Intuitive Eating Before and After

When I realized that the beliefs I had about food, exercise, and body image were lies the enemy was using to keep me trapped, a switch flipped inside of me. I saw the flaws in diet cultures thinking from a Biblical perspective as well as from a scientific perspective.

I began to surrender these thoughts and beliefs to the Lord and ask Him to align my heart and will with His. After inviting God into this area of my life I was able to fully put the principles of Intuitive Eating into practice, and I experienced true freedom from diet culture.

In this post, I’m giving real examples of the renewal that has taken place in my mind. The transformation of my heart through faith and Intuitive Eating Before and After.

Before and After Intuitive Eating: My Ideas of Healthy Eating

Before

• I should eat as few calories as possible with the most nutrients possible.
• To eat a healthy diet I have to Follow a set of rules. There is a “right” way to eat and It takes a lot of work to eat healthfully.
• I have an all-or-nothing approach. I either eat healthy all the time or it won’t do me any good.

After

• I will eat plenty of food that brings me energy, pleasure, and joy.
• I listen to my body when making food choices instead of following rules.
• I believe in moderation. Not the kind of moderation that means I set limits on things and create more rules. The kind of moderation that naturally develops as we walk with the Lord and practice Intuitive Eating. The self-control develops as we follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance and listen to how our bodies react to our choices.

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Before and After Intuitive Eating: My Response to Hunger

Before

• I feel hungry I’ll drink a glass of water, maybe I’m just thirsty.
• I’ll wait for it to be “time to eat”.
• I’ll eat the meal I planned to eat, even if it sounds awful.
• If I feel unsatisfied with my meal I’ll try to talk myself out of eating something else.
• I’ll end up eating something else but only from my “allowed” list of snacks.
• I’ll still feel unsatisfied and try to talk myself out of eating something “bad”.
• I’ll eventually eat something “bad” and feel guilt and shame.
• The guilt and shame will build until I punish myself with more food.

After

• I feel hungry I’ll Eat what sounds good and move on with my life.

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Before and After Intuitive Eating: My Ideas of Exercise

Before

• I have to sweat for movement to count as exercise.
• Movement only “counts” if it’s in the form of a hard workout.
• If I’m not sore for days after a workout I didn’t work hard enough.
• My workouts must last a certain amount of time in order to “count” and there is no point in moving if it’s not going to “count”.
• Exercise is a way to prove my worth and value.

After

• Moving my body should be enjoyable.
• I can choose different modes of exercise depending on how I feel.
• All movement counts no matter how long I move, what I do, or if I sweat. Moving is moving and it is good for me.
• My exercise is a part of my worship. I glorify God through moving the body He gave me and I thank Him for my unchangeable worth and value in Christ.

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Before and After Intuitive Eating: My Identity

Before

• I’m a health nut, an athlete, an achiever.
• I earn love and respect through reaching my body goals.
• I earn worthiness through my health behaviors.

After

• I am a Child of the God most high.
• I am accepted and worthy just as I am.
• I am loved and respected regardless of my body or my health behaviors.

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Before and After Intuitive Eating: My Purpose

Before

• I spend all my time, energy, and money trying to achieve the perfect body.
• I strive to impress others with my willpower, my determination and my body.
• I try to prove my value to those around me.

After

• I spend my time, energy, and money-loving God and loving people.
• I walk in a relationship with the Lord and aim to honor Him in all I do.
• I follow the Holy Spirit’s leading to love and make disciples of my family.
• I follow the Holy Spirit’s leadership to help others break free from the bondage of diet culture.

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Before and After Intuitive Eating: My Body Image

Before

• I’ll accept my body once I am a size __.
• I’ll accept my body once it looks like ____.
• I’ll accept my body when it can ____.
• I’ll accept my body once I don’t have____.

After

• I accept my body as it is.
• Body acceptance is a mindset, not a body type.

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Before and After Intuitive Eating: My Thought Life

Before

• “I’m not good enough.”
• “I have no self-control.”
• “My willpower is pathetic.”
• “I have to push harder.”
• “Why can’t I get it together?”

After

• “I am free from condemnation.”
• “I have been given the gift of self-control through the Holy Spirit.”
• “Willpower is for the birds (I can do nothing by my own strength).”
• “Health doesn’t require pushing harder.”
• “God wants me to be healthy and will guide me in my health behaviors.”
• “I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.”

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Health isn’t something we achieve by pushing hard, following rules, and denying ourselves of God’s beautiful gifts. The transformation of our health starts in our hearts through the Holy Spirit and works its way out to our bodies. We are transformed by the renewing of our minds.

When we are walking with the Lord, meditating on His word, believing His truths and promises and putting our desire to truly know Him before our desire to please the world we develop a desire to care for ourselves.

It is then that we can truly embrace eating and moving our bodies the way God created us to with pure motives. Then we see the transformation of faith and Intuitive Eating.

Are you ready to surrender your diet culture thoughts and beliefs to the Lord? Are ready to join me in the After? Join my 5-day food freedom challenge to get started.