“Just eat 1,200 calories.”
Your body was never the problem, your belief system is the problem.
Just Eat 1,200 Calories.
I wanted to share a story with you so you can start to understand what happens internally, when you intentially try to lose weight. This is the conversation happening in your body. It goes a little something like this :)
Weight loss specialist: “It’s EASY! Just eat 1,200 calories.”
Your Mind: “Okay, sure I’ll try that.”
Your Body: “Oh heelllllllllll no. Don’t do that. Fine, to fight back to your starvation diet, I’m going to slow down your metabolism, stop your reproduction system and other energy systems, mess up your hormones + hold onto every ounce of fat to save as fuel if as we try to survive this low cal fad. “
Your Mind: “I can do this, I have the best willpower. I Want to lose weight SO bad. I’ll do anything.”
Your Body: “FYI Your weight is going to plateau pretty soon here, can we just go back to cooking + enjoying FOODs so I can thrive? You will also gain the weight back that you lost so let that be a lesson that restrictive diets DON’T work. That’s it that’s all. Thank you for listening.“
NOTE: YOUR BODY WILL INEVITABLY WIN. No matter how strong your will power. That’s why you need to understand that you don’t fail diets, diets fail you. Intentionally.
This is the story of every mind/body relationship as you enter the latest fad diet trend. All diets are a form of restriction – some more severe than others but regardless, you’re trying to restrict consumption intentionally which usually backfires.
Did you know that the 1,200 calorie diet is considered a starvation diet?
The first time I heard about the 1,200 calorie diet rule, I was in grade 7. A new girl, named Melanie, was teaching us out how count calories. She was dating a grade 12 boy now, so we’d ought to listen to her.
But even in grade 7, and further down my dieting career, I remember asking myself:
“Where did this magical weight loss number come from?”
Wanna know the answer? Here it is:
This 1,200 calorie/day idea first came about by Dr. Lulu Peters in 1920, who recommended that every woman count every morsel of food she eats and to eat no more than 1200 calories.
Her recommendations in 1920 began as she was a Doctor, who struggled with own her weight. She discovered that this strategy worked for her, and so she began preaching to others. She became quite obsessed with this prescription and even wrote a book. Her prescription has been carried on since (often without any questioning.)
This means you were likely raised under this way of thinking as your grandmother, mother and maybe even your great-grandmother lived under this awful dieting protocol. It’s literally been programmed in our society for 100 years.
So what’s wrong with this methodology?
Well, your body needs at least 1200 calories to function if you were just lying in bed all day. But most people aren’t. We’re active, going to the gym, running around, keeping up with kids and so our bodies need more fuel to keep up with daily energy demands.
[SPOILER ALERT: NO, YOU DON'T! THIS IS JUST DIET CULTURE TRYING TO SELL YOU/CONVINCE YOU OF SOMETHING.]
Eating for fuel doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to involve counting calories, macros, restricting or manipulating food or cutting out food groups. In fact, that does the opposite of what we want because all of a sudden, eating becomes a math equation. Let your body be your guide.
AfterGlow's 3M program isn’t a quick fix calorie counting plan, but a profound shift in mindset and lifestyle. It's about embracing food without labels, finding pleasure in nourishment, and, saying goodbye to guilt.
So, if you've ever felt trapped in the stress of trying to eat a certain # of calories, I hope this story can be your slice of faith, with a side of glow.
Wanna learn more? I’ve just filmed a new training called “How to stop overeating/binging without giving up the foods you love!” Shoot me an email and I’ll send the free training your way!
The Glow Effect:
AfterGlow is a movement that is on a mission to help 1 million women find Body & Food Freedom through Neuro-Empowered EatingTM by 2030.
