You Went On A Diet....Now What?

So you go on a diet. It promises to provide you everything you have been wanting. Let's say you get exactly what you were looking for from that way of eating. Then what?

Diets and cleanses often are not effective to continue to do long term. Going on a diet is like a rom-com movie where the couple finally gets together in the end but we don't see what happens next.

Dieters are then sent into an abyss of, "what now?" that feels confusing, daunting, and scary that they end up going on another diet because no diet offers long term guidance in how to continue to care for your body.

I wanted to offer some steps in what can come next after a dieting adventure feels like it has run its course and is complete.

1. Learn to listen to your bodily cues. After you eat, notice any changes in your digestion, mood, mental clarity, energy, bowel movements, and skin. These can all provide you clues in what foods resonate with your body and what does not. If the goal here is to sustain health and wellness in your body then we get to step into trust that our body will speak to us and let us know when something feels off.

2. Practice setting food boundaries. I have spoken about this before.

Dieting can include:

• Restriction

• Deprivation

• Black and white thinking

• Rules

• Regulations

• A sense of lack

• Willpower

Setting boundaries with food can be focused on:

• Honoring

• Deep listening

• Trust

• Empowerment

• Care

• Safety

• Respect

It is like telling a child that no they cannot run with scissors because we're putting their care and safety as a top priority. We want to make sure they are safe and protected. To do this, we need to say no to the actions they're engaging in. You can think of your body as a child and that sometimes you will need to gently say no that is not a food we're going to reach for because you have potentially discovered it doesn't leave you feeling the way you desire to feel in your unique sysem. Saying no to a food does not mean you're on a diet and does not mean you can never eat that food. It can be a practice in deep listening to your body and ebbing and flowing with what it is telling you it needs and what is not going to resonate with your system in any moment.

3. Discover what else needs to be satiated. When we begin to honor our body and feed it the foods that leaves it feeling grounded, energetic, calm, and clear, we can begin to invite in curiosity of what else needs to be satiated and nourished in our life. Often, food is not the thing we need but we continue to reach for it because we don't know what else to reach for. Start to get curious what other emotional hungers are present in your life and begin to explore what other actions you could engage in to satiate your emotional hungers in non-food ways.

If you feel like you have been on and off diets forever, you're not alone. There is a very different way to be in relationship with your food and body and I'm here for you every step of the way on that new adventure. If you're looking for more personalized support email me at support@stephaniemara.com anytime.