My relationship with food has been an interesting dance to say the least. I went on my first diet when I was 12 years old, urged by my pediatrician. At 180 pounds at only 5'4", I'm certain the he was just trying to keep me from tipping the scales further. I went on Weight Watchers and lost 50 pounds that summer! The feedback I got from my peers when I returned to school was amazing. I was praised for looking thinner. I got some attention from boys. My 13 year old self didn't know how to process much of this information. All I knew at that point was that if I gained any weight back, I'd be invisible again. Thus began a long and arduous battle with disordered eating and body image issues.
The thing that this doctor and perhaps many helping professionals didn't recognize is that there are undoubtedly emotional components contributing to weight gain or weight loss for that matter. It wasn't just physical for me and it probably isn't for you either. A few years ago, I began to really recognize for myself that food was a manifestation of what was happening on my insides and as a result of my circumstances. When I was 26 years old, external circumstances were tough and confusing. Before I knew it, I started carrying around 30 extra pounds. I was uncomfortable in my own skin and was often fatigued. Worse than that, I was trapped by daily obsessions of food and my weight and it seemed like a constant uphill battle. I would binge on a pint of Ben and Jerry's one night and then would restrict the next day, trying to be 'good'. I was fed up with this cycle and it was bleeding into all all aspects of my life.
In January 2014, I went on a 10 day Paleo inspired cleanse that changed my life and the way I thought about nourishment. I learned how to eat right for my body and replaced starchy, sugar laden foods with whole, natural ones that felt more like fuel. I started to take a closer look at my life and the choices I was making. It hasn't been perfect by any means and old thoughts still pop up from time to time but it is not in any way shape or form as debilitating as it once was. Today, I'm not super strict with Paleo and I don't I think that refusing myself delicious desserts is any fun. After all, balance is everything. It's what life is about.
My own journey with nutrition and realizing the power of food led me to want to share my success with others. As a certified holistic health coach, I recognize that eating is not a one size fits all plan...it is based very much on the individual. It's an exploration. A curiosity. I invite you take your health into your own hands and begin to reshape your relationship with food. You'll see! Eating can be joyful, fulfilling and compassionate.
Contact me for a free initial consultation. You can email me at brookeyogi@gmail.com or click the button below. I'll ask you some questions that will really get you thinking. This is not just about the food you put into your mouth, but about all of the ways you feed yourself. We'll discuss options of working together from there.