As someone who teaches food freedom to female athletes I want to say that mindful eating practices are so important! They can play a vital role when you are starting a health journey. The thing you need to focus on as a female athlete if you are going on mindful eating health journey is...What is your intention when we are being mindful? If your intention is "how can I keep my body as small as possible" that is very different than "how is food effect my energy levels, performance, satiety, how you feel on a day to day basis"
When you start on a food freedom journey before we get to mindful eating you need to be reintroduced to your body! Because for so long you and your body have been speaking two different languages. You need to first start to recognize cues from you body:
-What does fullness or hunger feel like in my body
-What is a food that makes me feel good feel like
-What is a food that makes me feel like crap feel like
-What does it feel like to honor my cravings or to ignore my cravings
You are teaching your body and your brain to speak the same language when you work through these cues. Once you are speaking the same language as your body, you are starting to think about your body differently.
Instead of thinking you want your body to look a certain way, you should be letting your body be and see what it feels like when you are eating in a way that makes you feel energized, healthy, present, enjoying your life. What does your body look like when you are focusing on those things? It is hard work, but it is worth it because this is the key to having a healthy relationship with food, your body and with being present in your day to day life since you are no longer obsessing over food.
There is a very big difference when you are being mindful about how to eat as few calories as possible vs how to eat in a way that makes me feel energetic, fuller longer, satisfied and happy. The last question I have for you was the last time you used mindful eating was it with the intention to restrict and trick your body to eat less? Or was it with the intention to give your body more of the food that makes you feel more energetic and more confident for your next work out?
If you want some more tips then tune into our FREE podcast, Food Peace Please on Itunes or by clicking here.
