Oh dang…did she just say that? She (I) did, and it’s a part of my Food Freedom journey I want to start talking about more. Because the truth is that we live in a culture that normalizes and glorifies diets – often in the name of “health/wellness” – so much, and Food Freedom is something we’re going to have to continually fight for.
For me, it’s kind of strange – it’s not about the food and it’s not even about weight loss. I think that’s why I can understand why some people can follow certain eating styles or diets while still having Food Freedom.
What I find myself missing is the mental and emotional thrill that dieting provides.
Honestly – sometimes following a certain diet can be FUN. The meal planning, the experimenting with new recipes, and the adrenaline rush of that oh-so-addicting sense of control.
Whenever I start to feel that way, though, I remind myself that that never lasts, and a life of complete freedom has proven over and over and OVER again to be more fulfilling and more worth it.
Right now, here are four other priorities of my Food Freedom journey that I remind myself of when the diet temptations come creeping in.
1. To be an example for my future children
This is actually a revelation I had this morning that inspired this entire blog post. I can’t wait to be a mom one day, and I want to begin *now* becoming the best mother I possibly can be. I’m so thankful that my mom never introduced anything even remotely close to dieting as I was growing up, and I want to raise my children in a similar environment. I never once want them to think “mommy is counting calories” or “why isn’t mommy eating the same meal as us?” or even know what gluten is. It’s just a non-negotiable for me, and I want to prepare ahead of time to have every single diet-y belief complete out of my head.
2. I have better things to dedicate my precious thoughts to
Plain and simple! Of course I do think about food often because…well, it’s my job 😉 But with work, my social life, building out my goals and dreams, and staying sane living in NYC – I can’t sacrifice a single space in my brain to think about counting or thinking I “should” or “shouldn’t” eat something.
3. I never want anything to come before my experiences
I don’t ever want to question whether or not I should go on a date, have a dinner out with friends, bake something for my family, go on a trip, etc. etc. etc. Food should never dictate those decisions. Thankfully it hasn’t in my life for a long time, and I plan on keeping it that way.
4. To be an example for you, my HB fam
I’m on Instagram right there with you, and I see how easy it is to get sucked into feeling like you’re doing something wrong if you’re not gluten-free/dairy-free, or seeing someone’s meal and thinking “I eat twice as much as that,” or seeing someone work out every day and thinking HOW THO?? Not throwing shade at anyone by any means because we’re all so very different, but I feel so passionately to be an example of #RealLifeWellness for you – living a healthy lifestyle because it makes me feel good, but embracing balance always. Because…pasta exists.
You might also like:
The Best Part of Dieting
What I Learned When I Stopped Dieting
Food Freedom During the Holidays
How to Maintain Food Freedom
Leave a Reply