Don’t think about purple elephants.  Betcha just did.

You’ve probably heard this before, but it’s a good reminder that when we tell ourselves not to think about something it only causes us to think about it more.

And guess what?  This happens with food too.  Tell yourself you can’t have bananas and chances are you’re going to crave bananas.

As Ellyn Satter says, “Provide, don’t deprive…”  She said that in the context of parents feeding their children, but it applies to adults feeding themselves too.  Provide your body with a wide variety of tasty food. Trust that your body knows how much of it you need to eat.

Be curious: What fears does this bring up?  Are you afraid that allowing yourself to eat delicious food and truly get enough of it will cause you to gain weight?  

The weight that’s “right” for your body

First of all, there is no morality to how much you weigh.  So when I say the “right” weight for your body I’m not implying right and wrong.  I’m referring to your natural weight where your body wants to be. Whether you are in a larger body, a smaller body, or somewhere in between, you are still the same wonderful human being.  Weight is NOT a reflection of your character.

There is no “perfect” or “ideal” weight for your body.  There is no universal “healthy” weight range. All of this is despite what the medical professionals and media will tell you.  

Turns out we all have a natural weight range that is “right” for our body, and this weight range is unique to our DNA.  This means three things: 1) Your natural weight range is unique to your genetic makeup; 2) Your body size/shape may very well resemble that of some of the people you are genetically related to; 3) It’s a RANGE, and your weight will probably fluctuate within that range, and that range may evolve over time as your body ages.

The other important thing to remember here is that the weight and BMI charts that doctors and insurance companies use to categorize people as being under/overweight or “obese” (I hate that term BTW) are total B.S.  They simply don’t hold up to scrutiny as a way to determine a person’s health.

Let your body weigh what it needs to

When you are providing rather than depriving, your body will weigh what it needs to, and you won’t have to work to control it.  

As terrifying as that may sound, can you also see how freeing it would be?