I used to be a chronic over-eater, this was the bane of my existence since I was a teenager. I started learning about and counting calories at the age of 12. My weight yo-yoed ever since then between 20 and 30 pounds. I tried every diet, every meal plan possible but nothing seemed to last and my motivation ran out as well (motivation IS an exhaustible resource).

A few years ago, I started learning about the benefits of meditation, and it turns out that it’s the best thing you can possibly do to support behavior change. I read a book about how meditation, even small amounts, can improve and ultimately cure overeating. This information blew my mind. So, right then and there I decided that if meditation helps with overeating and getting over any addiction, then well…now I meditate.

Ever since I learned that meditation helps with overeating (5 or 6 years ago) I have been meditating regularly. My life has gotten significantly better as my thoughts have become more clear, unwound, and slowed down to allow for less impulsivity. I now jump to conclusions less, and I am making better decisions AND able to think more long term than ever before. I truly believe it has done some kind of healing to parts of my brain that were not functioning properly.

I now practice intuitive eating. This is in part something I came up with on my own and in part having a vague understanding of what intuitive eating means. I have been working so hard on not feeling guilty or bad about myself based on what I eat. Since I started restricting my food intake at 12 years old, and then I developed an autoimmune disease at 14, my eating habits did not come naturally. I tried to control everything I ate in order to “cure” the autoimmune disease so that I wouldn’t die an early death, but being overly controlling caused me to then binge on junk food. That mixed with a couple of eating disorders made my relationship with food a bit…strained. I am 34 years old and still working on and making progress with making peace with food. It has been a long journey of me allowing myself to eat certain foods that I never would eat. Allowing myself to actually buy cheese or bread, kinda felt super wild. It STILL does. (Also I do strongly believe in a vegan diet and gluten is kind of evil but I digress…. [see there I go with the control again!]). I now am more tuned into my feelings and try to feel my way through my food choices. Doing this has caused me to eat a lot of junk food after not allowing myself to have it for so. many. years. But I am finding myself not being as addicted to the foods that were so off limits before. I am craving healthier things and I am wanting to be kind to myself and sometimes think about how I’d like to have more energy and then that causes me to desire healthier foods.

https://www.youtube.com/user/samanthapskelly <==== really helpful resource about food, eating, and mindfulness.

I’m working on not forcing anything diet-wise and it feels pretty amazing. I am also loving my body no matter what size it wants to be. I think about how grateful I am for it and for the things it lets me do. This is something I can count my blessings for every single day.