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throughout my life, my weight has dramatically fluctuated and my eating has always been disordered. i started lifting and dieting about 4 years ago with the goal of losing fat and gaining muscle. i’ve had past success with a calorie deficit and eating my body weight in grams of protein, but i could never stay consistent. i always ended up in a restrict/binge/purge cycle and/or filled my diet with highly processed diet foods that wreaked havoc on my health. about a year ago, i decided to stop tracking and prioritize whole foods. when shopping, i now chose the options with the cleanest ingredients and least amount of added sugar rather than the least amount of calories and highest amount of protein. i started to structure my meals by food groups (kind of like the food pyramid) instead of calories and macros. i imagine a plate divided into 3 sections - 1/2 source of protein, 1/4 fruits or vegetables, and 1/4 starches/grains. i can apply this logic to more than just portions of food on a literal plate. for example, you could fill half of a bowl with greek yogurt or ultra-filtered milk, and the other half with fruit and plain cheerios or granola. or modify a sandwich to have more meat than bread, whole grain bread for added protein and nutrients, kale or spinach instead of lettuce, and a side of carrots or celery instead of chips. this eliminates the need for measuring or weighing, allowing me to rely on visual estimates. i also use muscle soreness after lifting to gauge if i’ve been eating enough protein. initially, this change was me “giving up” on my body goals. i expected to lose muscle and gain some fat back and made peace with that sacrifice. shockingly, ive actually been gaining muscle and losing fat at a faster rate than i was while tracking. not only that, but i FEEL so much better both physically and mentally. im no longer chronically bloated, fatigued, or unmotivated. my mood is elevated. my skin is glowy and mostly clear instead of dull, oily, and breaking out. i’m finally able to occasionally indulge in junk food without binging. i no longer constantly think about food. i don’t feel guilty after every meal anymore. i rarely ever snack or have the desire to. i eat when i feel hungry, and stop when i feel full. food no longer controls my life. i’ve always thought intuitive eating was just some bullshit fantasy that health influencers use to sell their courses while they track in secret. turns out it’s not! i still slip up every once in a while, but it’s a hell of a lot easier to come back from now. just thought i’d share incase it helps someone :)
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