How and Why You Eat Makes a Difference

There are many reasons someone may want to work on their nutrition: such as improving health, building muscle, or maximizing athletic performance. If any of these is the goal, focusing on what you eat can make a big difference in helping you get there.

However, if the goal is to lose weight, and you are just starting out on your journey to healthier eating, the first things to consider are HOW and WHY you eat.

I know from personal experience that how and why you eat has a greater impact initially than what you eat. My healthy eating journey started many years ago when I read the book, "The Maker's Diet". It opened my eyes to the quality of our food, and the effect it has on our bodies, and our health. I completely changed the foods my family ate from overly processed, prepackaged foods to mostly whole foods made from scratch. I learned to read labels, and search out quality sources for our food. But, I didn't lose the extra weight that I wanted to lose. Even though our food was healthy, I was still overeating! It wasn't until I began to focus on how and why I ate that I began to see changes.

What do I mean by how and why?

HOW you eat is about being mindful of your choices. It's about really understanding your hunger and fullness cues, paying attention to portion size, and eating slowly without distractions.

WHY you eat is about your emotions. Are you eating because you're truly hungry, or is it because of emotional reasons, such as boredom, sadness, stress, loneliness, etc?

Don't get me wrong; I am a firm believer in whole, minimally processed foods without added preservatives or artificial ingredients. However, if you don't learn to make mindful choices in how and why you eat, it will be harder to stay on track. You can still overeat the healthy foods, which will keep you from reaching your weight loss goals!!

What you eat is important, but first you must understand HOW and WHY you eat.

If you want guidance and personalized coaching, I would love to come along side you and help you in your journey!

~Charity