Why I Stopped Dieting and Listened to My Body Instead

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It’s safe to say that we live in a diet culture. Here’s why I’m putting an end to that in my home.

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It didn’t happen overnight. Actually, it took years and year of figuring things out. But I will tell you this: shifting my mindset to say “buh-bye” to the diet culture we pretty much live immersed in everyday has felt so incredibly freeing and something that I hope more and more women embrace.

However, my relationship with food has not always been the best one.

Up until about a month ago, I’ve been an all or nothing kinda girl. You know what I’m talking about. You have seen all of my keto posts and while I do often sway back to that lifestyle, it’s only whenever I can tell my body needs it. I’ve either been all in when it comes to keto, to the point where I get obsessive about it, or I’m all out and really enjoying my favorite foods – especially around the holidays. But I’ve always struggled to find a happy medium.

Then about a month ago, I read a really inspiring instagram post from a wonderful influencers names Jaclyn (you can follow her here!) who shares her journey about losing 300+ pounds the old fashioned way. She shared a post about how even if you go off course with your healthy eating, that it doesn’t have to undo your whole day (which was always what happened to me). Her words really stuck with me, and for the first time in honestly my entire life, I feel more in control of my health than ever.

It was like something clicked and my eyes were finally opened.

And beyond just how I feel about myself, I’ve realized that Blake is going to learn how she feel about her body by mirroring what she sees me doing. It all goes full circle.

So I decided to finally ditch dieting for good. Listening to my body has made a significant impact on the foods that I choose to fuel myself. And tbh, I’m not trying to lose weight. I know that I don’t have massive pounds to lose. My only concern is being healthy and active, so that I can chase after my crew without huffing and puffing. Plus, I’m spending so much time logging stroller miles that I’m not thinking about counting carbs right now, it’s just not on my radar.

So what does my food intake look like during the day?

I still do intermittent fasting most days, so I’m eating between the hours of noon and 8 pm, though it’s been more like 9pm these days.

morning: coffee with almond milk and stevia immediately when I wake up, along with my probiotic and a glass of water

noonish: smoothie with a scoop of protein and greens with almond milk, a banana and a handful of strawberries. More often than not, these are shared with the kids and leftovers get frozen into smoothie pops.

afternoon: my favorite Health Warrior Protein Mug Muffins (their new flavor is Double Chocolate!). There is nothing like having an afternoon snack that is guilt-free, but also fuels my body with superfoods like ancient grains, nuts, and seeds and 12 grams of plant based proteins. You seriously just add water, mix, and put it in the microwave!

dinner: protein and a veggie. A few nights a week, I’ll do a carb with dinner, but mainly try to keep it light.

treat: a few scoops of Halo Top or a big bowl of watermelon

I haven’t found myself interested in salads lately, like all summer long. This is why I’ve been on a smoothie kick and making sure I have greens mixed in. I know that I’m eating a lot of fruit, but it’s summer time and I’m taking in all the delicious fruits that this world has to offer. Whatever works for me most definitely might not work for you, but this has been my jam lately and keeps me full, bloat-free, and happy. And isn’t that really all that matters anyways?

And I do want to add that for some very odd reason, I get hungrier on days that I don’t run. On rest days I wake up ravenous (bonus points to anyone who can tell me why!), so I will often have a Health Warrior Chia Seed Bar in the morning, eat a healthy carb filled lunch (egg salad sandwich on whole wheat has been my favorite!) and stick with a low carb dinner. No two days are the same, but these are examples of my typical days.