Problem:  I was eating too fast.

Solution:  I slowed down my meals. (Get my guide here). This was key to help me with digestion, not over eating, enjoying my food, and to actually lose weight.

Problem:  I was eating when I wasn’t hungry

Solution:  I learned to honor my hunger and to allow my daily routine with food to be centered around what my body needed and was calling for.  I new what crazy hunger felt like, but after years of yo-yo dieting, I had lost the subtle hunger signals.  Once I tuned back in to these cues from my body, I was shocked at how my was communicating with me.  Listening to my body, I found my energy level go up, my bloating go down and my pants started fitting better.

Problem:  I was eating past full.

Solution:  I discovered how to honor my fullness.  This wasn’t easy because of the years and years of overeating had become habitual.  Much the same way that I had been out of touch with my hunger, all the overeating and binge eating had caused my hunger cues to become difficult to decipher.  Well, it took time and lots of patience, but I was able to finally come to a place where I could eat till I was satisfied but not stuffed.  This meant my daily routine of having 5 minute on the go meals had to change, but in truth it felt good listening to my body.

Problem:  I was inhaling my food.

Solution:  I learned to chew my food.  Chewing is so underrated.  Wow, this was really a big step for me.  I was just inhaling my food.  You know a shove it in, chew three or four times and swallow.  When I began chewing each bite for about 30 chews, not only did my digestion improve, but I slowed down my eating which meant less overeating.  Plus, I was able to really enjoy the flavors and textures of the food. Hello satisfaction!

Problem:  I had life long habits that were working against me.

Solution:  I worked to change my habits with visualization. I had to not only identify my old habits that were not serving me, but I had to replace them with new habits and routines that would help me get closer to my goals.  (Read my blog on lasting habit change.)

Problem:  I didn’t believe that food was for my pleasure. To me, meal time was an enemy.  It signaled the beginning of the next battle between me and my body.

Solution:  I changed my beliefs around food, and my body.  This took time and lots of mindset work, but eventually I was able to see food as a pleasure that could energize my body.  I had to change who I thought I was when I was eating.  I wasn’t just the fat over weight girl with no self control, but I was a curvy woman that could find pleasure in her food while nourishing and energizing her body. I had a new routine when it came to how I approached my food and meals.

Problem:  I was eating for cravings.

Solution:  I started eating for energy.  I started eating and making food choices that I knew would give me energy for hours to come.  I took time to observe which proteins helped me and which ones would make me feel like I was dragging my way through life.  I did energy experiments with my protein to see what my body responded to best and then actively worked to add the foods to my day that would help me feel more vibrant. 

Problem:  I was zoning out and eating in front of a TV, device, or book.

Solution:  I became mindful of my meals, and who I was being at that moment.  This really helped me stop eating when I wasn’t hungry, or when I was having a food craving out of stress or boredom.   When I started to see that I was eating because I was stressed, I was able to address what was stressing me and do something to reduce that stress.  For me this new daily routine also looked like actually sitting down at the table and eating verses standing in the kitchen or vegging out in from of the TV. 

Problem:  I stressed and anxious all the time.

Solution:  I actively started working to change my mindset around my anxiety and using several tools and tips to reduce my stress.  Stress changes the cortisol levels in the body, and when they are out of control  our body will stop burning fat and our metabolism will  slow.  I began to look at reducing stress as a weight loss tool.  This meant a daily routine of mediation or prayer, quiet time, music, yoga or some other type of stress reliever. 

Problem:  I was sleeping poorly.

Solution:  I found ways to get good quality sleep. The truth is, if you are not sleeping and resting well, you will never lose weight or have the best health possible.  Our body has to have it to be at it’s best.  If your not sleeping great, get my sleep guide here.

Problem:  I was eating processed food full of toxins

Solution:  I started focusing on adding clean, real food to my life.  I wasn’t fanatical about this.  I just worked to slowly move the needle more toward the direction of clean, live, vibrant organic food and less toward processed chemically produced food.  I never worried about being perfect with this.  I just focused on moving the needle.

Problem:  I was allowing my blood sugar to go on a roller coaster through out the day.

Solution:  I found ways to bring my blood sugar in to more of a steady balance.  Sugar cravings are a reality when you spend time on the blood sugar roller coaster. When our blood sugar levels are constantly going up and down, our body will try to help balance everything out.  It does this  by craving sugar and carbohydrates. It is searching for balance and wanting it quickly.  So when I stepped off the roller coaster, I had less cravings.

Problem:  I was having reflux, tummy, and digestion issues daily. 

Solution: I added a gut healing focus to life.  I focused on eating in a way that made my gut feel good. Things like breathing, supplements, teas, and foods that nourished my gut and digestion system.