Ever heard of a 'health guru' tell you to just listen to your body? That your body knows what to eat, how much to sleep, how much to workout? Have you ever paid for this service and wonder did I just really pay for this? haha! I'm sure we've all been there or heard this awful advice! I call it awful because it is the best way to keep clients returning! In most cases 'listening to your body' has led you down a path of self destruction and diet roller coasters! Your 'body' has truly let you down, yet here you are, being told by 'professionals' you should trust your body!
Why doesn't this method work? Because we have been programmed to eat certain foods, to believe that cravings for certain foods are real, and our hunger drive has been poisoned by chemically treated food-stuff. We have dieted, over and under trained, drastically cut calories, we have eaten animal products, and stuffed our faces with desserts. When you have caused this type of damage, the body is no longer functioning properly, and can no longer be trusted!
I'm not saying that you can't heal your body and mind, and someday be able to rely on your body again, but until then, you need actual guidance and a plan! The human body requires consistent fuel and consistent movement! Once
you have cleaned up your bad behavior, you will be able to trust your
body again, but until then you need a plan! It has to be strict, clear,
and precise! You cannot succeed on any lifestyle without 'rules', you need to fix years, if not decades of destructive behavior! If you follow someone on social media and they claim they lost weight by listening to their body, well, look into it deeper. You will find they have gone from one diet to another, gained and lost weight, removed caffeine then added it back in, and ultimately cut down their calories! Nothing about that is consistent or healthy!
How do you pick a lifestyle you can trust? So many people get caught up on before and after pictures! They believe that if she can lose 40lbs in 6 months, she must know what she is doing! Right? Often this is the worst path to follow! I say this because many have lost weight quickly, using numerous methods to get there, most rely heavily on coffee, juice cleanses, and calorie restricting and call it 'listening to your body'! These methods lead to a lifetime of roller coaster dieting! Most will continue down this path, losing and gaining weight over and over again!
Instead, look for those who have maintained a healthy weight for years, sticking to an easy to follow diet, high calorie, and have a daily fitness routine! Fitness is such an important factor, you can't just diet, daily movement is really the key to log term health! So when someone is just dieting to lose weight...then it is a fad not a lifestyle and we want to avoid fads! Movement helps the body heal. It revs up your engine after years of being sedentary! It will help boost your metabolism, improve digestive health, reduce stress, and build muscle!
How long will it take before you can trust your body again? I say years, but it will vary for all of us! We all have done different amounts damage; drugs, diets, excessive exercise, no exercise, tons of caffeine, over eating and starvation! Working with a lifestyle Coach who can keep you on track is really important! They will help you stay focused and motivated! Though weight loss is most people's goal, it may take a few added pounds to heal the body. At that point you may want to quit and go back to calorie restricting and your bad habits, but what you should do is contact your lifestyle coach! There are ways to help tweak a high calorie diet as well as a fitness routine to continue down the right path without doing any harm! But the worst thing you can do is CUT CALORIES and begin excessive training again!
The best part of this journey is you will get to a point where your body will run like a well oiled machine! You will start to notice the changes, and maybe for the first time in your life actually feel amazing! When your body is healed, the unwanted weight will come off naturally! You will begin to crave movement daily, your taste for clean food will develop, and you will finally be able to trust your appetite! Life is just better when you find peace with your body! Until then, get real coaching, and don't let your body fool you into a lifetime of self destruction! For Naturally Vegan Guidelines, click HERE!
