Ep. 16 Can I Lose Weight with Intuitive Eating?

[00:00:02] I'm often asked if you can lose weight within intuitive eating. Women tell me all the time.

[00:00:11] Like, I really love to try this intuitive eating thing. Like it sounds great to not have to have like the frustrations of dieting and not have to like count calories and all the things.

[00:00:23] But I'm really, really scared that I'm just going to gain weight and I really don't want that to happen.

[00:00:30] Y'all, it is completely normal and understandable. If there is a part of you that still longs for that weight loss or you're afraid of gaining weight if you try intuitive eating.

[00:00:42] There's so many women that I have worked with that have began their intuitive eating journey like still holding on to that hope of maybe this will help me drop a few pounds.

[00:00:52] Like, I was one of them. When I started this process there was a part of me that still wish that maybe like this will help me just lose 10 pounds.

[00:01:03] But over time as I started to work through my food and diet beliefs I realized that true and authentic health. Honestly had very little to do with my weight and there were so many other health factors that I could focus on.

[00:01:21] That would have a greater impact on my health than continuing to drive myself crazy trying to make that number on this scale go down. So, I want to challenge you to pause for a moment and really think about what you know and believe about weight.

[00:01:39] Like when you started your weight loss pursue what was the outcome you were really, really hoping for like yes weight loss. But like why did you want to lose weight? What did you believe losing weight would help you achieve?

[00:01:56] And do you believe that it's still possible to achieve whatever it was that you were seeking maybe it was love acceptance being able to

[00:02:06] You know have the confidence to pursue certain dreams and goals like do you still believe that you can achieve whatever you were seeking without losing another pound.

[00:02:21] Like in all likelihood the answer is yes, you could get exactly what you were wanting without having to lose any more weight. It can be very, very challenging to let go of something like weight loss that you've been striving for and working on and doing for so long.

[00:02:40] That has maybe become like this source of comfort or distraction or the way that you feel like you're in control.

[00:02:47] Like it's hard to let go of something that's really made you believe that if you achieved it you would be happier or more loved or more accepted or more capable of doing awesome things.

[00:03:00] So in this episode, I want to take some time to share some of the truths that I have learned about weight. And discuss like what may happen to your weight as you embark on your intuitive eating journey because I really want you to

[00:03:18] Have the knowledge and have all the information out there to be able to make the best decision for you going forward. Like even if you want to lose weight could could you put that focus that you've had on weight for so long aside and really start to

[00:03:37] Be open and give some room into a new idea and a new way of thinking and maybe a new way of doing things that Could still have you achieving like what you really really want without having to lose another pound.

[00:03:55] Welcome to the nearest blume podcast where you're fae meet your health. I'm your host Cara Traptit, a registered dietitian and certified Catholic coach and I'm here to help you cultivate a deeper connection with your body, your spirit and the nourishment that sustains them both.

[00:04:11] In a world filled with noise and confusion about food, health and body image, the podcast offers truth and healing from a Christ-centered perspective. Together we'll untangle the deep roots of diet culture and discover what it means to truly care for ourselves

[00:04:27] through joyful nourishment of mind, body, and soul. We're here to dive into the transformative power of intuitive eating, coupled with the rich teachings of our Christian faith. With every episode I'll be cheering you on, offering insights, inspiration, and practical tools to help you

[00:04:43] heal your relationship with food and embrace the beauty of your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. With confidence and courage that can only be found in Christ. Join me as we journey together towards a more holistic approach to wellness,

[00:04:58] one that honors the wisdom of your body as God's creation, the teachings of our faith and the unique purpose you're called to fulfill. You were made to bloom, to come into full beauty and health in order to bear good fruit for the Lord with your life.

[00:05:15] So if you're ready to nourish your body, feed your soul and bloom into the best version of yourself, then you're in the right place and I'm so happy you're here. Welcome to Nurs to Bloom. Where every day is a sacred invitation to thrive.

[00:05:34] Hey there, welcome back to another episode of the Nurs to Bloom podcast. So happy to be here with you today. I hope things are going great for you. So I know I said this before, but I want to reiterate that the vast majority of us make decisions

[00:05:54] about our health and wellness operating from a place of fear. Fear about gaining weight, fear about what others will think if we gain weight, fear about being unloved or rejected or judged if our body changes. Fear of getting the sick or developing a chronic disease,

[00:06:13] like all of these are fears that we have and we are often making those health and wellness destroyed decisions based off of those fears. And the thing is is that fear really only allows two things to happen. It causes us to go to extremes with our behavior,

[00:06:35] thinking that if we just can do this, everything will be in control and none of those fearful outcomes would ever happen. Or it keeps us frozen and we don't do anything because we let

[00:06:48] those what ifs and those unknowns keep us stuck. We don't move, we don't do anything because we're so afraid of those what is happening that we just let our imaginations run wild with all of these

[00:07:02] like worst case scenarios and we decide that like any possible benefit or good could never outweigh the risk of that worst case scenario happening. But the truth is, is that this fear based mindset is not centered on Christ. When you operate out of fear, you're really promoting

[00:07:24] that self-reliance and believe that it's all on you. But as Christians, we need to remember what Christ has told us that we are not so fear because he is always with us and with this hope

[00:07:39] and being able to rest and knowing that we are never alone. We and then be able to make decisions and take risks because we know that Christ is in our corner and he will never abandon us.

[00:07:53] Like that outcome may not be what we really hoped for, but ultimately like we can know and we can embrace that the results and whatever this outcome is is really happening through and from Christ working for our greatest good. Like how many times have we has something happened

[00:08:16] in life and like we really didn't want that to happen, right? A move had to happen or a a job change of the happen and it was uncomfortable, we didn't like it, it was fearful. But

[00:08:29] so much good came out of it, right? That is Christ working in our lives. So we have to stop letting fear get in the way of letting Christ make that happen. I saw this post this week on Instagram

[00:08:44] from one of my favorite Catholic artists and graphic designer. She has this really awesome shop and it's called Beah Heart Design. And anyway her post caption or it post said that fear

[00:08:59] can either close us up or open us up to his grace. And then in her caption below, she goes on to say that in speaking with her spiritual direction, he told her that like fear can actually be a good

[00:09:13] thing if we let it open us up to be filled with more grace. And I think that was a really awesome thing, right? That even if we have fear, even if we don't know like what taking this

[00:09:25] leap of faith might lead to like if we acknowledge the fear say okay I know that this is scary I know that this is afraid but like God I'm open to your grace in this situation. Like we are able

[00:09:40] to have a choice when it comes to fear. Like you can choose to freeze and not do anything or you can go to those extremes or you can choose to turn to him and be open to receive grace and goodness.

[00:09:56] Even if those results and outcomes are not what you expected. So you may be wondering like why this discussion about fear has anything to do with discussing intuitive eating and weight?

[00:10:10] But the reason why I wanted to start off talking about fear and how most of us operate from a place of fear is because I would say the number one thing that holds people back

[00:10:22] from trying intuitive eating is the fear of gaining weight. And y'all I get it like gaining weight can feel like the absolute worst possible thing that could happen to you. Especially if you've

[00:10:36] spent a lot of your life trying to avoid that very thing. And when you start to think about intuitive eating, you let those fear-based what if scenarios start to pop up right like those

[00:10:53] that you start to imagine like what the worst case scenario would be right and when we think about intuitive eating we think about what's the worst possible thing that could happen if I tried this

[00:11:03] and for a lot of women it's oh I will gain weight. And that worst possible scenario keeps them from any experiencing any other possible good that could come out of it like they just can't

[00:11:17] get over this fear of gaining weight. And so they don't even try. They don't they aren't open to seeing how God's grace could pour into their life through this faith led intuitive eating process. But I want you to do me a favor as you're going through

[00:11:37] all those what if scenarios like what if I try intuitive eating and these are all the like bad things that could happen? Let's take and use a little time to play about like what are these

[00:11:48] what ifs of the good things that could happen? Like what if you no longer fear or obsessed about certain ingredients or certain foods or how much sugar you and your kids ate? Right what if

[00:12:07] you were able to just enjoy eating out and going on vacation without worrying and instead like you are truly focused on being present and making memories with friends and family. Instead of

[00:12:21] the weeks and months leading up to it you're so worried about trying to lose weight before you go on vacation and then you're on vacation and you're worried about gaining weight while you're on vacation

[00:12:31] that you're so obsessed with whatever you're eating that you're not present and you're not like engaged in those memory making and then you come home and you're like trying to work off any

[00:12:42] of the weight that you gain being on vacation. That entire scenario your entire being revolved around and focused on and obsessing over weight and food. What if you were able to just enjoy

[00:12:55] eating out and going on vacation? What if you're a weight in your body or what you ate or food isn't the first and last thing you think about every day? What if you didn't have to sneak food in the

[00:13:11] pantry or hide food wrappers out of sight for fear of being caught by your kids or your spouse because you were eating a forbidden food. What if you finally had the time and this space

[00:13:27] and the energy to discern your vocations and your passions and pursuing those dreams that the Lord has put on your heart in your mind and like bully and brace what you were put on this earth

[00:13:39] to do because like one thing I can think I can really really guarantee is that God did not create you to spend your life on this earth to count calories or spend all of your time trying to lose weight.

[00:13:56] Like can we agree on that? I really don't think that's why he created us. But so many of us spend our entire life just focused on food and obsessing over weight in our bodies.

[00:14:08] And so usually what happens is that when I'm talking with women and I ask them if they would love to experience any of these what ifs they're like nodding their head and like yeah this sounds great

[00:14:19] like I'm excited like I think I really want to do this like I'm ready to go all in. I can't be great to not have to obsess about food and count calories and like it would be great to be able

[00:14:31] to just go on vacation and just enjoy the vacation and enjoy life. Like it'd be great to like really start to work on some of these goals and these things that I wanted to accomplish

[00:14:45] for a long time. It's all they're all in until I ask them what if all of these what ifs could be possible, could be possible but it meant that you might gain some weight and y'all this is where

[00:15:01] things come to like this screeching halt. The fear sets in and then they're faced with this choice and ultimately they can't see past any of these really awesome things that could be in our life

[00:15:18] because they're so scared of gaining weight. Because all they've been taught and all they've been told for so long in their life is that gaining weight means you're not healthy, gaining weight means you're not beautiful, gaining weight means you're not loved and accepted and appreciated.

[00:15:35] And that fear just envelops them and they stay stuck, they stay battling the same battle that they've battled for most of their life doing the same things for the most of their life.

[00:15:50] That honestly has not worked but they're so afraid of that unknown and so that's why I think it's really important to understand how fear works so that you can make a choice that has the

[00:16:04] opportunity to open you up to God's grace and the potential for more goodness in your life. And with that I also think it's important to really look at the truth about weight and understand

[00:16:19] how weight fits into this intuitive eating process because so many of us have put so much weight on our weight, 100% intended there that we probably have never really taken us that back

[00:16:33] to look at some of the science about weight and how the enemy has really used this diet culture agenda to keep us distracted from what really matters. I read an article by Alyssa Rumsie, a registered dietitian and an intuitive eating counselor and in this article she commented

[00:16:56] the roots of people's desire to lose weight predated any scientific evidence that connected weight and health. And until the early 1900s it was really not common practice for physicians or health recommendations to include weight loss. But about 120 years ago when the medical

[00:17:20] community started to recommend weight loss it wasn't because of any new scientific evidence linking lower weight to improved health. It was because our culture had already expressed a desire for thinness. Like diet culture had already been pushing this agenda for a really long time

[00:17:43] of what a beautiful idea a body should look like and then like the medical community was like oh maybe we need to look at this or make these recommendations because this is what people were

[00:17:56] asking for. Now I'll say it as a Catholic Christian, I don't share all the same opinions and view plans as this author but I did find this comment very interesting. That for so long it wasn't

[00:18:13] common to recommend weight loss and that I was really like patients coming in probably asking for weight loss that started this whole weight loss advice in this connection or perceived connection between weight and health. I mean like what happened? Like did women just start

[00:18:34] flocking to doctors offices like saying I want to lose weight because they're seeing what society is pushing as what was an acceptable body and then like did the medical community start to try to figure out ways to quote unquote help these patients lose weight because that's

[00:18:53] like that's what they were wanting and so then did research begin to try to better understand weight and health and is that why we started to see studies that showed correlations between the amount

[00:19:06] of calories consumed and weight as well as like studies that weight weight in certain health conditions were correlated. I mean unfortunately a lot of these early studies didn't consider consider a lot of confounding factors. Confounding factors being external factors that

[00:19:31] could affect both the variable like what was being studied as well as the outcome. So in weight loss studies that focused on things like the amount of calories consumed and how that affected weight did it include these confounding factors like age and activity level and

[00:19:51] underlying medical conditions and access to food amongst other things that could also be influencing that outcome. But by the time but by the time that we start to realize like hey maybe these studies didn't include these confounding factors and are these correlations really true like a lot

[00:20:11] of damage had already been done and the medical community and you know the political stage had already been sat and was on board like maybe inadvertently and maybe they didn't mean to but they were already pushing diet cultures agenda. And so here we are today like with studies

[00:20:32] out of the UK reporting that 30% of women would trade at least one whole year of their life to achieve their ideal weight and shape. Like in that tiny, crazy like would you be one of those

[00:20:48] women like would you trade an entire year of your life just so you could achieve your ideal weight and shape? What would you miss out on for a whole year if you could have that in return

[00:21:02] and is it worth it? And where did this ideal number come from? Like that number that you wished you were at on the scale like for mine for a long time it was like 127 like 127 pounds

[00:21:16] that was that was the number. But like how did I decide that number? How did you decide your number? Like didn't just get pulled out of thin air like was it a number your best friend said she

[00:21:27] wanted to be and so you were on board with that like yo we're here to do all this come from. Like who says that that number is even what you should be weighing? What parameters define that

[00:21:41] as a healthy weight and are those parameters correct? Look I'm not saying that all research or evidence-based recommendations that are out there are wrong or bad but what I am saying is that most

[00:21:57] of us have never stopped to really think about these things and when we adopt them we've never questioned their reliability or their authenticity or where they came from like most of the recommendations out there are over-generalized and their population based recommendations,

[00:22:17] their blanket recommendations and they don't really take into account a individualized approach to each person's health. It's like this one-size-fits-all approach and unfortunately all this one-size-fits-all approach has not been working. According to the National Institutes of Health

[00:22:39] many Americans who are actually at the weight they were born to be at are still continuing to try to lose weight in part because they're chasing this unrealistic body size. They're trying to follow these over-generalized health care demands in public policy that's being pushed out there and

[00:22:58] there's this ongoing weight stigma that if you're in a bigger body or you look a certain way then you're discriminated against, you're not accepted all of this and so can we take a moment,

[00:23:13] take a minute and look back on creation and God's perfect design and what we know about God and his character and kind of like his thoughts and what is hoped for for us when he created each of us?

[00:23:31] Like we can look at Jeremiah 1-5 before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Jeremiah 29-11, for I know well the plans I have in mind for you, plans for your welfare and not for

[00:23:48] will so as to give you a future of hope. Luke 12-7, even the hairs on your head have all been counted, do not be afraid you are worth more than many sparrows. Y'all we were each designed for so much greatness like it's so hard to even fathom.

[00:24:14] Yet we're often all too focused on achieving those worldly desires of thinness and their definition of beauty when we really need to be turning to scripture and really be focused on understanding who created us and why he created us and what he desired when he created

[00:24:40] us, not what the world desires. Like consider the price that you may have paid for chasing this number on the scale, the time, the energy, the emotional and financial investment it has cost you.

[00:24:56] And can you start to believe and think and be open to an idea that your body was designed with a natural healthy weight in mind? Like a genetically determined weight that your body is able to

[00:25:11] maintain with normal intuitive eating and normal movement. Like knowing that this weight was predetermined by our creator and that it can be studied with science and a better understanding of how our bodies were designed to work. The problem is that for a lot of us, that natural healthy

[00:25:40] weight may not match what you have in mind as far as that number goes. Like your natural healthy weight may not fit societal standards because often the weight you wish you were at has

[00:25:53] more to do with aesthetics and fitting a certain mold or ideal while dieting promotes like this intentional pursuit of weight loss intuitive eating helps you achieve that natural healthy weight. The one where your body is comfortable and it functions effectively and efficiently

[00:26:16] and you're not preoccupied with trying to change, change it and you're not influenced by all these external pressures. But like you're able to just live in your body and be comfortable in your body

[00:26:29] and care for your body and do good for your body because you're wanting to take care of it to pursue God's purpose for you. And for some of us that may mean weight loss and for some

[00:26:46] of us it may mean gaining weight. It just depends on the person but I do know that following an intuitive eating framework can help you reset that natural weight regulation to achieve weight stability over a period of time. And scientists believe that our

[00:27:09] natural healthy weight which is your true ideal weight, it's a range and it can fluctuate anywhere between 10 and 20 pounds over time. Like how many of us interrupt that natural range by turning to weight loss efforts anytime we see like a 5 to 10 pound weight gain.

[00:27:28] And then we try to intervene and we're likely causing more harm than you are doing good because we're interfering with that natural weight regulation. Your natural healthy weight is unique and the individualized to you and your genetics and your body's internal wisdom but you have

[00:27:49] to learn to let that system work. To better understand the truth about weight and this natural regulation system I want to turn to research that's been compiled through the health at every size movement. Like we all know about homeostasis our body works really really hard to maintain

[00:28:12] this status quo and just like all of the systems in your body it works to keep your natural healthy weight relatively stable. We all know people who like weigh the same at 80 as they did at 30,

[00:28:29] right? Like that is seeing that natural weight regulation system at work and them trusting that and trusting their body. And your healthy weight range when your body is working to maintain

[00:28:45] it works to protect it from dipping to low, below like this set point. This point where your body believes this certain amount of fat is perceived as adequate but that amount varies from person

[00:29:01] to person hence why we have different weights and different body shapes. How much fat your body means is the result of your genetics and your life size lifestyle choices and its link to your current

[00:29:14] weight. So your body works to ensure that you don't get below this set point level. But what happens is when you're actively pursuing weight loss that system is threatened. And as a result that's why you may end up weighing more than you did when you first started trying

[00:29:32] to lose weight because your body is building up this protection against any future threats that come with intentional weight loss. Remember our bodies don't know that we're doing this intentionally and so that biology takes over and it's going to do the things that it needs to

[00:29:51] do in order to ensure your survival. But there isn't a magic formula to determine what your natural healthy weight range is but when you learn to trust your body, it is possible to get there.

[00:30:05] Formulas like ideal body weight and BMI are flawed. The ideal body weight calculations assume that weight increases in a direct proportion to height, meaning that every inch is worth x number of pounds. But studies show that we actually increases based on volume, meaning like things,

[00:30:27] factoring in things like your torso link, your body with and your musculature. And BMI was created as a screening tool for large populations and it was never intended to be used to calculate or determine the health status of an individual. Neither of these formulas take

[00:30:46] into the count musculature or body composition or age or ethnicity or genetics or any co-morbidities, meaning other health diagnosis that could be affecting weight. And unfortunately, this has resulted in many people who are actually healthy being missed

[00:31:05] diagnosed as overweight and unhealthy. And it leads them down that path of unnecessary pursuit of weight loss. And we know that that can cause a lot of damage physically and emotionally. Like you may remember, and if you've listened to previous episodes that I was a victim of

[00:31:27] that BMI calculation. I was classified as overweight, and that resulted in my belief that I was unhealthy when in reality I wasn't. My short stature and my muscular build skewed that BMI calculation to work against me. But because I was misled by this flawed

[00:31:48] calculation, I spent years of unnecessary dieting, years of frustration and hating my body. When the reality was that it was actually healthy. Neither of those formulas can give true indications of health status because they do not consider all the factors that determine a person's

[00:32:10] health. So you're probably still wondering at this point if it's possible to lose weight with intuitive eating. And the answer is yes, like if you implement the formula and you learn

[00:32:25] to trust your body, it may help you lose weight. If your body needs to lose weight to reach your natural healthy weight. The problem with focusing on weight loss with intuitive eating

[00:32:38] is that it loses that true goal of healing your relationship with food and your body and to stop that obsession of diet culture and food rules. So it loses that true goal of the framework

[00:32:52] work, and it becomes just another set of diet rules. The other reason I don't promote weight loss with intuitive eating is that it's a method that is used in the treatment of eating disorders. Because there are people who are out there that are below their natural healthy weight

[00:33:13] and then following the intuitive eating framework, they may gain weight to get back to that weight that is healthiest for them. So it is possible to lose weight into it with intuitive eating but it's also possible that you'll gain weight. And I've had clients achieve that like

[00:33:32] have both of those results. I've had clients who have lost a large amount of weight because they had let go of those food rules and they were really attuned with their body. And so

[00:33:45] their body started to stop that compensatory mechanism of feeling threatened and holding on to all of this but then I've also had clients who have gained weight and have settled into that their natural healthy weight and they honestly feel more confident and more comfortable in their

[00:34:06] body and they're not having to obsess over every more so they eat. So whether you lose or gain weight achieving authentic health is still possible. Like in my own journey, I've gained weight following the intuitive eating framework and I will say that I probably that natural weight

[00:34:28] regulation it I can go between that 10 and 20 pounds of any given weight but I don't obsess over anymore. Like I'm focused on nourishing my body and listening to my body but all those health factors sleep stress management, blood work nutrition movement, mental emotional and spiritual

[00:34:47] well-being all of that indicates that I'm a healthy individual despite any weight I may have gained. And I no longer have to waste my time and energy or money on those diet culture lies telling

[00:35:01] me that I need to lose weight to be healthy or to be loved or to be accepted or to follow and pursue dreams and goals that I have. When you are at your natural healthy weight, your body feels

[00:35:14] comfortable and works well. The toughest part of all of that is getting your mind comfortable because you have to like teach it not to focus on the number or how you look.

[00:35:32] The thing is as those were all learned behaviors that I can help you unlearn so that you can reach that place of acceptance with your body and you can reach authentic health so you can let

[00:35:43] go of those external ideals and know that you are taking the best possible care of your body. So if you're listening right now and you are still on the fence about whether intuitive eating

[00:35:54] is right for you or not because you still may want to lose weight, that's okay. All I ask is for you to be open to a new idea to maybe make a little room for a new way of doing

[00:36:10] things. If you come and you try intuitive eating a new you say hey, care I still want to lose weight. I would say that's okay. Let's focus on maybe trying this one thing and this one principle and see what happens. Right, I get that fear of the unknown, 100%.

[00:36:37] Father Mike Schmidt said in a homilia I was recently listening to that we have to be untrubbled by the unknown because even if we don't know exactly where God is calling us, we do know

[00:36:51] enough to act now. We know that there are things that we can do now even if we don't know what that outcome is going to look like. We can be courageous in the face of uncertainty and a known

[00:37:04] because we know who we are following. So can you be open to God's grace on this journey? Can you be open to letting him work in your life and see where this may lead you to?

[00:37:19] Could you be open to seeing what shutting this extra weight of weight loss pursuits will make room for in your life? Could letting go of dieting and weight loss pursu make more room for you

[00:37:35] to fully live the purpose you were put on this earth for? Like what are you waiting for? Like let's get this thing started. I have availability opening up for one-on-one coaching and I'm starting a weightless for a group coaching program that I'll be starting this fall.

[00:37:56] So if you're interested in learning more about faith-led intuitive eating and what it would be like to work with me and how I can help you create this individualized approach.

[00:38:08] I invite you to book a free wellness audit. So in this free session we'll take a deep dive into your wellness habit habits and together we'll identify like what you've been doing that's been

[00:38:20] working and what areas you may be struggling with and why. So this includes identifying any underlying food rules and beliefs as well as understanding like your current eating personality and how that is keeping you from healing your relationship with food and your body. And then from there

[00:38:39] I'll help you set a clear and achievable health goal and an individualized plan of action to help you overcome any of those obstacles. So if you're interested and I hope you are,

[00:38:52] I invite you to book this free session and to do that all you have to do is click the link that's in the show description that says book your free wellness audit and then it'll take you

[00:39:05] to click the link and you input your information and it shows my availability and you just click a time and a date that works with yours and it's all set up. It's easy, it's quick, no back and forth

[00:39:16] over email or anything like that. You click the link by the time and date that works for you and we hop on this session and y'all I really can't wait to be able to spend some time getting to know

[00:39:26] you better to understand what your health goals are and help you take the net steps to better health and wellness. So can't wait to see you in there. Thanks again for tuning into the podcast

[00:39:40] today. I hope you had a beautiful and blessed day. Remember beauty, health is a seed and beauty shared is the flower. Y'all it is your time to bloom. I'll talk to you soon, take care. Bye!