Perimenopause & Intuitive Eating for Weight Loss

When I started gaining weight during perimenopause it made me stop and think. I was not eating differently than I had done in th past, so why was I gaining weight now? I found out it was a combination of hormone imbalance, my metabolism slowing down and the fact that I was less active than I had been before.

I had to change something. I HAD TO LOOK AT

What, When and Why I was eating

We need to eat to survive, but eating patterns ARE a habit. The habit part is what we have to look at. I had been very active and was weight training a lot in my 30's and early 40's. Now in my mid 40's past injuries had caught up with me and I had to decrease my activity level, but I had not changed my eating habits. I was focused on healing my body and not what I was eating. BIG MISTAKE! When I was very active, I was eating a lot of food. My body needed the food and I burned the calories; I could pretty much eat anything. Even though my activity level greatly decreased, my eating habits had not changed. I was therefore, gaining weight; unwanted weight. Weight was gathering around my mid section - front and back!

As we all know, habits can be hard to break. I HAD TO LOOK AT

what I ate, when I was eating it, how much I was eating and why

In the next few posts I will discuss intiuitive eating and how it helped me lose weight and feel so much better! It is something that everyone should be doing because if you are able to learn how to intuitively eat, no matter what happens in your life, you will be prepared and YOU WILL adjust your eating habits naturally, it won't be an effort. The first thing I want you to do is:

After you eat a meal or any food, notice how you feel physically, emotionally and mentally

Physically:
How does your stomach feel after you eat? Do you feel light or heavy? Do you feel like there is a big lump of dough sitting in the pit of your stomach? Do you feel like the food is stuck somewhere or unable to move through you? Do you feel really tired and lethargic? Do you feel satisfied with what you ate? Do you feel good and not stuffed and bloated?

Emotionally:
Do you feel drained of energy, or full of energy and ready to go? Do you have a sense of well-being? Do you feel happy and healthy after you eat? Do you feel guilty for what you just ate? Are you frustrated because you ate something you probably should not have? Do you feel happy you are moving in the right direction by eating something that is supplying your body with good nutrition?

Mentally:
Is your mind feeling foggy? Are you having a hard time concentrating? Do you just want to find a place to lie down and take a nap? Do you feel clear-headed, ready to take on the tasks of your day? Do you feel like you can handle anything and feel positive about yourself and your life? Are you disappointed because you made a bad food choice and will beat yourself up for the rest of the day?

Start to become aware of how you feel after you eat. You need to develop that mind-body connection. I promise you it will make ALL the difference.

Practice this and I will post more about this very important topic later.