Why You Need To Read ‘Just Eat It’.

In a world where we are constantly put under pressure on improving ourselves, I’m all for advocating just being you. Less pressure, more self-love, and self-acceptance.

That’s why I urge you all to read ‘Just Eat It: How Intuitive Eating Can Help You Get Your Shit Together Around Food’ by Laura Thomas.

Part guide, part activity-book, the book is about putting an end to the diet culture with the ultimate end goal of making us feel good about ourselves again.

I was recommended this book by a friend after posting a caption on my Instagram expressing how I was struggling with thoughts around food after going vegan.

I was feeling restricted, stressed and my thoughts started floating back to what I was going to eat, when I was going to eat and if I was going to enjoy it. I felt a pull to eat everything that wasn’t vegan and because it was a challenge I’d set myself and one I wanted to succeed in, I felt as if I was fighting a losing battle.

Good news is, that phase is over.

I feel back to normal and I’m enjoying food again. I’m not 100% vegan and I’m more than okay with that especially if it means my relationship with food is going to benefit.

What Is The Book About?

The book encourages us all to nourish ourselves without food rules, without guilt or shame. And while anything that champions carbs after 7pm (can you believe that used to be a thing?!) immediately gets my vote, this book is SO much more than just saying you can “have your cake and eat it too”.

It teaches you the ways of intuitive eating – something I’m really tapping into at the moment. If you’re not familiar with the term, it is basically an approach to food that is more mindful and less restrictive with the intention (and hope) that it gives you the tools to have a healthy relationship not only with food, but also yourself.

Who Is The Book For?

Just Eat It is for anyone who has ever had that conversation in their head that goes something like this…

“If I eat the doughnuts, I’ll have to do 6 miles instead of 3 tomorrow”.

It’s for anyone who has devised an almost algebraic equation that will determine if you’re allowed dessert after dinner.

For anyone who felt they don’t deserve food. For anyone who has exercised to ‘burn off those calories’. For anyone who doesn’t feel like they’re good enough.

Like many, or dare I say most women, I’ve done all of the above. And if you’re familiar with my journey and background, you’ll know that I struggled with an eating disorder for a number of years and although I’m much much much better, there are still some days where it feels prevalent.

I can happily say my relationship with food is a million times better than it was 5 years ago and even better than it was this time last year, but I know I can find total peace with it. So that’s what I’m hoping to achieve and with this book I really believe I can take the next step.

I want to state that I do not have any qualifications in psychology, nutrition or therapy, but what I do have are experiences and stories, both of which I want to share with you.

One thing that I have found most interesting about this book is that Thomas says a lot of nutritionists struggle with eating disorders and disordered eating. Sounds weird right? Those who are qualified are the ones also struggling? The more you think about it though, the more it makes sense. Those who are so deeply educated and entrenched in it surely would be the ones that find it hard?

It’s not just nutritionists though, a recent study found that 60% of women in the UK are on a diet or are attempting to lose weight. How crazy is that when you sit down and work out the maths? It makes me both really angry and actually really sad.

Sad that as women we feel as though we need to be the smallest versions of ourselves to be the best.

There used to be a conception that if you ‘were into fitness’ you had to track macros, calories, NEAT, TDEE – the list is endless and although I’d put myself into the fitness category, I want to prove that you don’t need to do the above.

In my last blog post of 2018, I wrote how I was going to stop tracking my food in MyFitnessPal – I wasn’t benefiting from it. The days I’d hit my calorie target I’d feel elated, and the days where I’d be under and/or over, I’d feel shit. My mood, feelings and emotions shouldn’t be tied to what an app tells me.

2019 is the year I really fine tune and believe that. Take it from someone who has tried every fad diet under the sun, you don’t need to be on ANOTHER diet this year.

The problem when trying to follow these diet rules and restrictions is that there is always the potential to mess up and fall-off the track, which is why I think intuitive eating is going to be so beneficial for me.

It means there is no wagon to fall off. It means getting out of our heads, stopping over-thinking and trusting our body’s signals for hunger and fullness (something I’ve probably ignored for so far too long).

About The Author.

Laura Thomas is a Registered Nutritionist, Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor and an absolute genius.

One of my favourite quotes from the book to date is this –

“Diet culture is an oppressive system that teaches us to hate our bodies. It tells us that we will be more loveable/ smarter/ better if we take up less space in the world and conform to unrealistic ideals”

She is what I’d call an influencer and I despise that word. I’m 5 chapters in and I can’t put it down. I look forward to challenging my thoughts every evening when I pick it up. It’s truthful, hard hitting and honest – everything you need when overcoming something tricky.

Takeaways.

So what if finally, we were able to completely click unsubscribe? Well that’s the journey I’m currently on. Getting to grips with intuitive eating doesn’t happen over night but I’m putting in the work so I will reap the rewards.

I want to honour my hunger, not suppress it. I don’t want to go to bed hungry and see it as an accomplishment.

Please please read the book. And then when you’ve finished it, tell everyone (including me). It’s brilliant and it really is life changing.

Amy xo.