Why do people go on a diet?
To lose weight.
Why should you quit dieting?
To maintain a stable weight.
Let's be honest. Most people begin to pursue a "healthier lifestyle" to lose weight. It is the elusive white rabbit for many Americans. But as we have seen before, a constant restricting of food, calories, carbs, fat, or protein will inevitably lead to rebound eating and thus, sadly, rebound weight gain.
I want to help you stop dieting and just enjoy balanced and nutrient dense food. I want you to be able to have some Sweet Surrender cake or wine or bread and not feel like you will end up eating All of the Things. I want you to let go of your draconian food rules and the tight restriction that leads to frustration with all of your attempts to be healthy. I want to help you feel balanced.
I have been putting together a plan for all of us. I am excited to share it with you. It is called Girls Done Dieting. It is a 21 day program. Every day, you have a worksheet or activity to do on your own. Every day, we will meet on Facebook live for a quick 15 minute chat on the worksheet and activity. We will talk about your progress. I will give a short lecture on the idea behind that day's activity, and I will answer any questions you may have. I will direct you toward other resources, should you need them.
We will learn how to nourish your body through real food. We will talk about the physiological need your body has for sufficient calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein, and sometimes even sweet things! We will talk about the traditionally beautiful feminine body as opposed to the contemporary culturally beautiful pint-size, sinewy-muscled woman-child that fitness culture wants us to think is normal. We will learn what our bodies are actually craving (spoiler alert- food!) and why we try to suppress those cravings with social media, alcohol, shopping, or overexercising.
By the end of the 21 days, you will have a better idea of what is normal and what is completely crazy. You will have confidence that you can truly trust your body around food in a landmine diet culture. You will have the strength to resist the next Keto Vegan Whole30 diet lie and simply trust your body. You will gain an extra hour in your day as you quit obsessing over skinny girls selling crap on Instagram. It is okay to be a woman. It is okay to eat. It is okay to rest. It is okay to enjoy a muffin with your kids at Moms and Muffins day at school- if you want to. God designed our bodies quite intelligently. However, with every diet we go on, we teach our body to ignore primal signals like hunger and fullness.
Because of my functional nutrition work with women and hormones, I know there is a name for the phenomenon which happens when our bodies are too stressed out to function properly. It is called HPA Axis Dysfunction, and it occurs when the brain perceives so many incoming stressors that the adrenal glands overproduce cortisol, our primary stress hormone. Too much cortisol raises blood sugar, which leads to insulin resistance, which leads to fat gain around the belly and other places. Restriction of calories and nutrients is a stressor to the body. Every time we diet, we increase our chances of excess cortisol in the body. This is another reason why dieting can ultimately lead to excessive weight and belly fat.
Also because of my work, I know that most women are dealing with hormonal dysregulation as well as a leaky gut. It is all well and good for me to tell you that you can have a scoop of ice cream on date night if you want to, but if that dairy is going to cause you to run to the nearest bathroom in a panic, my words mean nothing to you.
So we have to intelligently supplement in order to work on healing your gut and supporting your hormones. This is what I do every day in my private practice, and I can guide you to the correct supplements for your specific needs. Just email me when you sign up for our program and I will get you situated with everything you need.
As I have said before, I watch women heal from excruciating periods, insomnia, anxiety, joint stiffness, and digestive distress. However, their relationship with food remains broken because they lack the framework they need to build a solid foundation. While I will be the first to tell you that this is not the complete solid foundation, it is a concrete first step.
Working together in groups is extraordinarily powerful. Groups show us that we are not the only f'ed up one here. We are all in this together- learning together, growing together, questioning together. That is why we have our closed Facebook group- a safe place for you to wonder and talk and ask and be answered. The Facebook group will be open after the program ends so you can continue to talk with each other as you plod along your journey of healing your relationship with food.
So what do you get in the Girls Done Dieting 21 Day Program? Here is a sample of our activities:
Set Point Worksheet
Daily Diet Thoughts Worksheet
Joy Worksheet
Diet Lies Worksheet
Hunger Substitution Worksheet
Forbidden Foods Worksheet
Female Form Worksheet
Natural Eater Observation Activity
These are a sample of what you will be doing every day. Yes, every day. The Facebook check-ins are optional, but I think you will want to be part of our discussion every day. With the worksheet and the Facebook, expect to spend 30-60 minutes each day on learning about yourself and healing from diet restriction. You are worth this time. You already spend this time on Facebook and Instagram. Give yourself a break and a treat.
Our program costs $147. That is $7 a day. If you never have to buy another diet book again, (spoiler alert- all diets are the same information in different packaging, so you have literally already read the newest diet book!) you are saving money already. If you need a payment plan, I can work with you on that. I just want you to be able to be part of la revolution! Or is it el revolution?
Go here if you want to join us. You will get your instant download packet so you can start to look it over. I will give you a few book recommendations if you want to read some of the actual experts on the topic. I will direct you toward your personalized supplements should you want to pursue that route.
Our start date is June 21. I pushed it back a few days since we are hosting a lovely family at our home this week and I want to be present with my own children and our friends. On Thursday, we will open up with a Facebook Live event. I will give further instructions on our Facebook Page.
As always, let me know if you have any questions. Truly, the first step toward hormonal balance is a normal relationship with food. Let's do this!
Kindly,
Jennifer