You can start over right now. Like, right this second.

Stuff you actually want to read about from Pam Moore

Hi ,Do you know how many times I have gone to a party/ event/ friend’s house/ break room/ literally anywhere where there was food and ate a bite of something I wasn’t “supposed to” eat, thought, “Okay there goes that, guess I might as well eat all the things” and then proceeded to eat way beyond the point of fullness, all the while thinking “It totally makes sense to eat like this because tomorrow/Monday/January 1st/when the leftover cake is all gone, I am going to clean up my act!”So many. I have no idea exactly how many. All I can tell you is, it was a lot and it was exhausting. Also, it’s hard to even really enjoy the cake or whatever when your goal is to get in as much as you can now because you are never, (seriously, NEVER!) going to eat this way again… as opposed to just sitting down, taking a bite at a time, and, you know, tasting it. In a study, researchers recruited female college students for what they were told was a taste test. Subjects were asked to eat as much of three different ice cream flavors as they wanted and to report how much they liked it. Prior to the "taste test", some subjects were given no food. Others were given either a 15 oz. milkshake or a 30 oz. milkshake, which they were required to finish. Among non-dieters, the more the subjects ate prior to taste testing, the less ice cream they consumed. But among the dieters, those who drank a 15 oz milkshake consumed more ice cream than those who’d had nothing, demonstrating what the researchers called the “counter-regulation” effect. 

Some have referred to this phenomenon as “what the h ell effect.” In other words, “I’ve already messed things up, might as well really mess it up!” It’s also known as black-and-white or binary thinking. 

Recognizing that black-and-white thinking wasn’t serving me — especially when it came to food— was a game changer. Like, just because I ate a cookie doesn't mean I have to eat THE WHOLE SLEEVE? I can just… eat a food (any food!) and stop when I’m full or I feel like I’ve had enough and it doesn’t have to determine my self-worth as a human!? I can even eat something that made me feel heavy and lethargic, move on with my day minus any self-flagellation and decide to eat something different at my next meal!? This, my friends, is freedom.I’ve been thinking a lot about starting over in light of the fact that we just celebrated Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish near year). Like, I get to start fresh not once but twice every 12 months! But that’s just an “official” fresh start. The truth is, we can start over any time we want. Every day, every hour, even every minute is an opportunity to start again. If you’re stuck in black and white thinking, I challenge you to ask yourself whether it’s really true that eating that cookie/ bagel/ extra serving/ whatever, has, in fact, ruined your day. And if it has made your day less than great, okay. Maybe you’re bloated. Maybe you feel overly full. I challenge you to ask yourself what’s stopping you from making a different choice at your next meal or snack?I promise you, It is never, ever too late to start fresh. 

xo,

P.S. If you need support on your journey to finding peace with food and your body, I can help. Click here to find out how.  

3 Things Worth Checking Out

  • If you have a minute: A Tiny Love Story by fellow freelance writer Lauren Tanabe is achingly beautiful. (Scroll down to "Am I Beautiful, Mama?")

  • If you have half an hour: Intuitive eating isn't just eating donuts all day long (although Instagram might have you believe otherwise.) I gave an overview of what it really is on a recent episode of Real Fit. 

  • If you have 6 minutes: An insightful take on why we need to stop reminding college students of the "Freshman 15" by Anna Rollins for Slate. 

The Real Fit podcast features real conversations with women athletes on topics like body image and confidence, my goal is to share stories that will let you know you're not alone and that you're already enough. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to juicy podcasts. New episodes every other Tuesday.   

Are you ready to heal your relationship with food and exercise? 

I’m on a mission to help smart women like you stop wasting your precious energy on the quest to shrink your body. You were made to do amazing things and your obsession with food, exercise, and body image is a huge distraction.Together we can clear that mental clutter and turbocharge your path to being your best self.I'm an intuitive eating coach, occupational therapist, and certified personal trainer and I offer 1:1 health coaching services. 

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