"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." - Marilyn Monroe
I was flipping through one of my many magazines a while back, and I was struck by this ad. It had a picture of this cute, healthy-looking girl slurping on a smoothie, and next to her was a list of what she had for lunch. Random. But then in the corner, there was a little note, and it said this: "Eat what you want - when you are truly hungry. Stop when you're full. And eat exactly what appeals to you. Do this instead of any diet, and you are unlikely to ever have a weight problem, let a lone an eating disorder." (The ad was for the National Eating Disorders Association, a stellar group BTW).
But it made me think, Duh! Shouldn't it always be that simple? Maybe for some it is. But if you're someone that's ever had an eating disorder or been an obsessive dieter or have even just been really mad at your body, it isn't easy at all. I bounced back and forth for a while between loving to eat and barely eating at all. Especially when I barely ate, I thought about food constantly. How many calories are in this? How much do I need to work out to burn that off? It's all very calculated and controlled for someone with that kind of problem. I think "disorder" is a funny word for it, because it's very much about order and control.
The strange part of it all is your body really does know, you've just got to listen. I know I've said this before, but kids are the most intuitive eaters in the world - just watch. If you've had any struggles with eating at all, I encourage you to a) talk to someone b)stop trying to be in control and just let go. Your body will know what to do. It can be hard to get back to doing things the easy way. Harder than anyone can imagine. But it will definitely pay off in the long run. Please, what Fab Gal wants to spend her life dieting? We've got better things to do.
