As a typical female in our society, for much of my life – since my mid-teens – I was very focused on being slim. Briefly, this meant having tried just about every diet under the sun. You name it, I’ve probably tried it. And – in the process – instead of enjoying a pretty attractive body, I obsessed about the fact that I had a slightly rounded stomach, and developed all sorts of guilt about eating.
Except for the magical time of my first pregnancy, when I decided that – as I was going to lose my usual figure anyway – I could just eat whatever I wanted. And I had a ball doing just that. Followed by a heck of a lot more dieting, with Boots appetite suppressants working a treat. Which was followed by rather more sensible eating with my next two pregnancies.
From my 30s onwards, and the parent of three – as they grew older, up, and out of our nest – there were gradually, for me, increasing periods of full-time work (and the more regulated eating patterns that come with that).
Gradually, too, in my 50s, my ageing body was doing its waist-widening, somewhat sagging parts thing. Fortunately, I was then researching health and body image issues for women and for men, and – inclusively – looking at how ageing impacted on them. And the effect on me personally was to start appreciating the body that I have, rather than wishing that it fitted some sort of ideal.
And so, taking care of my body became a priority. Vitally, now, I exercise regularly and comprehensively. And I’ve found that – without being rigid (and so, allowing for social occasions) – for me, the ideal way of maintaining my weight nutritiously (with the occasional indulgence that I enjoy guilt-free) is via the 16:8 eating routine. I know, I know – it’s called the 16:8 fasting diet. But fasting implies hunger. And I never want to go there again! And don’t, just by only eating between 10.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. (no more late-night snacks!).
Essentially, then, what works well for me is the “health at every size” (HAES) approach, which involves moving away from an emphasis on weight loss and onto the adoption of healthy behaviours and practices. This has both been beneficial for my wellbeing and resulted in the comfortable maintenance of a stable weight.
My eating journey has, therefore, ended in a healthily happy place. Which – I would say to others – it’s never too early to seek.
Anne Ring ©2024
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