Does Food Freedom Mean ‘Letting Yourself Go’?

As a Food Mindset Coach I tend to toss around the term ‘food freedom’ a lot.

And, while I think the term is pretty straightforward and easy to understand, I realize that it might be a foreign concept to many people, especially if you’ve been dieting for years.

My basic definition of food freedom is being able to eat and enjoy ALL foods, highly nutritious or not, without obsession, guilt, stress or shame, plus finally feeling confident in and loving your body. Food freedom means no longer seeing foods as ‘good’ or bad’, no longer following a strict list of food rules, or feeling the need to restrict, limit, or avoid any food groups.

I love helping my clients achieve food freedom after years of jumping on and off the ‘diet cycle’...

but if the term ‘food freedom’ is new to you, I’m even MORE excited to share the unexpected yet amazing and life-lasting food, health, and body benefits that my clients and I have experienced!

3 Unexpected Benefits of Food Freedom:

1. More Energy - When you stop trying to live off 1200 calories, you finally give your body the fuel to feel energized! You’ll finally be able to tune out the rules and noise from your dieting past, and start focusing on eating things that truly make you feel your best and most energized so you can finally have the energy to focus on work that you love, run around with your kids, and live and enjoy your life! One of my client’s used to start her day with a small bowl of fruit because it was the ‘low calorie’, ‘healthy’, ‘good’ option -- but since finding food freedom she recognized that not long after finishing the fruit, she was feeling hungry and fatigued the rest of the day. I don't know anyone who's living a full life, creating success, or strengthening their relationships while trying to run on a 50 calorie bowl of fruit! This client experimented with different breakfasts, introducing options with more calories, options that in the past felt ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’, like a bagel/egg sandwich, or having a bowl of oatmeal WITH the fruit and some chopped nuts! When she finally felt free to eat the foods that used to feel “off-limits”, my client found that a bigger breakfast, and eating MORE calories, kept her way more full and energized throughout the day which meant less time obsessing over eating the lowest, possible calorie foods and FINALLY having the mental space and energy to focus on other things in life. She finally had the energy to create incredible work at her job which got her a huge promotion. She had more energy to pour into her dating life -which meant she had the confidence to put herself out there. Plus, she just had more energy to enjoy all of her successes and just live her life.

2. Better Focus - Not being tied to a strict diet or meal plan means you can spend less of your brain space stressing and worrying about eating the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ thing and you’ll have more brain space to focus on the things that really matter to you: the business you want to launch and grow, the irreplaceable time with your family, the travels and adventures you want to plan, the incredible life you want to create. I used to spend some much of my day planning my next meal, worried that I wouldn’t stay on track if I went out to dinner with friends or enjoyed a home-cooked meal my parents made, that involved carbs, cheese, and other ‘off-limit’ foods that I feared eating. Once I accessed food freedom, I no longer allowed those obsessive food thoughts to take up my brain space. Better focus is much more than being able to be more productive. It’s allowed me to focus more on being a more present daughter, sister, aunt, friend, girlfriend, and co-worker. This mental clarity has also allowed me to better tap into my intuition in other areas of my life. I was able to tap in and recognize what I’m truly passionate about. Food freedom truly gave me the space to create and go all-in on building the coaching business I always dreamed about, and it’s the reason I’m able to support my clients today! What would you be able to do if you got that brain space back? 3. Improved Mood - Being tied to food rules and diets can make you feel trapped, and like everything and everyone else in the world is working against you.

Like, when your friends want to order your favorite dessert, but you feel like it’ll “mess up” your diet. So, you sit there in a puddle of frustration, watching them enjoy your favorite chocolate lava cake. You get annoyed with everyone else because you feel like your food options are restricted. Being on a diet usually means avoiding foods you love, foods you’re craving, foods that bring you joy. You’re basically denying a very important part of food and life, the soul-nourishing part!

When you remove that guilt and stress from food and finally access your food freedom, you’ll feel better, physically and mentally, and therefore that dark cloud around you will dissipate. I had a client who used to be a yo-yo dieter. She found that dieting made her HANGRY and annoyed with her boyfriend all.the.time. “He always eats a huge sandwich in front of me, and he knows I can’t eat bread on my diet! She felt like his eating habits were affecting her mood, when in reality, her diet was the thing affecting her mood, because diets hijack your brain and mental freedom. Instead of focusing on changing her boyfriend’s eating habits, we figured out ways that she could remove the rigidness of her eating. This client finally discovered her food freedom, and now what her boyfriend eats no longer pisses her off.

They can enjoy sandwiches together, or if that isn’t what she’s in the mood for, she can enjoy a hearty salad, or something else, without getting irritated or frustrated with him. Their relationship is much better for it.

The way that you eat and more importantly, the mindset you have around food affects so much more than just your health, it affects EVERY part of your life and if you even feel like you have a life! People sometimes ask if food freedom means ‘letting yourself go’, but it’s actually the opposite.

Food freedom means you’re taking back your control. Control over your energy, your thoughts, your focus, your brain space, your passions, your mood, your relationships, and your life!

Are you ready to find your food freedom, so you can finally focus less on feeling stressed around food and have more brain space for the life you truly want?

Join me for a FREE 30-minute Food & Body Freedom Assessment Call. On this call we’ll get clear on steps you can start taking this week to remove the diet rules and restrictions, and start enjoying food without any guilt, so you can access your food and body freedom!

Book your free call here!

Be Well,

Marissa