Royane Real

By Catrina Bengree

Introductory comments by Royane Real 

A few years ago I was talking with some friends of mine, and we ended up having a heated discussion on the topic of how to lose weight. 

The people in the group wanted to know if any diets really work.  What kind of diet is effective in the long term?  What diet is easy, natural, and healthy, as well as effective in taking the pounds off?  We had all had the common experience of trying various diets that promised weight loss, but none had been effective at keeping the pounds off.

One of the women that was in the group said that she had tried many diets in her life, and that the only diet that had ever helped her to lose weight was quite a simple one.  This diet did not require deprivation, or calorie counting, or combining strange foods.

She said, the diet really only has four rules.  Instead of counting calories or worrying about your caloric intake, you just focus on yourself and your bodily sensations while you are eating.  You really pay attention to the act of eating, instead of eating mindlessly as so many of us do, myself included.

I found her comments fascinating, and of course I was intrigued by the fact the woman said that this method of eating actually helped her to lose weight. 

Even though there were only four rules to this simple eating plan, I could never remember all her instructions.  Did she say, "Put down your fork after every bite?"  Did she say, "Chew all your food thoroughly before swallowing?"

That is why I was happy to come across this article by Catrina Bengree, which details the diet system my friend had been talking about, the only diet that had ever helped her to lose weight.

In the article below you will find some amazingly simple rules for healthy, mindful eating.  Even though the author lays out clearly the simple rules, you may find as I do, that you have to keep reminding yourself to follow them.

The above introductory comments are by self improvement author Royane Real. 

Feature article

Negative Eating Habits - Why Do We Often Do Things That We Should and Not What We Love?

By Catrina Bengree 

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day that has been overweight for most of her life. She has never been one for "dieting" so doesn't watch what she eats. However she was told that if she wants to lose weight she must exercise.

So that is what she has been doing conscientiously for the last 5 years. She has been going to a Personal trainer at the gym 2 or 3 times a week.

But she has had no success at losing any weight!

The reason is that she hates going to the gym. She is going because she should not because she wants to or enjoys it. She feels obliged to do it, to be seen to be making an effort to lose some weight. Consequently when she is at the gym her heart isn't in it and although she tries her best she is not getting any positive results.

In addition she believes that she doesn't have to worry about what she is eating because surely if she exercises she will lose the weight regardless. Therefore she has got into negative eating habits overtime without even realising it.

She is not listening to her body and giving it what it needs with regard to nutrition, and she is not listening to her heart and finding something she loves doing.

Instead she is going to the gym which she really detests because she thinks it's something she should do.

It's funny how we get into these little habits, even when what we are trying obviously isn't working. (5 years is a long time to go to the gym without any positive results.) We continue simply because we don't know any better or it is just too hard to try something else.

Since talking to my friend last week and asking her what she really likes doing, she has "fired" her personal trainer and started swimming instead.  It turns out she has always loved swimming but didn't think it was the "right" sort of exercise to lose weight. And this is where the problem lies.

We shouldn't be exercising to lose weight. Exercising is part of a healthy, empowering way to live, but if we don't love it well then naturally we are not going to stick at it or get any positive benefits from it.

If you want to lose weight you need to concentrate on how you are eating.

This does not mean going on a diet.

Diets only serve to deprive and disempower you and ensure you eat in a negative way.

You need to connect with your body and give it what it needs when it needs it. This relates to food, love, comfort, exercise etc. This is where Natural Eating is so powerful. It is such a simple concept because we just listen to our body and give it what it wants when it wants it by following these four principles:

1. Eat when you are hungry

2. Eat what you want

3. Stop when you are satisfied

4. Move onto something else after eating

So if you are currently doing something you should instead of something you love, reconnect with your body and eat naturally. This will enable you to change those current negative eating habits into positive lifelong choices.

Prior to discovering Natural Eating, I'd had food and weight related issues for over 20 years.

Since discovering Natural Eating in the late 1990's and combining it with Personal Development, I have now maintained a healthy and natural weight for over 12 years. I now run my own business, Nourish'N Nurture, teaching people how to lose weight naturally without dieting.

In addition I have written an e-book entitled "Empower yourself by eating what you want - how to lose weight naturally without dieting." For a FREE copy please click the following link http://www.weightlossandpersonalgrowth.com/Home.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com 

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