Kirsten Ackerman, RD

I used to think BMI was simply a poor measure of health... But no — BMI and everything it stands for is a *DETRIMENT* to health and a key player in the RAMPANT weight stigma that infects our medical system.

Assuming NOTHING changes around how early you get yourself out of bed in the morning, what is the EASIEST possible solution to getting yourself more nourishment at that time?

Weight gain after a period of weight loss is seen as a failure of self-discipline — in reality, it is a TRIUMPH of your body’s ability to keep you safe.

If you finish everything on your plate every single time, try serving yourself more food. Like, WAY more.

The goal postpartum is NOT for your body to look like you didn’t have a baby.

At the core of intuitive eating work is rebuilding a sense of trust in YOURSELF and in your BODY.

What do you associate with the image you see when you look in the mirror or see a photo of yourself? If it doesn’t feel aligned with who you *feel you are* — What are you telling yourself that image *is* aligned with?

If there’s a sense of caution, second guessing, and overall hesitation around your food choices — You’re not in a place of true permission to eat.

Physically allowing yourself to eat ice cream all the time, but being tormented by guilt and shame about it is not true *unconditional* permission.

Heir on the side of assuming your body (or mind’s) call to eat IS VALID. Whatever it wants, whenever it wants it. Even if it’s emotional in nature. Even if it’s out of boredom. Even if you are not really hungry.

The way you eat in that period of time right after a diet or after just starting intuitive eating IS NOT how you will continue to eat forever. But it IS 100% necessary.

Just a reminder that as you heal from disordered eating you will need to swing to the other side of the pendulum (overeating, chaos around food) before settling into a supportive eating pattern.

If you check in to how a food made you feel after eating it and find that it didn’t feel very good — You STILL have full permission to continue eating it.

Overeating after a period of undereating is actually eating EXACTLY ENOUGH.

Instead of making choices for what you eat today based on what you did or didn’t eat earlier or what you think you SHOULD have — Can you tap into what SOUND GOOD to eat?

If you limit carbs all day long (I.e. forego the bun with your burger because you don’t really *need* it) — But then also identify with having a “problem around sweets” — We need to get you incorporating more carbs throughout your day!

The problem is not that you lose control around sweets whenever they’re in the house. The problem is that you try not to keep them in the house all the time because you don’t trust yourself around them WHICH RESULTS in a loss of control.

Instead of asking “what portion of rice should I put on my plate” — Shift to “how much rice sounds good to me? What is my body asking for?”