In the past, if I saw tasty new food at Trader Joe’s, I had to buy it on that shopping trip. Now, I can pass on them until timing lines up. Like the gluten-free double chocolate muffins. After watching a taste test showing how tender and decadent they are, I’ve been to the store and seen them on the shelf three times. Fact is, finishing a four-pack of giant muffins takes too long, so I’ll wait until I have company or an event to bring them to. It wasn’t a struggle. I didn’t feel deprived. Did I buy my favorite crispy gluten-free chocolate chip cookies? Totally.

Recently I started working part-time outside my business, which means I needed to adjust when, how much, and what, I eat. This means revisiting step five to learn my new hunger cues. My body doesn’t like to eat early in the morning, but if I don’t, I can’t eat until mid-afternoon. I’ve been asking my body what it wants and what it will handle. Step six, learning fullness cues, has also been revisited because I have a few minutes to snack mid-morning. If I don’t eat then, my stomach lets everyone nearby know. Finding the right snack and eating enough to fuel me until I have a relaxed lunch was another adjustment that was smoother because I’ve been practicing listening to my body since November.

The new job means a different activity level. As I’ve settled in there, my body showed how much to eat to match that, which is less than before. Now my weight is adjusting. What I’m still figuring out is which foods will sustain my energy in the amounts I can eat early in the day. Mainly foods with a satisfying amount of protein, fat, and carbs in small amounts, like an egg and a piece of toast. Maybe a protein bar on my break. Lighter foods like fruit are eaten when I’m home and can go back for another serving in an hour or so.

It’s coming together, as delicious and fulfilling as I could hope for. Not having emotional cravings is so freeing. I still love food, but it’s no longer an obsession.

How are you doing with your Food As Ally journey?

Gina