Weight Loss that Lasts

 

I bet that at some point when you were a kid, some well-meaning adult insisted that you “clean your plate.” (More than likely with the threat of no dessert if you didn’t, right?)

Cleaning your plate might’ve felt like a punishment when you were eight (especially if there were vegetables involved!) But as an adult, it can take on a whole new meaning.

It can turn from a bargaining chip for after-dinner treats to a big-time guilt fest, especially if food and body struggles have ever haunted you.

Because after all, when you “clean your plate,” you might be triggered to refill it. And clean it again. And again…

Talk about fodder for food-based triggers, right?

By now I’ve seen–and personally had–just about every food and body struggle there is. And one of the most pervasive battles is the question of “to clean or not to clean.” Your plate, that is!

Back in the day, I stressed relentlessly about my plate. We’re talking about what was on it, how much I left on it at the end of a meal, even what size it was.

Not to mention the shame of daring to eat every bite on that plate. Or even think about having seconds…

I found that nearly all of this plate-cleaning stress stemmed from the unwritten rules that have floated around the diet world for years. Old-school ideas like these…

Only eat until you’re 70% full.

Leave a quarter of the food on your plate untouched.

Use a smaller plate so that your portions will be smaller.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably tried ALL of these–and many more!

But let’s be honest. Do you enjoy a meal when you’re busy hacking it? Do random restrictions and nitpicky rules bring make you feel better about your body and your food? And do they even WORK?

I don’t know about you, but that’s a NO on all counts for me!

So today, I’m going to show you why plate regulations don’t work–and that whether or not you clean your plate is a LOT less important than you might think.

Watch below where I share the only mealtime hack that you’ll ever need–and it has nothing to do with cleaning your plate (or not)!

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I speak for myself, but at mealtime, I like to sit down, eat in peace, and enjoy my food. Then I want to get up, be done with it, and get on with my life. I bet that sounds good to you too, doesn’t it?

But when I was fighting my body, I lived by every plate-based portion control rule there was. And I learned that the rigid rules had plenty of unintended consequences.

This lead me to discover a few clean-your-plate truth bombs that altogether changed how I looked at my plate strategies!

Here’s what I learned…

Number One: It’s not about your plate at all.  Conventional wisdom puts a lot of shame on cleaning your plate. But what if it matters less than you think?

Here’s some serious outside-the-box thinking for you…

It’s not important if you eat every bite or save some for the doggy bag. It’s also doesn’t matter if you choose a full-size dinner plate or try to cram your meal onto a saucer.

What matters is the energy that you (literally) bring to the table.

If you’re unconsciously eating everything in front of you, you’re not making a genuine connection with yourself. You’re just shoveling in food without regard to how you feel or what you need. That leads to overeating, weight gain, and misery.

Then again, if you’re so afraid to take a bite that you leave most of your meal untouched, that can also trigger unintended binging down the road. Not much better, right?

In either case, it’s not your plate that matters. It’s the lack of awareness and intention that you bring to the meal.

And following random rules, tactics, and plate-control hacks are no substitute for connection to yourself.

So if you connect with yourself and listen to your body at mealtime, does it matter whether or not you clean your plate? Not so much.

What matters is that you get out of your head, drop down into your body, and listen to what it needs. That trumps any plate-cleaning, portion-control rules ANY day.

Number Two: What to bring to the table. Forget leaving an arbitrary amount of food on your plate. Never mind what size plate you choose. Instead of trying to keep your portion-control etiquette on point, try a new approach.

The thing about rules, hacks, and tricks is that hey keep you thinking rather than being. Overthinking leads to chaos, fear, and conditioned responses. But mindfulness leads to connection, awareness, and peace.

So instead of worrying if your plate or your portions are too big, take a few deep breaths. Drop from your worried mind into your stable heart. Then do yourself the favor of slowing down.

Eat your meals one bite at a time, being mindful and aware. Take the automation and autopilot away from your mealtime, and be present with your food.

This shift alone will support you more than any mealtime hack ever could.

Number Three: Make cleaning your plate (or not) a non-issue. Now, do yourself the ultimate favor of eliminating the plate-cleaning pressure for good. Because there’s an additional bonus to this strategy that I haven’t shared yet…

Dropping the plate-cleaning pressure helps you navigate your food choices from a place of connection and love rather than distraction and fear.

Let me explain what I mean by that!

Think about it. The more that you look for answers outside yourself, the less you tend to trust your inherent wisdom. This makes a more significant difference with food choices than you might think.

When you’re try to follow diet rules instead of going with what you know your body needs, you second-guess yourself. Before you know it, your mind is running amok with stressful, confused, food-focused thoughts.

We’re talking about mind chatter that sounds something like this…

Should I eat this, should I skip that? This guru said I can eat this carb, but what if I eat this other one instead? And I already at that, should I just blow off the diet and start over tomorrow?

You get the idea.

As I like to put it, it’s like you’re chopped off from the neck down, making decisions from a panicked head rather than a connected heart.

This circles back to the original idea–it’s all about who you’re being at the table, not what’s on your plate at the table. The disconnection from yourself is what leads to dysfunctional eating, not how much you ate or the size of your plate.

So give yourself permission to forget everything you knew about “cleaning your plate.”  I’m giving you an invitation to ditch the rules and come back to the REAL you.

I’m talking about the you who knows what to eat, how much to eat, and what foods will honor her the most. The person who knows that it’s NOT the size of your plate or the amount of food you leave on that plate that matters.

When it comes to mindful eating, it’s ALL within you!

Now, I get that this is a radical idea. It can be pretty scary, too, especially if you’ve been living by the portion control policies that police the diet world.

Believe me, I know what kind of chaos comes from trying to conform to food-based rules. I lived in that kind of crazy spiral for over 12 years, and I know how painful the struggle can be.

But at the same time, the idea of leaving those rules behind can make you wonder–what would you do without them? Would all dietary hell break loose if you counted on your inner self to step up and take charge?

Here’s what I know–you CAN learn to trust yourself. And you can break away from ALL the diet rules (including plate-cleaning protocol) and reclaim your power.

If you need any support in this area, we are here for you!

Click the image below where I’ve got a special gift for you! We call them, “Craving Cards”, and they’re one of our most popular tools!

If you ever feel night time cravings, sugar cravings, the urge to just say “screw it I’m going to start my diet over tomorrow”, or like you need a little body confidence pick me up… 

Just grab a card, go through the prompts, and shift it instantly! 

Click the image above and let me know where to send them!

You’ll also get mini demo video training sessions for each card where I share how to use the cards and some of my best tips for food freedom forever!

With our Craving Cards and Demo Series… 

You’ll learn how to stop cravings in their tracks, feel confident, and get back your power, fast! 

Love,
Brittany

PS: Want the exact freedom and ease with our foods that myself and thousands of our clients get to experience?

In our Beating Binge Eating Blueprint (BBEB), I show you how to make this happen in just 8 weeks!

Many of our students have seen a DRASTIC difference in as little as a few days!

It’s our signature program, and up until recently, it was $3000 or more to join.

For now, you can get it as a part of our Food Freedom Collection for practically free by clicking the image below!

There is no catch…every resource I’ve created for food freedom and body confidence will land straight in your if you just click that image below and let me know where to send it!

 

 

Let’s talk about what my life used to look like.

Back in the day, I was all about the perfect meal plan. The right exercise routine. The least amount of carbs. The most effective weight loss method.

I was on a never-ending search for this mysterious “perfect” weight loss system that I thought would be the answer to all my problems.

I thought once I found it And then, the weight would come off. I’d be free of my food struggles. I’d feel comfortable in my body. And I would finally love myself and enjoy my life.

That’s a lot of conditions to put on self-love, isn’t it?

Ironically, the harder I tried to force myself to change so that I could “love myself and live my life”, the more I rejected who I was. I believed that I had to change on the outside before self-love and confidence was even possible.

I thought that the answer was rejecting who I was until I became who I thought I had to be.

So I lived by extreme diet rules, which created insane emotional states. I constantly shamed myself for not being “there” yet. I lived in perpetual anxiety over every bite of food and every showdown with the bathroom scale.

(And of course, all along I disguised my shame-based methods as “healthy living.”)

Worst of all, I was trapped by debilitating fear.

Fear that I couldn’t lose weight. Fear that I’d gain it back even if I did lose it. Fear of what people would think of me, one way or the other.

Flash forward several years to the present day.

Now, I’m free of food-focused thoughts. Food fuels my life but it doesn’t rule my life. I honor my body, and I give her what she needs. And without a single fear-based thought! I don’t even weigh myself anymore, because I just don’t feel the need.

Best of all, I’ve kept the weight off for over five years!

So what brought on this surge of empowerment, and how have I kept it going for so long?

Turns out that the harder I tried to stick to anybody’s diet, the more I pushed away success. In fact, I repeatedly lost and gained the same 40 pounds. For nearly 15 years.

Then I discovered the self-sabotaging behaviors that kept me stuck on the diet roller coaster. And from there, I learned the real trick to lasting weight loss success.

Turns out that true change comes from within–including changes with your body!

Watch the video below and find out how I caught myself in the act of self-sabotage, and how I got out of my own way, and how I found what we now call Food Freedom Forever.

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When change is the goal, self-awareness is key. And in my quest for truth, I realized that two self-sabotaging behaviors were keeping me stuck.

One was a belief. The other was an action.

For years I believed that I had to listen to that drill sergeant in my head. The inner critic that criticized, forced and blamed me into changing. I thought that if I wasn’t mercilessly pushing myself 24/7 to get results, I’d never get them.

My self-sabotaging action, then, was trying every restrictive diet plan that came down the pike. The belief was that I needed those diets to succeed. And without them, I would stay stuck forever.

When I put this together, I worked on two things: dropping the diet, and dropping the belief that I needed the diet in the first place.

Now, before you freak out about letting go of diet plans, let me tell you that I know exactly how you feel!

After all, if you don’t diet, seriously, how are you going to drop any weight? Doesn’t letting go of control with food equal losing control with food?

And what about those “healthy” diets that really have worked in the past? What about those diets that did help you drop 20 pounds by cutting this food or that food?

Here’s what I have to say about that…

If you lost weight on a diet, but at some point, you gained it back, that diet didn’t work.

If you went off that diet and then lost all control with food, that diet failed. Simple as that.

Maybe an eating plan worked for a few months. Or even a year. But just because it helped you shed a few pounds for a while doesn’t mean that it caused any fundamental change where it really matters–on the inside.

In fact, if going off the diet made you rebound by losing all control with food, it ultimately did more harm than good.  

Trust me when I say that I’m not trying to rain on your parade. But I know this result all too well, both personally and professionally.

I tried every single fad diet there was during my fitness competition days. And they all ended the same way.

Sure, the trendy diet of the moment might’ve gotten me ready to strut on the fitness stage. But the minute I stopped following the strict rules of that diet to the letter, all hell broke loose.

I fell to debilitating binge eating every time. And I ended up feeling (and looking) worse than I did when I started.

Did that diet “work?” Sure, for a while. But it turned out to be a band-aid for a bullet wound.

Turns out that for lasting change on the outside, you have to start on the inside first. And for me, that meant learning to honor my body.

Now, you might be thinking that “honoring my body,” means intuitive eating. But that’s not quite what I’m saying here. While intuitive eating can be a useful tool, if you’re not careful, it can turn into just another diet.

What I mean is letting go of ALL the cookie cutter methods. And fundamentally shifting the way you relate to your food, your body, and yourself.

So put down the diet book, stop following that Instagram model who’s selling that $72 meal plan (that she probably doesn’t even follow), and get back in touch with YOU.

That starts by learning how to work with your body instead of fighting against it.

Here’s what I mean by that…

All the self-rejection I was putting myself through kept me disconnected from my inner voice. And it built a wall between me and the version of myself. The one who knew just what to do to help me achieve anything I wanted.

We’re talking about an invisible wall, the bricks of which are fears, restrictions, and old thoughts and beliefs.

Things like the need for strict diets. Ideas about self-image from your parents, friends, or the media. Self-criticism and shaming. Each of which represents a brick that builds the wall that stands between you and your power.  

So what happens when you add more rules, restrictions, and self-rejection in the form of crazy diets? The wall grows bigger and stronger. And over time, it gets a lot more challenging to knock down.

But there is good news!

No matter how long you’ve been building this barrier between yourself and your power, it’s never too late to tear that wall down.

The answer is knocking the bricks down, one at a time. And you do that with self-love.

It’s relating to yourself in a way that is joyful and loving way rather than critical and forceful.  

It’s changing the way you relate to your body and your food. And allowing yourself to letting go of what doesn’t serve you. Including extra weight.

In your natural state, your body doesn’t hold onto what isn’t meant to stay. And if extra weight has accumulated on your body because of misaligned actions like binge or emotional eating, your body will want to let it go.

When you realign with your true self, your body will release that weight naturally. Without forcing, shaming, or dieting madness.

Of course, I know that this might sound like a daunting task. Maybe even impossible, especially if your body and food struggle has felt real for a long time.

Trust me, I tried it all. Diets. Hypnosis. Overeaters Anonymous. Doctors and therapists.

I even had a therapist tell me once that I was addicted to food, and that I was broken beyond repair. (You can imagine how much that helped me!)

But there was something that did work.

I traded self-loathing for self-love. I made a lasting shift at my core, and I got to the other side of all the madness.

That’s where I discovered Food Freedom Forever.

Food Freedom Forever means living your life and focusing on what matters to you. It means being present in your life without worrying about losing control at your next meal. I’m talking about freeing yourself from food-based fear, once and for all.

And trust me–you CAN do it!

To help you get started, I have both a special gift and AND a big announcement for you!

Click the image below where I’ve got a special gift for you! We call them, “Craving Cards”, and they’re one of our most popular tools!

If you ever feel night time cravings, sugar cravings, the urge to just say “screw it I’m going to start my diet over tomorrow”, or like you need a little body confidence pick me up… 

Just grab a card, go through the prompts, and shift it instantly!

Click the image above and let me know where to send them!

You’ll also get mini demo video training sessions for each card where I share how to use the cards and some of my best tips for food freedom forever!

With our Craving Cards and Demo Series… 

You’ll learn how to stop cravings in their tracks, feel confident, and get back your power, fast! 

Love,
Brittany

PS: Want the exact freedom and ease with our foods that myself and thousands of our clients get to experience?

In our Beating Binge Eating Blueprint (BBEB), I show you how to make this happen in just 8 weeks!

Many of our students have seen a DRASTIC difference in as little as a few days!

It’s our signature program, and up until recently, it was $3000 or more to join.

For now, you can get it as a part of our Food Freedom Collection for practically free by clicking the image below!

There is no catch…every resource I’ve created for food freedom and body confidence will land straight in your if you just click that image below and let me know where to send it!

 

 

The holidays are drawing to a close. And just like going home from a vacation, a party, or any celebration, there’s always a transition.

It’s time to get back to reality. And of course, most people feel it’s time to pay for the “fun” of the last couple of months.

That means resorting to drastic measures like crash diets. Compensation workouts. Getting “serious” about getting back in shape. Setting the resolutions. Starting the plan.

The post-holiday weight loss battle commences. And sometimes, that battle gets downright ugly.

Most think weight loss is hard. That it takes willpower. It takes motivation. And that you’ve got to bring it or you’ll never be the size you want to be.

And this oftentimes turns into a year-long war against your body and food. No fun.

Today it’s time to get real.

2019 is here and you have a choice on how you’re going to do things this time around!

Let’s look at the evidence…

When was the last time that diets, workouts, or resolutions delivered on their promises (in a way that lasts that doesn’t involve “starting over”)?

For me, I made the same resolutions every year for years on end. And I ended up in an unending battle with my body and my food.

But there was a moment when life threw something in my path. And it translated into an unexpected wake-up call that totally changed the way I related to my body, food, and weight.

It shocked me into realizing that my body and food obsession had gone too far. And that I’d better do something about it before it took over my life for good.

What unexpected setback turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and how did it change the way I felt about my body and my food?

Watch the video below for a personal story of redemption at rock bottom. And how to release weight from what a freak accident taught me!

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When I was in my early 20s, my life revolved around food. But not for the sheer enjoyment of it. It couldn’t stop thinking about food, it was my biggest enemy alongside my body.

All I thought about was controlling every bite I ate and getting the weight off my body. I had a one-track mind with room for little else.

Eventually, food always won the battle of wills. I would try to stick to a diet. Then give up and binge. Then I’d punish myself for falling off the wagon and starve myself again.

Pretty soon, this overeat-restrict-repeat cycle became a way of life.

Sure, there was a time when I contained overeating to the weekends. But then the weekend eating sessions turned into week-long affairs. Eventually, overeating became a daily habit.

And let me tell you, my day-to-day reality wasn’t pretty…

Most days I would wake up in a post-binge fog. I felt bloated, exhausted, and most of all, ashamed.  So I responded the only way I knew how.

I hit the gym. I starved myself to make up for the night before. I’d go for the fat-burning supplements, the juice cleanses, the 24-hour diets. Whatever magic bullet I thought would work.

But by the end of the day, once again I’d find myself raiding the refrigerator and scouring the cabinets. And eating vast amounts of God knows what.

Then every morning I’d hit the “reset” button and do it all again.

And here’s the kicker–every time I gave in to overeating, I’d up the ante in making up for it.

I’d fight harder. I’d restrict my food even further and double my gym time.

Only I didn’t seem to notice that the harder I fought, the harder I fell.

One weekend, I was in Minnesota for my cousin’s wedding. And I was spending the downtime indulging in a passion of mine, four-wheeling (riding ATVs).

I didn’t know the area and as usual, I was driving super fast (hello adrenaline) and as I rounding a curve I realized I was headed straight for a cliff.

I had two choices. It was either run the four-wheeler off the cliff or veer the ATV away from the road. And flip it in the process.

I chose to flip. And the ATV flipped over right on top of me. Handlebars right into my side. Ouch.

Now, just after it happened, I thought that I’d gotten away with a miracle. After all, I was still alive. And I wasn’t in that much pain. Yet.

But when I woke up the next morning, I could barely breathe. My body was in searing pain. I was for all intents and purposes immobile.

And yet, my most consuming thought was not about getting enough oxygen to go on living. I didn’t care about excruciating agony. And I wasn’t concerned about when I’d walk again.

My only thought was that I couldn’t work out. That I’d eat too much during my recovery. That I was going to get fat. And look terrible.

Never mind that I walked away from a potentially fatal accident. Forget that I could barely walk. Or breathe.

I didn’t think about enjoying my cousins wedding. All I cared about was that I’d pack on the pounds.

Embarrassing to say the least – but this was my reality at the time.

Now, before this wreck, I was doing high-intensity interval training nearly every day. Add to that boxing, weightlifting, and plyometrics. 2+ hours at the gym 6-7 days a week.

Then just like that, life tossed me an unexpected curveball.

It was painful to sneeze or laugh. I could barely walk. Working out was definitely not an option.

All I could do was get real about what happened. And to accept that I’d be in recovery for quite awhile.

I realized that there was nothing left to do but take care of myself. And heal.

Turns out that “healing” meant more than repairing my broken ribs.

During the next several weeks, I slowed down. I rested. I listened to my body, and I honored it’s wishes.

Even more remarkable, for the first time in years, I ate when I was hungry and stopped when I was full. And without fear of overeating.

Slowly but surely, I started feeling more mobile again. So I started going outside, taking walks, and connecting with nature.

It was nowhere near the arduous physical activity I was used to. But was what my body called me to do. So I followed it without question.

What happened after a few weeks of this new normal?

My cravings disappeared. The inflammation in my body melted away. I started shedding water weight and bloatedness went down. My face looked thinner. My muscles were more defined.

Even more exciting, I felt energized. My mental clarity returned. And my confidence in myself began to soar.

Without strict diets and torturous workouts, my body started to recalibrate. I felt aligned. And I realized something that I never had before.

The battle to keep myself fit was doing more harm than good.

I thought that it would help me lose weight, look amazing, and feel empowered. Turns out that it did exactly the opposite.

This led me to a profound discovery.

I realized that the harder I pushed my body to lose weight, the more my body held onto that weight.

In short, everything I was doing to end my body-food struggle was making the struggle real because of the stress and survival response it was illiciting.

The take-home message?

You don’t have to control every bite. You don’t have to beat yourself up at the gym. In fact, these strategies will turn the body battle into a full-scale war.

The key is to stop, take an honest look at what you’re doing, and ask yourself if it’s creating the results you genuinely want.

Because let’s be real–if it is making you miserable and it’s not working anyway, it’s time for a new game plan!

Now, I’m not saying to quit the gym. I’m not telling you not to challenge yourself. And I’m not saying to rebel from diet rules with a food free-for-all.

But do check in with yourself. Connect with your body. And get real about what is and is not making you happy. And then, adjust accordingly.

This year might be your year do to something different!

What would I suggest?

Move, exercise, take care of yourself. Push yourself if that feels aligned with your goals. But don’t punish yourself.

And definitely stop doing the things that aren’t working!

After all, if you’ve been doing the same thing year after year with no results, a change is in order.

For me, it was learning how to let go of the fight. My life changed forever, and I never looked back.

So if you want more than to “resolve” to drop weight at any cost, you’re in the right place!

Click the image below where I’ve got a special gift for you! We call them, “Craving Cards”, and they’re one of our most popular tools!

If you ever feel night time cravings, sugar cravings, the urge to just say “screw it I’m going to start my diet over tomorrow”, or like you need a little body confidence pick me up… 

Just grab a card, go through the prompts, and shift it instantly!

Click the image above and let me know where to send them!

You’ll also get mini demo video training sessions for each card where I share how to use the cards and some of my best tips for food freedom forever!

With our Craving Cards and Demo Series… 

You’ll learn how to stop cravings in their tracks, feel confident, and get back your power, fast! 

Love,
Brittany

PS: Want the exact freedom and ease with our foods that myself and thousands of our clients get to experience?

In our Beating Binge Eating Blueprint (BBEB), I show you how to make this happen in just 8 weeks!

Many of our students have seen a DRASTIC difference in as little as a few days!

It’s our signature program, and up until recently, it was $3000 or more to join.

For now, you can get it as a part of our Food Freedom Collection for practically free by clicking the image below!

There is no catch…every resource I’ve created for food freedom and body confidence will land straight in your if you just click that image below and let me know where to send it!