And how to find your “Middle Ground”
For decades I defaulted to dieting and restriction to try and manage my weight (and my Hashimoto’s symptoms/hormonal imbalances and/or gut issues).
I was either “ON” or “OFF” a diet or elimination approach.
I was “all” or “nothing” (or half-assing it).
I was being “good” or I was “bad”.
In other words, I was in a vicious cycle of vacillating between both ends of the restrict – binge spectrum…avoiding that moderate, middle, sweet spot because it didn’t seem possible or ‘good enough’.
It took some time and lots of refection/mindset work, but I finally found my middle ground.
I created that ‘sweet spot’ of peace, ease, balance and pleasure that empowers me to choose whatever it is I desire for my life and my body in any moment.
For me, most of the time, that means feeling and looking good in my body (the way I define it – not what our warped body-image culture tries to sell).
Here’s the key though:
When you visualize your physical outcome, you MUST include your emotional outcome too – meaning – how you define your relationship with food and how you live your life in relationship to that physical vision.
Do you LIKE how your eating and living your life?
Is your approach something you can live with forever – with pleasure – without “efforting” too much?
If the answer is no…it’s not going to last.
This critical distinction is based on your unique preferences, your lifestyle, your desires.
This vision is where you create a complete and whole picture view that you have for yourself and your life.
I suggest you look at some of the key words in the circle above to get clearer and to imagine what’s possible for you.
Really connect with this vision. See it in your mind’s eye. It should make you tingle.
Once you’re tuned into this frequency and energy – you’ll start to become very clear on the specifics of this vision.
Once your clear, then you simply practice and play with it’s creation -WITHOUT resorting to either of those unsustainable extremes (found at each end of the spectrum).
But here’s the catch:
Your vision MUST be realistic for you.
Here’s what I mean by that:
- If you’ve been dieting your whole life and your vision is to look like a size 0 supermodel who can eat and drink anything she wants with no negative impact – always looking and feeling 100% perfect…
- Based upon what you already know…Is that realistic for you?
- As much as this would be awesome…Probably not. 🙁 – that’s the extreme “OFF” end of the spectrum.
- Or if your vision is to get to that ideal size/weight with optimal health…and you have a false belief that only a super strict diet will ‘work’ …requiring you to track, weigh and measure your food, follow lots of rules, meal prep and work out religiously…never straying from the program….
- Based on what you already know…Is THIS realistic for you …long term?
- Again, for most, that would be a HELL NO. That’s the extreme “ON” end of the spectrum.
Your sweet spot incorporates a reasonable and realistic balance – perhaps drawing on your experiences of the extreme ends – but now meeting more moderately in the middle of the spectrum.
In my case, I knew that restricting my diet and eliminating alcohol (as I’ve done on so so many cleanses, healing protocols and diets in the past) only set me up for overindulging eventually…making everything worse – including my weight, my symptoms and how I felt and functioned mentally, emotionally and physically.
When I created my ideal, yet realistic vision for myself, I KNEW this vision had to include some moderate amounts of the things I enjoyed…things that made my life more pleasurable, easy, effortless and satisfying — but in a dose and frequency that still allowed my ideal state – without creating negative effects (like weight gain or symptoms).
Since I already know what doesn’t work for my body (i.e., gluten, too much dairy, carbs, alcohol, processed foods, intense exercise, stress, etc..)….
…for me, it took more ‘inner work’ to commit to and practice this balanced, moderate approach.
In a sick kinda way, restricting, tracking/obsessing and dieting may seem easier for you – at least in the short term…until you realize you’ve yo-yo’d…AGAIN...🤦🏻♀️
And of course, saying “eff it” and eating/drinking “off the rails”, can feel like freedom…
EXCEPT for the eventual consequences – which ends up making you feel sick, defeated, hopeless, frustrated and miserable – which is the complete opposite of freedom – and may lead you right back to more restriction, rules and dieting! 🙅🏻♀️. (NO MORE!)
So expect a bit of trial and error on this middle path…especially if you don’t really know what works and doesn’t work for your body
Just know that those moments of “failure” or “messing up” are like gold….
My “trial and errors” always prove to be my most powerful teachers, because they lead me right back to my truth – my vision – my middle ground – the sweet spot where I thrive and live in balance – where I feel my best..
Find your sweet spot in the middle, my dear friend, and I promise you’ll also find your freedom – true freedom.
xo,
Ev
