation is a complex topic, not only because metabolism is complex and there's a cultural sway toward Nutritional Heroism (which stresses plenty of people out) but because our eating habits and metabolic power are deeply influence by the mind, our feelings, our thoughts, and our beliefs.

That said, I'm sharing some of the practical "bones" of weight regulation and, yes, even weight loss:

Macronutrient balance: These are protein, fat, and carbohydrates. I am speaking to BALANCE, not perfectionistic micromanagement. Imbalances create blood sugar instability, appetite dysregulation, and cravings. Balance creates steady, predictable hunger throughout the day and reduces cravings. The easiest place to start is have a form of protein and fat in each meal as a baseline.

Quality: To improve your overall diet and stress your organs of detoxification less, improve the quality of your food. Think about your favorite foods that are in your weekly rotation and see if you can invest in the highest quality version of those foods. This will go a long way.

Rhythmic Eating: This is eating within a somewhat scheduled time throughout the day. Children and animals do well with regular meals times, so why wouldn't you? There's no award given to people that have learned to ignore their bodily needs and just graze throughout the day or skip meals entirely. Eating at regular times is a peace offering to the body, stabilizes blood sugar, allows for natural detoxification cycles between meals, and generally helps people feel more sane around food.

Attention to sensation: The royal road to mitigate overeating is simply this: paying attention. The physical sensation of the food in the body strikes many a totally foreign experience. Once food is down the throat its simply gone. Though I can assure you, by paying attention, you can eat your favorite foods, feel when fullness or satisfaction has arrived, and simply stop eating. This is a loaded topic because many, many people have been domesticated into not feeling or trusting any sensation in their body. I can assure you, it is the feminine path of direct experience..where embodied wisdom is born.

Slowing down: The loving sister of Attention to Sensation. Slow is a healing word. Down is, too. Slow. Down.

Low impact movement: Stretching. Walking Dancing. Riding your bike. Massive health implications and generally excellent for body weight regulation. Your mood and body image will likely also improve with regular movement.

Pleasure: A boring, pleasureless diet is hardly sustainable, especially for women who are not just wired for pleasure, but deserve it. If is imperative that there is an element of your diet that you really enjoy and that brings you satisfaction. We usually stop eating once we feel satisfied.

Want a step-by-step approach to feel confident and centered about your eating and body? Contact me here to get started with 3 months of one-on-one support. Read some of my clients' experience here.