How I feel right now?
Thankful.
Victorious.
Blessed.
Overwhelmed by the freedom of not focusing on calories at all. It’s been about a week of truly being intentional of being on the ‘no calorie counting train’, and it’s been wonderful. It’s been weird, but I am praying and so hopeful that I will not get off this train, by God’s grace every single day.
This song from Tenth Avenue North, the song, ‘Worn’, has been running through my head this week.
Jesus is making new ashes out of my broken life. He is redeeming me from my idols and obsessions and helping me find the sweetness of seeking Him.
I didn’t think that counting calories would be something I could ever stop doing.
But then I interviewed Taylor last week, and she told me that she just. . . stopped. . . counting.
That made me think. ‘Lord is this something I could do? Would it be possible for me not to think about calories or obsess about them like I have for the past 10 years?’
So I decided to take the leap and just eat WHENEVER I feel hungry and whatever sounds good, full permission, without staring at the calorie labels or letting myself glance at them.
It’s not that I’ve counted calories in the past few years to get thin again, but I think I still did it, because I was nervous, nervous about eating ‘too much’ or gaining any extra weight.
But God is teaching me to step out of the boat. To leap. To jump and not count those calories, to remember that I don’t have to workout in order to eat. I don’t workout for hours like I used to or eat a tiny amount of calories like I used to, but this step of ‘no calorie counting’ is one step deeper.
It feels good. It’s hard. But it’s good, because life isn’t about this. Life is about living, not obsessing.
What does no calorie counting look like right now in my head?
1. I’m hungry, so it’s time to eat. Eat a whole meal. Instead of thinking in terms of calories, I look at a plate and put on the plate or bowl what sounds satisfying, something that would fill me up, so I won’t be thinking about food until the next meal rolls around.
2. Do not study or turn over your packages to look at the calories. Eat until you’re satisfied. Tune in with the signals God is giving your body.
3. Don’t count the crackers or pieces of chocolate I’m eating. I don’t really want a whole bar of chocolate most of the time, but I had found myself limiting to 1-2 ‘squares’ because of the calorie count.
4. How much was I ‘eating’ per the calorie count? I was eating bout 2500 calories, but I want to just eat till I’m satisfied, and whether it’s 2000-4000 calories or more or less it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m nourishing my body for God’s glory and healing even my digestion right now.
5. Currently, I am doing more work with a dietitian who is a non diet dietitian, and she is challenging me to NOT calorie count and to eat full meals and snacks based on my hunger so that my digestion (that was so damaged by years of restriction to heal).
To finish out, I want to share some posts from my very favorite food freedom/non diet blogger (Robyn!) on calories (She has SUCH a refreshing informed perspective.)
Calories Are Not A Bank Account
Have you been on the calorie counting train ever? Did you find it obsessive? How did you stop and start being really intuitive with your body?
Leave a Reply