Remember when I went to the state fair a few weeks ago & saw these signs?
Many of the foods there also took me aback.
My first inclination was to gawk.
Corn dogs, cotton candy, elephant ears?
These are all typical fair foods that I’ve seen all my life.
But deep fried smores, twinkies, & brownies?
And, I’ve heard of this, but couldn’t believe it until I saw it: deep fried butter.
You read correct. Deep fried, b-u-t-t-e-r.
Wow, that seems outrageous. Who eats THAT?! Only someone with no self-control, whatsoever, right?
After making several off-the-cuff self-righteous judgements, I took a step back & tried to look at the food objectively.
Is it over-the-top? Yes.
Would I eat it? Not unless I wanted to (& I don’t anticipate that will happen any time soon).
Is it “evil” or “bad” food? No. It’s nutrient-poor & calorie-dense, but not evil.
Let me explain.
When I first changed my diet over 6 years ago now, I had a lot of learning & exploring, experimentation & tweaking to do. I don’t think I have it all figured out now, but my perspective about food is much different than it was, even a few years ago. It’s been an evolution of thought. A process.
I’ve realized this: Food is food. There’s vegan food, there’s animal-based food. I don’t have any desire to eat animals, so I don’t. Dairy foods also hold no appeal & don’t agree with my body. Gluten/wheat doesn’t sit well with me so I avoid it. Refined foods, like sugar don’t make me feel awesome, so I don’t eat it often. I’ve found that I can make & eat sweet (using healthier forms of sweeteners) treats now & then (even daily, if so inclined) & still be healthy. I’ve also found I eat peanut butter every day. Or sprinkle sunflower seeds on my salad, or throw pumpkin seeds in my soup. Or have something that has oil in it.
I’m appreciative of my McDougall-roots, & would like to say I follow much of what would be considered a McDougall or Esseystyn diet, but the truth is, I now eat what I want, rather than following a prescribed diet or eating from a list.
I used to have so much guilt for eating something with a little fat in it, or avoid anything that had even a drop of oil. But for me, this way of life was on the path of eating-disordered behavior & I didn’t like it.
Since I’ve had to lose a lot of weight over the years that I’ve been vegan (because of pregnancy), I know diets. I know exactly how to lose weight. Now that I’ve been at a healthy weight for the longest stretch I’ve ever had since going vegan (because I’m not pregnant again), I’ve had to learn how to live normally. You know, live without the “I can’t eat that, I’m on a diet,” mentality. I can eat anything I want, & knowing that, is liberating.
Question is, do I eat anything I want? Yes.
I eat what I feel my body is telling me to eat. I do not count calories. I do not measure portions. I eat right before bed (if I’m hungry). I have no rules when or what to eat. I eat what I want.
What I eat now looks pretty much like it always has, except my food choices are much more intuitive, instinctual. I try (not perfect at this) to not label foods as “good” or “bad” but rather look at them from a more holistic perspective. Like–is that what my body really wants right now? What do I really need right now? Am I really hungry?
Sometimes I want something protein rich like tofu & sauteed kale. Or sometime I’m craving something sweet & so I’ll have a pumpkin pie smoothie or have a handful of homemade trail mix (with chocolate chips). Or if I’m just feeling munchy & want something to chew on, I’ll make a big salad & drench it in my favorite dressing. Or maybe I’m want something rich–I’ll have a piece of gluten-free bread topped with peanut butter or smashed avocado.
I focus on foods that make me feel good. And I’ve found once I freed myself from thinking I can’t have that, this, or the other, to I’m going to eat whatever my body needs/wants, I enjoy food more. I enjoy life more.
How has this affected my weight?
Funny thing, because I’ve not weighed myself for 3 months (or formally exercised, but that’s a discussion for another day). I decided (like Gena, who wrote a great post about this topic yesterday), that the scale is no longer something that has a place in my life. What’s important to me is eating well, feeling good, eating foods that do not make me sick, bloated, or lethargic. That is my guiding principle when making food choices. Not calories, not portion sizes, not meal timing. Not even my weight.
You may fear eating instinctively because you think you’ll be out of control. You’ll eat whatever is in sight. You’ll gain 20 pounds.
Not true. If you’re really honest with yourself, a little introspection, self-awareness, knowledge, & know-how, will go a long way. Eating is a much more instinctive behavior than we give it credit. We’ve lost connection with our bodies, we’ve lost that honor for our body’s wisdom & innate ability to let us know what we need to be feeding it.
You won’t find me eating an elephant ear at the fair any time soon, but you also won’t find me looking down on people who choose to, either.
(For further reading on instinctive eating, I highly recommend checking out my friend Michaela’s site, www.wholify.com.)
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Have you ever gotten tried of the diet or calorie counting mentality? What are your thoughts on eating instinctively? I’d love to hear them.
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